Fresh Air or Bust! To stay healthy, your chickens need plenty of ventilation–probably more than they’re getting today. This was discovered over 100 years ago, but has been largely forgotten. Today’s small-flock housing tends to be dank, dark, and smelly. Chickens, like miners’ canaries, are easily harmed by poor air quality. Wet litter breeds disease. Darkness forces chickens, like parrots, to be artificially inactive. “Dank, dark, and smelly” is a deadly combination! Closed chic (more…)

Expert advice on selecting breeds, caring for chicks, producing eggs, raising broilers, feeding, troubleshooting, and much more.

From the Back Cover
Once you decide to raise chickens, you’ll need all the information and advice you can get. And lucky for you, this book is as far as you’ll have to look. A Guide to Raising Chickens contains everything you need to know, from starting your own backyard flock to putting eggs on the table. With easy-to-understand illustrations and te (more…)

Get Small Chicken Coop and You Can Keep Chickens in a Small Backyard

For those of you who would just jump at the chance of raising chickens at home but unfortunately are stuck with only a small backyard, luckily there are now small chicken coop and small chicken coop plans readily available to buy online right now.

But please be aware, there are some important things to take into consideration before you hand over your hard earned money, concerning both the hen house and your flock of chickens.

So what should you really be concerned about when buying your poultry house?

Below, I’ll lay out the most important points that I believe you should ponder before buying one.

Small Chicken Coop Tips

First off, Protection – Are your chickens going to be adequately protected and kept safe from different predators in their new backyard chicken coop?

There are basic steps you can take to ensure this is the case.

Ideally, lay the chicken house on a flt, smooth concrete foundation so it will be protected from foxes and rats digging into the coop from down below. If this just isn’t possible in your garden or you want to avoid the hassel, then make sure to dig in a heavy gauge chicken wire fence around the chicken tractor to a depth of about 12 to 18 inches or so. This will deter any stubborn predators from digging under it or knawing through it and running amok in the chicken ranch.

Also, make sure all of the doors, windows, vents and any points of access in the chicken hen houses are covered with high quality heavy gauge wire mesh too.

Remember, it’s vital to make it as difficult as possible for the predators to gain access to your flock. If a fox or weasel gets into the small chicken coop then your flock will be decimated in minutes.

Many portable chicken coop and chicken coop kit available today have similar safety features built in as part of the design and may be something to consider when looking for a small chicken coop. They may save a lot of trouble in the long run.

Space – To remain in good health chickens need plenty of room to scratch around and flap their wings and this can be an area where chicken house plans fall short.

Ideally give chickens about 2-4 square feet of space each to keep them happy and laying. So for a flock of 3 to 5 hens than approx. 15 – 20 square feet would be perfect. It’s OK looking for a small chicken coop but please make sure it’s not too small and is suitable for the number of chickens you want to keep.

You might want to check some chicken house books too as with the wide variety of plans and designs available today it shouldn’t be too difficult to find the right one for you, your yard and your chickens.

Hopefully by keeping the above advice in mind when purchasing your small chicken coop you’ll come home with the best one for you.

Small Chicken Coop

Chicken Coop Kits – How to Build a Chicken Coop the Easy Way

If you want to start raising chickens but, like me, the thought of building a chicken coop really just doesn’t appeal to you or match your DIY abilities, and buying a pre-built hen house is simply too expensive, then maybe you should look into buying chicken coop kits.

Basically, these chicken coop kits contain all the parts and materials you will need. The wood is pre-cut, so you can assemble it at home in your garden without all the bother of using diy chicken coop plans, then having to buy the materials and then having to make sure you’re cutting to measure as directed. I can’t do this if my life depends on it!

Luckily these chicken coop kits are perfect for people like you and me. They’ll go together a lot quicker than starting from scratch, they’ll keep your chickens safe and happy and they are pre-tested to ensure they’re right for your chickens needs.

There are some important points to consider before buying though. Below, I’ll look at the three main things to consider before you hand over your hard earned cash.

Chicken Coop Kits Tips

How Many Chickens Are You Going to Keep in Your Chicken Coops?

Although this may seem an obvious question, you’d be amazed at the amount of times I get questions from people who’ve already bought or even made a chicken coop and then asked what chickens should they put in it! There will normally be chicken coop signs on the chicken coop kits to show how many chickens it is suitable for. But please think about how many chickens you want to raise first, okay?

The bigger the chicken the more space it needs. Smallest needs about 2 – 3 square feet of space each, the larger breeds need 5 to 6 square feet of space each. Some chicken coop designs can be modified to fit more smaller chickens in. Check the information or ask before you buy.

Do You Want Eggs, Meat or Both? Most people look to raise chickens for the tasty fresh eggs, some for the delicious organic meat and others for both. Before you buy your chicken coop kits you need to decide which one is for you, as each type has different needs. Read up on the chicken breeds that are best layers and best meat birds, and base your decision of which chicken coop kits you need on this information.

What Size Backyard Do You Have? Personally, I’d recommend raising no more than 2 or 3 chickens if you have a small backyard. So obviously, choosing your chicken coop kits depends on the amount of space you have available.

The more space you have, the bigger the coop you can get and the more chickens you can keep. Check out the dimensions of the chicken coop kits to make sure your chicken coops backyard sized. Some chicken coop kits look small until you’ve finished building them, then you realise they’re taking up most of your garden. By this stage it’s too late to do anything about it!

Hopefully by keeping the above advice in mind you’ll find the perfect chicken coop kits for you.

Chicken Coop Kits

Important Tips When Building a Backyard Chicken Coop

So you want to build a quality backyard chicken coop for your small flock of egg layers? That’s great! Not only can you save yourself a whole ton of money by building your own chicken coop or by using a backyard chicken coop kit, but because you’re the one making the choices you can have a coop specific to your needs rather than settling for whatever’s on offer.

Your backyard chicken coop really doesn’t have to be too big, just a basic backyard hen house design that will suit both you and your flock of chickens. I’ll outline a few things you should consider when building a backyard chicken tractor and general backyard chicken care.

Backyard Chicken Coop Tips

Chickens Need to be Kept Warm – The best material to use when building your backyard chicken coop is good old-fashioned wood. It’s a natural insulator which will hold in the warmth in the depths of winter yet also keep out the sweltering heat of summer. Having said that, it’s a great idea to add a little extra insulation when constructing your coop, regardless of whether they’re in your backyard chicken coop plans or not.

Chickens Need to Be Kept Dry – Keep your chickens dry by making sure your coop doesn’t leak in water anywhere. Make sure the roof is watertight and it’s best to have a slight slant to the roof to keep the water and snow draining off your backyard chicken coop.

It’s best to have your roof slant towards the back of your backyard chicken coop and not to the front over the door as this will only drip water and snow down the back of your neck and onto your chickens when entering and leaving the backyard chicken house.

Chickens Need Light – Backyard chicken breeds need around about 14 hours of light per day so they will lay the largest amount of eggs each day.

This light can easily be provided by making sure there are plenty of windows and doors in the backyard chicken coop and ensuring they’re kept open during the hours of daylight and all day in the summer months.

A simple electric bulb will provide plenty of light during the long, dark winter months and will also provide additional warmth to the coop too. I use daylight simulation bulbs in my backyard chicken coop and it seems to make a difference. Bear in mind, a flourescent light will provide the plenty of light but not the warmth you get from an incandescent bulb.

Chickens Need Fresh Air – Proper ventilation is essential to keep down moisture and ammonia levels in your chicken coop. Too much of either and your chickens health and wellbeing will suffer. Leave doors and windows open during the day and a small flap open for ventilation at night. Keep this in mind when looking at backyard poultry coops as it really is vital to the overall health of your chickens.

Hopefully when researching kits, plans or pre-made coops online or in your local hardware store the above advice will guide you in the right direction when choosing a backyard chicken coop.

Backyard Chicken Coop

Chicken Coop Designs

With the vast amount of chicken coop designs knocking around online, how does someone new to keeping chickens tell which chicken hen house to choose? Many of the plans available turn out to be expensive and poorly designed and can cost you a lot of money just to bring up to scratch…pardon the pun!

Below, I’ve outlined the four things you should look for when picking chicken coop designs or building your own chicken coop.

Chicken Coop Designs Tips

#1 – It’s Got To Be Sturdy

You got to use materials in your chicken coop designs that are of a high quality without breaking the bank. Many people incorporate old doors and such into their chicken hen house to ensure it has some strength and durability. They’re easy to get in reclamation yards and dumps and also in your local neighbourhood. Keep an eye out for any local houses or businesses doing some building work and you should be able to get all you need for free.

Also important is the use of HEAVY-GAUGE wire mesh for the windows and doors. Using the cheaper stuff will result in predators gaining access to your chicken coop with only the barest of knawing through the cheaper wire mesh. Penny-pinching here will cost you in the long run.

#2 – Suitable Ventilation

Moisture and ammonia levels will build up quickly in a chicken coop if there is not proper ventilation. Having windows and doors that open easily and STAY OPEN until you want to close tham are the easiest and cheapest ways on ensuring the chicken coops gets enough fresh air. Consider sliding doors and windows or at least ones on a hinge that can be held open. (Make sure the main door opens inwards so nothing falls out when you open it up.)

#3 – Adequate Lighting

Chickens need around 14 hours of light to lay the most amount of eggs. This can be either natural light or electric lighting in the coop. Windows and doors will let in the natural light and a simple light bulb (It will also provide warmth during the winter) or a fluorescent bulb will be fine for the dark days of winter. Energy saving bulbs will save you some money and will last longer, I use daylight simulation bulbs and it seems to make a difference.

#4 – Easy to Clean

A big problem when it comes to chicken coop design is making it easy to clean. This is where many online plans fall flat. The chicken coops must have easy access for humans to clean it out quickly and properly to maintain coop hygiene and keep ammonia levels to a minimum. Ideally, a floor that slopes slightly downwards will aid cleaning and drainage.

Hopefully you found these few tips easy to follow will keep then in mind when looking to buy a chicken house or build your own chicken coop.

Chicken Coop Designs

Chicken Houses for Sale

Chicken Houses for Sale – Things to Consider When Looking at Hen Houses for Sale

I’m sure you will have noticed that when you go looking for chicken houses for sale online that you were not only presented with farm homes for sale, farm livestock for sale and poultry farms for sale but that you were also faced with list upon list of chicken houses for sale of literally dozens of differing designs and sizes?

So just how do you choose the chicken coops that are right for you, your size garden and your flock of chickens?

Besides the obviously important features of bird safety and comfort, already covered in our posts on top tips on keeping chickens safe, there are some important points to keep in mind when buying chicken houses for sale.

Below I’ll outline some simple things to kep an eye out for when choosing your chicken houses for sale.

Chicken Houses for Sale Tips

First off, what space do you have available for the hen house? Really, the point of lay is the first thing to consider when looking for chicken houses for sale. As a great space saver you can buy raised chicken houses for sale which stand on legs keeping it above ground level. This saves space in your garden as things can be stored or grown underneath and as it is raised off the ground it also works as added protection for the chickens from all but the most determined predators.

2. Chicken houses must allow the free circulation of fresh air, both day and night. This will help to reduce the moisture levels inside the chicken house and will also keep the ammonia levels safe too. Moisture and ammonia levels can have a drastic effect on your chickens health and wellbeing and will greatly reduce the quality and quantity of eggs produced if these levels are not kept under control. Add this to the fact that most chicken houses for sale are made of wood; moisture and ammonia will rot these quite quickly if steps aren’t taken to prevent it.

3. To lay at their optimal level of egg production, chickens need 14 hours of light either natural and artificial. Make sure the chicken houses for sale has plenty of windows to allow natural light to enter all day long and an electric bulb to use during the dark days of winter. The open windows will also ensure the free movement of fresh air needed as outlined above. Also you need to make sure that any windows and doors in the chicken houses for sale are fitted with high quality heavy-gauge wire mesh to prevent predetors like foxes and weasels having easy access to the coop. At night time, close the hens inside the coop where they will remain safe and comfortable until the following morning.

Be sure to keep the above in mind when shopping and you will be sure to choose one that meets your needs and is cheap to the bargain! I hope the pointers in this article will be useful to you when you start sifting through the many chicken houses for sale that are available.

Chicken Houses for Sale Tips