How to choose the best chicken coop? That was a question I asked myself when I found out that we were going to have chickens. It was something sudden. The guy didn’t want them anymore. So we did not already have the chicken house ready. I went to many different websites looking for the answer to that same question. Hope this blog post helps you choose one more easily.
Choosing the right chicken coop can be very confusing. There are so many styles, sizes, and layouts to choose from, but which one is perfect for you? There are many factors that come into play when choosing a chicken coop.
How to choose the best chicken coop
A good chicken coop has a couple of great options. The first thing to think about is size. My suggestion is to calculate how much space you need for each of the chickens you have and then double or triple those numbers.
Chicken math is real. I’m here to tell you that all the pretty girls will call you by your name at your local Tractor Supply store. I have even had some ducks that have told me off, and well … they also had to come home with me …
That is why it is a great idea to build or buy larger than you need. In addition, chickens reproduce and hatch the secret hiding places of the eggs, IT. CONGRATULATIONS. Being prepared for the chickens and more room for them in the large chicken coop is a great help in the long run.
Easy cleaning
I love my horse trailer coop because I can stand in it, shovel poop. It’s so easy to do it, without the hassle of bending over and breaking my back trying to fit into a little chicken coop. The smallest chicken coop can have a practical removable drawer.
However, after using one in my first chicken houses (store-bought junk), I am honestly not a fan. With that drawer, I couldn’t put a lot of wood chips in the chicken coop, because the drawer wouldn’t come out with all that volume on top. It wasn’t super easy to clean, plus you will most likely end up throwing away all the chips, instead of scooping up the poop, stirring it up, and adding some fresh chips, which is how we do it now, in department stores.
Weathering
Whether you live in a tropical climate like I do, or a cold climate in the north, you will have to try to maintain a good balance in the chicken coop. If you live in a cold climate, you may want to think of ways to cool it down.
When we build our chicken coops we try to include a white roof. White helps reflect the sun’s rays, and it doesn’t absorb as much heat. Which is important to help keep you cool in the summer.
Every now and then we have a cold snap here in Florida. One year, it was so cold that I worried about the chickens. This was before we built the new chicken coop, and we had some chickens sleeping in a fairly open coop.
I added some hay. Hay is hot, and it acts as an insulator.
Check out these cold-weather chicken coop plans. Also, check out how Timber Creek farms keep a warm chicken coop in winter.
Nesting boxes
Nesting boxes – Having easy access to nesting boxes can be critical! You want to be able to go in there and get the eggs when they’re fresh! You don’t need a lot of nesting boxes. I have 20 chickens that will fight over a nest box, even if they have their selection of 6 boxes. They are ridiculous …
Mixed flocks
The last thing we will discuss is having a mixed pen. It happens that chickens lead ducks, and ducks can lead turkeys. Who knows. Some animals can snuggle together, such as chickens and ducks.
Planning ahead for a mixed pen can save a lot of time and money.
If you still need help choosing the right chicken coop, check out these different designs in my chicken coop inspiration post. I have collected a bunch of images to get a better idea of what you might like.
Are you ready to pick the best chicken coop now?
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