Learn how to build a chicken coop and save your money

Rare thinking people like you, realize chickens make great pets. They are relatively easy to care for, and they do not cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars like those pure breed cats and dogs. In fact, the cost of a few hens and a rooster combined with the cost of maintaining them is where the phrase that is just chicken feed came from. The phrase, which for years has describe something, considered cheep or a minimum investment.

More and more suburban residents, are embracing the idea, that raising a flock of chickens in the backyard, is a great idea. A simple idea, sure it is. I grant you a bit of a challenge in the beginning, but one that has provided unbelievable benefits, for those of us who have had the foresight, to raise chickens in a backyard coop. From a relatively small investment of time, and money, chickens after all provide great-tasting & nutritious eggs, and as an unexpected bonus for many, chickens make great pets.

Another cool benefit of raising your own backyard flock, as you are most likely already aware, any self respecting chicken will by their vary nature, provide you with a chemical-free bug and weed control . Ok, if you are like me, your thinking, chemical –free bug control, hum, I really do not want my yard or more importantly, my neighbors yard over ran with a flock of free ranging chickens. Besides, the one neighbor’s dog is always getting out and creating havoc throughout the neighborhood. He would most definitely be the reason for an unsuspecting chicken’s demise.

Chickens’ definitely need our help and support in providing them with a safe and comfortable place to do what it is chickens do. They need a nice coop, one that will offer them protection from the neighbor’s dog, raccoons, birds of prey, the occasional egg sucking chicken snake, and most importantly, the elements. Providing your hen with a nesting box with two square feet of space is adequate for each hen you have, and make sure you have at least four square feet of run for each chicken to provide your flock with a place to move around in their pen.

Hen house, chicken coop, coop, chicken tractor, and chicken pen are but just a few of the options available. Before selecting a look that works for your sense of style, you should consider how many birds you want to take care of. One healthy hen, will easily lay 300 eggs in a year. She will require a nesting box, this is not only where she will lay her eggs, but also is where she will spend the night. The nesting box must be easy to access for both the hen, and yourself.

For your hen to be healthy, “Happy”, and lay eggs she will need a boy friend to keep her company. The rooster is generally quite a showy bird, and much like the cartoon rooster Foghorn leghorn likes to strut his stuff. Let us not forget, a rooster very much likes to crow when the mood strikes him. Believe you me; the mood will strike him, more often than not about sunrise every morning. Here is a little tip, roosters sometimes crow because he is bored, chickens are intelligent animals. Moving things around in the coop will give the rooster something to occupy his curiosity. Adding a couple more hens to the chicken coop will also go a long way to keeping your rooster happy and crowing less.

There are many chicken coops available on line you can purchase. Sites like amazon.com have several different chicken coop kits available, ranging in size and style. As a do it yourself project, they are convenient, but they are a bit on the pricey side. Another better option, for a handyman or handywoman passionate about recycling, is to purchase a quality set of chicken coop plans and build their own coop and chicken run using recycled materials.

Remember chickens are friendly animals with their own personality, fun to watch and care for. They also provide you with a top quality fertilizer at no additional charge.

Build your Chicken Coop, with a friend. Best wishes.  Mike

The author of this publication, Mike Teddleton owns the copyright to Learn how to build a chicken coop and save your money. The rights to publish this article in print or online can only be granted by contacting me the author in writing. You may use the intro and link back to the article directing the reader back to my post here at HubPages where they may find the story in its entirety