Even though building a hen coop is a very easy process, it requires some thinking. You can’t just jump into building a hen coop without considering some very important factors. That is a mistake a lot of hen owners make and then they have to pay the price for their mistakes that could be easily avoided. In extreme cases these can cost you even the life of your chickens.
How many hens are you planning to keep?
This is the single most important issue you will have to face, while planning a hen coop. As obvious as it may sound, many people build hen houses that are way too small or big. While a bit more space is good, crowding your birds in a place of inadequate size, can cause many troubles.
Lack of space, may limit or even prevent your chicken from laying eggs. It can also lead to aggression towards you and other chickens. In extreme cases, hens kept in small coops can develop canibalistic tendencies, so make sure you have done everything you can in this department.
What kind of a climate do you live in?
This factor is often neglected by many soon-to-be hen coop owners. It is very important to take the right care of your chicken, by protecting them from rain and cold. So before you choose materials you will use, think about how can you take care of such problems.
You should also keep in mind what kind of a breed of chicken you have. Some more exotic ones, require special care from you.
Do you want a mobile hen coop?
Some people want to have a mobile hen house. It is important if you plan to move your coop around a lot or want to watch your birds from other parts of your house. When you are taking this decision, you should remember that the more chickens you have the harder the coop will be to move. Because of that, most of the mobile hen coops are very small.
What is your budget?
Building a hen house on your own is much cheaper than acquiring a ready made one, but it still can be bit pricey. However there is a lot of tricks you can use to lower the construction cost, as long as you know what you are doing. The biggest money saver is using cheaper materials, however you have to make your decisions carefully, because some of them are dangerous for chickens.
As you can see, building a hen coop isn’t hard. If you have basic knowledge about the topic and spend some time preparing yourself for this task, you shouldn’t encounter any bigger problems on your way.
