Chicken Coops: how to choose the best coop

Whether you are a poultry farmer or just have a handful of chickens in your garden, everyone must ensure that their chickens are reared in the right coop. Some chicken coops are pre-made while others are bought in parts and assembled by following specific instructions. Either way, it’s important that you give your feathery friends a decent chicken house. The type of coop to select will depend on a number of factors. When these factors are strictly taken into consideration, the chicken will get a perfect place to live in. This reduces the level of stress that the birds could be subjected to. In turn, they’ll be better producers of either eggs or meat (if you are a farmer), depending on your chosen breed. The right chicken coop must:

1. Have enough space to accommodate the chicken
The normal convention is that you should allow your chickens 1 square foot of space inside their coop and when they are outside they should have at least 12-15 square feet of land to roam in. This isn’t much as most people who own chickens at home will have 3-5 so you only need a 7×7 – 9×8 patch of grass. However, there are larger or smaller breeds of chicken which will mean you have to provide more or less space. The amount of space set aside for each will highly depend on the breed of your chicken as well. You should also consider the fact that you may want to add more chicken to your flock. If so, choose a chicken coop with an allowance for that. Enough space will help fight disease transmission and reduce stress among the birds. There must also be enough space for feeders and watering equipment.

Chicken house

2. Be suitable for your breed
Some breeds of chicken prefer larger spaces than others. You should be well aware of the optimal space requirements of the species of chicken that you keep. Some chicken breeds would only do well in larger spaces while others can perform well even in confined spaces. To ensure that your breed is not affected negatively by the amount of space, do enough research and learn the requirements of your bird species.

3. Be within your budget
The cost of the chicken coop is an important factor to consider when looking for the perfect house for your chicken. Different coop sellers charge differently for their design of chicken houses. However, the main aim of buying a house for your birds is to ensure they are well housed. Here at Eggshell, we stock a massive variety of Chicken Coops & Houses at fantastic prices. Make sure you take a look and contact us.

4. Not need too much space for placement
The amount of space that you have for placing your coop is another important factor to consider. If it requires too much space that you don’t have, you should definitely leave it and go for one that requires smaller space. You should also leave space for the run when you install the house. So, take this too into consideration. An alternative to a smaller coop is to have a taller coop, as long as you make sure that your chickens have enough space to roam once they leave the coop then a taller coop could work.

Chicken coop5. Provide security against predators

Predators are a major concern for every poultry farmer. A good chicken coop must be able to provide optimal security for the chicken. Therefore, if you live in an area where there are many predators, you must go for a coop that can be optimized to provide good security. At Eggshell we provide Chicken Coops & Houses that are fox resistant and Chicken Runs that also have fox resistant properties.

6. Allow for easy cleaning
Often times, you’ll need to carry out regular cleaning of the coop. The chicken house must be easy to clean. It should allow you to get into and out of the house freely while cleaning out the coop.

Conclusion 
Chickens spend a lot of their time in their coops so you need to make sure it is a comfortable, homely space. It is important to have the right coop to make sure your chickens live a long and happy life, this will mean that they produce more eggs for you and have fewer health issues. This is only possible if the birds are stress-free and are healthy, so contact us today and we will help you choose the perfect chicken coop.

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