Before you start keeping your own chickens you will need to provide them with a suitable run or coop. Above
all, chicken runs and coops need to be of strong and sturdy construction to keep predators out and to
keep your chickens well protected from the elements.
No matter what your situation, there should be a chicken coop to suit your needs. Chicken runs and coops
are readily available to buy ready for use or as a flat pack kit. If you cant find the one that suits you, you
can easily build your own.
Check out the section on how to build a chicken coop if you
think you 'd like to have a go at building a chicken coop or run for your hens.
Here you can see some of the commonly available chicken runs and coops which you can buy ready made or in
flat-pack kit form. Whatever you choose, it will need to provide comfortable and safe accommodation for your
chickens.
When deciding on the most suitable chicken runs and coops, keep these points in mind-
- Size- How many chickens do you intend to keep. This is one of the most important decisions to make
early on.
- Cost- Having decided what size you need you should consider how much you want to spend and whether you
want to buy a ready made chicken coop or keep cost down by building your own chicken coop.
- Available space- Are you keeping them in a city backyard or do you have lots of space for a coop
and outdoor run?
- Portability- If you have a small garden it could be wise to choose something thats easily moved
around.
- Durability- Think about the climate in your area and choose something thats best suited to the
prevailing weather conditions.
- Function- Are you keeping chickens as pets, to produce your own supply of eggs or do you plan on
breeding them?
- City ordinances- Are there are regulations in your area that restrict the size and type of chicken coop
you can have in your garden?
- Pests & Predators- Be aware of the typ of predators your chicken coop might be exposed to and make
sure to choose one thats strong and secure enough to keep them out
So lets look at just some of these points in a bit more detail.
Ideal size for chicken runs and coops
The ideal amount of space required for keeping chickens is 4 sq ft per
bird for interior coop space and 10 sq ft per bird of outdoor run space. So
for example if you plan on keeping 4 hens in your back yard you will need a chicken coop which is
approximately 4ft x 4ft with an outdoor run of about 4 ft x 10 ft. Thats not actually as big as it
sounds.
With this in mind you will need to check the space you have available in your garden and make sure you can
comfortably accommodate the amount of chickens you intend to keep.
Keep in mind too that the more chickens you keep the higher the workload involved in taking care of them and
also the higher the cost of feeding and keeping them in good health.
So even though you might have adequate space for 10 chickens it's not necessarily a good idea to keep that
many. It would be far better to keep less birds and invest your money in buy or building the best quality
chicken coop you can afford. It will pay off in the long run.
Cost
As with any purchase, you get what you pay for so the old rule of thumb of buying the best you can afford
applies here. Buying good quality chicken runs and coops at the start will pay off in the long term by
providing you with years of trouble free and low maintenance housing for your chickens.
The price of ready made chicken coops varies greatly. First, decide what size and type of chicken coop best
suits your needs based on the information above and when you have come do a decision you can browse the many
different types of coop available from poultry or pet supply stores to find a coop which suits your budget.
If cost is still an issue when selecting your coop you may want to look at building your own chicken coop.
Of course this option is not going to suit everybody but if you are any way good with DIY it's an option that
could save you a lot of money. Even if your not the DIY type you could easily get some help from somebody thats
more proficient.
Building your own chicken runs and coops can also add an extra dimension to the hobby as a whole, not only
saving money in the process but allowing you build a chicken coop thats more suited to your available space.
Building your own coop is an intersting and fun project and is a great way to get more involved in chicken
keeping before you even get your livestock.
The key to building a chicken coop sucessfully is to put some thought and effort into a good design before
you start building. Taking the time to do this at the outset will make the project quicker, easier
and more cost effective overall.
You can design your own chicken coop based on the requirements of the birds you plan to keep or if you
are eager to get building you can download DIY chicken coop plans and get started straight away.
Once you have downloaded your chicken coop plans take care to read the drawings thoroughly and familiarise
yourself with the overall design before you start. Most ready made chicken coop plans have a cutting and
materials list already drawn up so you can take this list and shop around for the best deal on your
materials.
*Tip-
Buying and downloading ready made plans is well worth considering as they
are usually relatively inexpensive and are well
thought out and cost effective designs.
By using the pre drafted materials list it is possible to shop around easily
and in most cases you can save at least the cost of your plans on the cost of the materials so effectively,
professionally drafted designs are free.
Function
If you are planning to keep your chickens as pets or as an educational project for your children then your
requirements for a chicken coop will differ slightly than if you are just planning on having a fresh egg for
breakfast every morning. Likewise, if you plan to breed your chickens and hatch & raise your own
chicks, you will need to consider this when choosing a suitable chicken coop.
As always, the needs and welfare of your chickens is paramount and should be considered first before deciding
what suits you. With careful consideration it is possible to provide your chickens with optimum living
conditions while still coming up with an arrangement that suits your needs too.
If you are keeping chickens purely as pets then you will need a coop design that will allow you to view and
interact with the birds easily and requires little maintainance.
Try breeding them and you will need nest boxes, additional space for the new arrivals and extra storage space
for equipment etc.
Bear in mind that as your interest in the hobby develops, you might well change your mind and start breeding
from the chickens you initially bought as pets so keep all this in mind and think ahead when planning your
chicken coop.
Portability
Depending on your circumstances and available space you will need to think about portability. If you have
plenty of space then a permanent structure will probably be the best option and shouldnt present any need to
move it around. In a smaller space however, such as in an urban setting you might prefer to have a coop that
you can move to a fresh patch of grass regularly. In this case a portable 'A' frame or chicken ark might best
suit your needs. Obviously, portable coops tend to be of lighter consrtuction and therfore may offer less in
the way of protection from predators and pests so it is worth bearing this in mind if you think that predators
might be a problem in your area.
Use this comparison to decide which design is best suited to your needs. If you have time on your hands, you
could also try your hand at building a chicken coop
