The Best Chicken Coop Designs are Homemade – 3 Ideas For Better Chicken Coop Designs

So you want to purchase some chickens to raise. This is a noble thought, and of course it is the easiest part of the process. All you need to do is run down to your local feed and tack store at the right time of year, and you can buy yourself a group of chickens for mere pocket change. What you might not know however is that there is going to be quite a bit more money spent later on. Are you prepared for it?
If not, then we’ll go over a few of the things that you will need to do first. Chicken Coop Designs might appear to be expensive, but if done right you will find that you can do this for only a little more than you actually spent on the chickens.

Chicken Coop Designs Idea #1:
Watering Your Chickens –>

Chicken Coop Designs should always include a way to get water to your chickens. The one thing you do not want to do is give them an open bowl of water. It might work with cats and dogs, but chickens lack a little thing that we like to call common sense. They will happily plop down in their only water supply, defecate in it, and then proceed to drink from it.

To solve this problem you need to rig up a system that delivers them water, but does not give them full access to the water. The best way to do this is with milk jug or large bottle turned upside down, and placed within a container of water that is elevated. The jug will keep the water contained, and the water within the container will keep it all from spilling out. You will also find that there are many commercial variations of this particular product.

Chicken Coop Designs Idea #2:
Feeding Your Chickens –>

You can use the same technique for feeding your chickens as you do for watering them. Once again though, you do not want to leave anything edible out in the open without a cover. Make sure that they can only take what they need, and try to leave it as elevated as possible.

Chicken Coop Designs Idea #3:
Housing Your Chickens –>

Your particular chicken coop designs can actually feature an old shed, or you can even section off a part of your barn if you have one.

One thing that you will really need to watch out for is the height of the ceiling. Remember that chickens love to jump around, and they can injure themselves by hitting the ceiling. If you cannot have a high ceiling, then make sure that you place the roosts on the floor rather than hanging them on the wall. The roosts can be made of wood, and they will last for a very long time.

These are a few ideas for Chicken Coop Designs, and you will find that these do not cost much money at all. Having chickens is perhaps the cheapest endeavor you can make as far as farm animals go. It does not take much to make them happy, and watching them run around and peck the ground is always a pleasure. So take your time and set them up a decent habitat. You won’t regret it!

If You Want To Learn More About Keeping Chickens And Get Some Good Blueprints Have A Look At This Website!

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Chicken Coop Designs That go The Extra Mile

While you can create a homemade environment for your backyard chicken coop, you might want to actually spend some money. If this is the case, then you’ll need to know what to buy. There are so many different things available for chickens these days that you just wouldn’t believe it. So let’s take a look at a few of the things you might want to include in your Chicken Coop Designs.

Chicken Coop Designs Tips #1:
A Well Fed Chicken is a Happy Chicken

There are many different chicken feeders available. If you want you can purchase an automatic chicken feeder, but you should know that this will end up being quite costly if you are not careful. For instance if you have more than four chickens you might need to purchase several feeders so that they all get a chance to eat. The more obvious solution would be to purchase a standard feeder that sits on the floor of the coop. These feeders have a metal grate over their contents so that the chickens do not defecate all over the food. You will want to make sure that you get one which features a good cover.

A good cover would be defined as one with oval shaped holes. If you get one with a wire grate there will still be enough room to poop in it, and this will be no good.

Chicken Coop Designs Tips #2:
Water Water Everywhere

When you are planning out your Chicken Coop Designs you will really need to make sure that the chickens have a decent amount of water available. Just like with the food though, you want to make sure they cannot defecate in it. There are automatic waterers, and these are much more efficient than elevated bowels. These are round in shape, meaning that all of the chickens will be able to access the water at once. The only real problem is pulling the lid off, as you might find yourself on your backside if you do not clean it every day

Chicken Coop Designs Tips #3:
Cleaning Time

This one will be commons sense for anyone who has owned chickens, but we’ll say it nonetheless. Make sure your door is wide enough!

There is going to come a time when you need to clean out the coop, and believe me, it can be like tearing up cement sometimes. You want to be able to move the old bedding out as quickly as possible so that your chickens will not be too upset by the change.

Chicken Coop Designs Tips #4:
Eggcessibility

How you will access the eggs is totally up to you, but you will need to have a good system. For instance you could build trapdoors on the back of each roost so that you can grab the eggs from outside.
Just be careful not to grab the eggs right as they are laid. You do not want to face the wrath of a mother hen at six in the morning.

So here you have a few tips for Chicken Coop Designs. If you feel like spending the extra money this will be great. So as long as you follow these tips and the tips of others who have done this before, you will build a great habitat for your chickens.

If You Want To Learn More About Keeping Chickens And Get Some Good Blueprints Have A Look At This Website!

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Chicken Coop Designs

 Facilities for Your Chicken Coop Designs

You can have chickens, but knowing how to take care of them is paramount. Things will come up, and over time you will discover them on your own, but wouldn’t it be nice to know them ahead of time? Let’s talk about a few of the unexpected circumstances that can occur.

A Sick Chicken:
If you have a chicken feeling under the weather, you may notice that the other chickens pick on it. This seems rather cruel, but things work differently in nature. The rule is that only the strong survive, and that might not sit very well with you. The best thing to do is have a separate pen set aside. This can be either within the coop or outside of it, just make sure that the chicken has access to food and water. Make sure that you keep an eye on the chicken, especially if you have a cover on the pen. It WILL try to jump out of the pen, and it will end up hurting itself. In the worst case scenario it will break it’s neck and die right there. If you want to prevent this from happening, then you should refrain from putting a lid on the pen. The chicken will jump out once it is feeling better.

New Chickens:
When you buy new chickens, they come to your in the form of chicks.
There is a difference in size, as you can imagine, and because these new chickens do not belong to the grown hens, you will need to make sure they are quarantined. You can keep them in a pen separate from your other chickens, and such an area should be figured into all Chicken Coop Designs. Make sure that the baby chickens have access to a heat lamp, as they can die rather easily from the slightest cold

Oops, I Bought the Wrong Chickens:
This is a common mistake, and in some cases different breeds of chickens might not get along. In this case you should have a separate pen for another species of grown chickens. You will need to determine what to do with these chickens if they cannot get along with one another. For instance, laying hens might get along well with one another even if they are a different species. For some reason though, chickens raised to be eaten do not fare well with laying hens. Does that make sense? Absolutely not. As an experienced chicken farmer though, I can tell you that for some reason it will happen. On that note, do not try to slaughter and eat your laying hens. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s definitely not going to make the best meal.

Paint:
If your chicken coop designs involve painting the coop, make sure that you buy a paint that is not lead based. You don’t want your chickens getting sick from it, that’s for sure. Don’t let that stop you from painting the coop, just be aware.

Sharp edges, rat poison, holes in the yard, low ceilings:
These are all things that you need to watch out for. It’s all too easy to walk into the coop and find one of your beloved chickens dead as the result of eating poison or cutting themselves on a sharp edge.

Are you ready to build your coop?

Great!

Chicken coop designs are fun to plan out and execute. Chickens themselves are a pleasure to watch and great fun to interact with. So get busy!

If You Want To Learn More About Keeping Chickens And Get Some Good Blueprints Have A Look At This Website!

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They whish to force municipalities throughout the U.S. not to allow backyard flocks and exhorting those that are already zoned for this practice to establish and enforce strict regulations for the care of these birds.

While I am sure their intentions are good, I think they are a little bit too strict when they whish to make it illegal to keep backyard poultry. The way I see it there is no difference between keeping hamsters or chicken when it comes to the amount of care needed. I do welcome regulations of some sort but I think it would be better if people for instance would have to apply to be allowed to keep backyard chicken. It could be a local office for instance regulating the chicken coops and there could be certain space / noise / neighbour requirements for instance.

The Press Release We Received:

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – December 11, 2009 – Reacting to the increased popularity of backyard chicken flocks used for eggs in urban and suburban areas, a coalition of animal sanctuaries, comprising leading experts in avian care, has issued a public statement discouraging this trend. Coalition members include Animal Place in California, Chicken Run Rescue in Minnesota, Eastern Shore Sanctuary and Education Center in Vermont, Farm Sanctuary in New York and California, Sunnyskies Bird and Animal Sanctuary in New York, and United Poultry Concerns in Virginia. This coalition is also urging municipalities throughout the U.S. not to allow backyard flocks and exhorting those that are already zoned for this practice to establish and enforce strict regulations for the care of these birds.

In the past year, all of these organizations have been inundated with calls to take in chickens, especially roosters, the main victims of this growing trend. As these groups have limited resources and space, it has become increasingly difficult for them to house or otherwise place the hundreds of roosters who are abandoned at local shelters or dumped needing homes.

The coalition’s statement asserts that backyard chicken-keeping by hobbyists raises many serious concerns regarding both the welfare of the chickens and the wellbeing of the communities where these birds are kept.

Unbeknownst to many well-meaning hobbyists, the massive hatcheries from which most chicks are purchased by individuals or feed stores are notorious for animal mistreatment. No laws regulate the housing of chickens at these facilities and minimal laws that go unenforced cover transportation of their offspring. Breeding hens and roosters may be confined in cramped cages or sheds with no access to the outdoors, and day-old chicks are shipped to buyers through the mail, deprived of food and water and exposed to extremes in temperature for up to 72 hours. Hens are in much higher demand than roosters; therefore, most males chicks are killed onsite at these hatcheries as soon as they are sexed, adding up to millions of birds every year that are killed shortly after they hatch.

Among the recent flood of requests to place chickens, shelters have received a particularly high number of calls regarding roosters. Chicken sexing at hatcheries is inexact and prone to error, and hatcheries may use male chicks as “packing material” regardless of whether they were ordered. These male chickens, often unwanted and illegal to keep in certain municipalities, are frequently abandoned or dumped at local shelters. If homes cannot be found for these birds with individuals or sanctuaries, they are often euthanized or literally tossed into the street. When new ordinances are passed to allow the keeping of backyard flocks, municipal shelters are then burdened further with new enforcement costs. The coalition is encouraging those considering backyard flocks to do their research on the legality of chicken flocks in their area and the housing, predator proofing, diet, and medical care necessary for the health and safety of their birds. Those acquiring chickens are asked to avoid supporting the cruel practices of hatcheries by adopting chickens from sanctuaries and shelters.

The coalition’s full position statement on backyard chicken flocks can be viewed here.

Animal Place, founded in 1989, is home to more than 300 cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits and turkeys in Northern California. In addition to providing refuge to neglected farmed animals, Animal Place educates the public about factory farming through tours, tabling, legislation and outreach programs. More information can be found at www.animalplace.org or by calling 707-449-4814.

About Chicken Run Rescue: Every year, domestic fowl, mostly chickens, are impounded by Minneapolis Animal Control (MACC) and 5 Metro Area humane societies. These birds are victims of neglect, abuse and abandonment, sometimes used as a source of eggs or intended for slaughter, fighting or ritual sacrifice. Some are the discarded outcome of “nature lessons” for children or after a hobby that no longer holds interest. After their release from MACC, Chicken Run provides the birds with temporary shelter and vet care, locates and screens adopters within 90 miles of the Twin Cities and transports the birds to their new homes. Chicken Run Rescue is the only urban chicken rescue of its kind and receives no support from any other organizations, institutions or agencies and depends entirely on donations and sales of art merchandise to continue helping chickens. There is a special need for rooster homes. Don’t breed or buy — Adopt! There are never enough homes for displaced animals.

Eastern Shore Sanctuary & Education Center, currently located in Vermont, provides a haven for hens, roosters and ducks who have escaped or been rescued from the meat and egg industries or other abusive circumstances. The Eastern Shore Sanctuary consistently provides homes to both male and female victims of cockfighting, and has developed an innovative and effective method to deprogram fighting cocks so that they can live normal lives. In addition to sheltering and advocating for birds, we conduct research and education aimed at systemic changes in agriculture, trade, consumption, and human attitudes about animals and the environment. We work within an ecofeminist understanding of the interconnection of all life and the intersection of all forms of oppression. Thus we welcome and work to facilitate alliances among animal, environmental, and social justice activists. Additional information can be found at www.bravebirds.org or by calling (802) 885-4017.

Farm Sanctuary is the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the “food animal” industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.

Sunnyskies Bird and Animal Sanctuary of Warwick, NY is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization providing lifetime care for unwanted animals. Home to over two hundred creatures, great and small, including spent hens, fighting cocks, kill pen horses, over one hundred parrots, cats, dogs — and 3 mice — Sunnyskies heals and provides a final resting place for what are often damaged and hopeless spirits in need.  Sunnyskies goal is to bring health, joy, and peace to these individuals, many of who have suffered, for years —captives of unkind and uncaring human hands.  http://www.sunnyskiesbirdsanctuary.org/

United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. www.upc-online.org.

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Undercover Designs To Fool Your Neighbours

For different reasons some cities and counties around the country does not allow people to keep their own poultry in their backyards. Some places you can apply to build a chicken coop but some places they won’t let you build at all. We have therefore made this short article to give you some ideas on how you can build chicken coop designs that are camoflagued so that your neighbours cannot even suspect that you keep chicken in your backyard.

he he.. this article on undercover Chicken Coop Designs is not to be taken too seriously but still…

Read on.

Choosing Chicken Coop Designs to Fool Your Neighbors

While many cities across the country are changing their laws to allow residents to keep a few chickens, some are steadfastly refusing. Even if your city allows a few chickens, your neighbors may not be so welcoming. In these instances, those who want to keep a few hens will need to look at chicken coop designs that can fool the neighbors.

If you only have a few hens, this is easy to do. There are many chicken coop designs out there that can be disguised as a recycling bin or other small structure. Even a small run can be designed with slats to look like a compost bin. Your neighbors won’t have a clue! You can even choose “stealth” chickens that blend in with the surroundings better than others. Rhode Island Reds, Red Stars or other brown chickens are better at camouflage than some of the other breeds. You may even consider some of the black chickens like Australorps or Jersey Giants.

Another alternative is to plant around your chicken coop. You’ll want to select plants that will keep your coop and run hidden year round, but that don’t provide a lot of hiding places for predators. A hedge rose or other plant that you can keep trimmed may work well. Roses are also edible, so if your chickens nibble a bit, they won’t be harmed. Don’t plant around the side that faces your house so you can enjoy watching your chickens.

You’ll want to look at chicken coop designs that look more like a utility shed or other structure that anyone may have in their yard. Paint the exterior to match your home and make it attractive. Neighbors are usually concerned with the view out their window, so if it looks nice, they won’t be as apt to complain. These “stealth” chicken coops can actually use quite a few different designs and still not alert the neighbors.

Be sure to cover the chicken run so your hens cannot fly out and go visiting. This will also protect them from aerial predators like hawks and eagles. If the run is not very tall, make sure you can lift the covering easily to gain access when needed. Many Chicken Coop Designs include a run. This can give you an idea of how to approach this.

Hens do make a bit of noise when they lay eggs, so if your neighbors are still not happy, offer to share some fresh eggs with them when your hens begin to lay. They may never complain again once they’ve tasted them. If they find your chickens more endearing, hiding your coop won’t be such an issue. They may even decide to get a few themselves, and you’ll be able to advise them on the best chicken coop designs to consider as well as on general chicken care. You’ll become the neighborhood chicken expert, and before you know it you’ll all be swapping chicken stories and egg recipes over the back fence.

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