Whether you are a poultry keeper on a small holding or a backyard bird keeper there is a chicken coop or chicken coop designs out there to suit your needs. There are the familiar traditional chicken houses that come in a wide variety of designs and materials that range in size from small to large. These coops are substantial and are a fixed feature within the small holding. There are smaller portable models, referred to as “chicken tractors” or chicken arks that allow the pens and birds to be moved within a range.
Properly designed and constructed, both types of chicken coops provide the birds with its basic needs: light, shelter from the elements, space for roosting and nesting and movement within a space secure from predators. Which coop or chicken coop designs you chose will depend largely on the type and number of chickens you keep and environmental considerations. A general rule of thumb is that each bird you keep, standard or bantam, will need 2 to 3 square feet of space within the coop proper and 4 to 5 square feet of outdoor space.
Everyone has a mental imagine of a chicken coop, it is a rustic image that includes a door for the farmer, windows to provide light and ventilation, and a pop-hole door and ramp leading into a fenced yard. Generally frame or stick built, the fixed chicken coop has walls that are tall enough to allow the farmer to feed and water his birds, collect eggs and remove soiled bedding materials such as straw or wood shavings. Interior of these coops can include coop “furniture” includes roosts, nest boxes, and fixtures that allow the suspension of food and water container for the birds. While some traditional coop design may also have built in hoppers for chicken feed there are kit built options and building plans on the market that allow for external storage of feeds. This design limits the amount of spoilage or contamination of feeds by rodents.
During the past few years, there has been a so-called “eco-friendly” trend in chicken coops designs. Coops design and construction that falls within this category invariably include the use of a lighter weight portable coop that can be transported throughout the land or home owner’s property. These coops are commonly referred to as “chicken” tractors in rural settings or “chicken arks” in suburban or urban environments. Like the traditional fixed coop basic elements used in a chicken tractor is a box or enclosed area affording the bird shelter during egg laying or sleeping, fixtures for food and water vessels, nest boxes and perches for the birds to roost upon. The difference in these structures being the weight of the material employed in their construction and the incorporation of tote handles or wheels that allowed the coop to be moved.
Larger range houses can be newly constructed or can incorporate all or some elements from an older travel trailer or stick built garden shed. The larger the house, though, the more likely the holder will need more than man power to move your coop. Smaller manually moved chicken tractors make use of lighter weight materials housing fewer birds but decreasing dependency on fossil fuels to move them.
Effective use of chicken tractors requires a certain degree of planning on the part of the poultry keeper. Both range houses and chicken tractors use an “open” floor. Open floors in this context refer to wire fabric used in the floor of the box portion of the coop as well as the exercise yard. The use of wire also limits predation. Open floors, moreover, allow for chicken waste to fall through to the ground where it is picked up by the soil and remaining thatch as usable nutrients. Chickens fed prepared rations and not scratch, contribute trace minerals such a selenium enriching and refreshing pasturage. Frequently moved birds are much more likely to be plagued by internal parasites or stress-related behaviors such as feather picking.
The smallest type of chicken coop is sometimes referred to as an “chicken ark”. Movable or fixed coops that are scaled down versions of their country cousins are widely available for the city dweller. Any one considering keeping chickens within a suburban or urban setting should check with their local by-laws before moving forward. If the keeping of chickens is permitted, there may be also by-law restrictions and regulations for the coop itself and fencing. These small lot friend structures are available in pre-fabricated kits or through downloadable plans.