Raising chickens is slowly becoming very popular. While some people raise chickens for fresh and nutritious eggs, there are some who raise chickens for companionship.

Building a chicken coop which suites the needs of your chickens is very essential. The first step in building a chicken coop is proper planning. There are many common mistakes that we make when we build a chicken coop. Let us see how we can avoid them.

You should first calculate the number of chickens and hens that you plan to have when you build a chicken coop. The general rule says that there should be 4 square feet of space for every bird. Most of the people don’t follow this and this is where they go wrong. Chickens are happy when they are in a big place.

Another common mistake is that people think about the comfort of chickens and never think about how they will enter the chicken coop. They don’t make proper provision for that when they build a chicken coop. You need easy access to the coop so you can clean the place regularly, change water, feed the chickens and most importantly collect eggs.

Some people build a chicken coop which is built to perfection but the location is often not correct. Make sure that your chicken coop is at a good height. This will keep them safe from flooding due to rain or even cleaning and predators.

When you build a chicken coop make, sure that the widows face the south as you get cool breeze from that direction. It is the cheapest and a natural method to keep your coop well ventilated. If you stay in a cooler place then you can have sliding windows so the coop is warm during winter season. In warmer places you can use mesh or chicken wire to cover the windows. But the window should be completely covered. Build a chicken coop, where chickens are safe from the attack of predators. It is your duty to protect the chickens just the way you protect your family. By following some basic steps, you can ensure the safety of your chickens. Construct a fence with chicken wire around the coop. But make sure that the fencing is buried 12 inches under the ground and is about 4 ft above the ground. This will keep the insects, rodents and other predators from burrowing the ground or climbing the fence. When you build a chicken coop you need to build a roof so your chickens and hens are protected from eagles and hawks. Cover the windows properly. If you leave a hole then there are chances that rodents or cats will enter the coop in search of food.

If you keep all these things in mind and avoid making the common mistakes, then you can build a chicken coop where the birds will be very happy and will give you nutritious eggs throughout the year.