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Often we are in such a rush to start building a chicken coop that we fail to get the essential components right from the beginning.
These include sourcing the right materials, thinking about how many chickens we wish to house now and in the future and what design factors will make it easy for us to clean and service the finished chicken house.
What size should your coop be? It is important to decide from the outset of your project what dimensions your chicken tractor should be.
Chickens become distressed in overcrowded coops.
Therefore check your plans and seek guidance as to the correct size of your coop for the number of chickens that you wish to house.
A undersized coop will lead to unhealthy chickens and poor quality eggs.
Think about whether you need your chicken house to be portable.
If so, you will need to consider whether wheels need to be attached and the materials used to build your coop will affect the weight of the chicken coop and therefore its ease of movement.
The Floor of Your Chicken Tractor There are many options available to you when selecting what flooring to use for your chicken coop.
I advise in wet conditions to build a chicken arkwith a sloping floor.
This not only allows for rain water to drain off the floor but also assists you when it comes to cleaning time.
Wire mesh flooring is good in hot climates as it will keep predators from burrowing into your chicken tractor whilst allowing your chickens to still access worms and bugs as a food source.
Lighting and Ventilation of Your Chicken Tractor These two critical factors are often overlooked when building chicken arks.
Your chicken tractor must have adequate lighting and ventilation.
If you live in sunny climates then lighting should not be a problem.
However if you live in a climate which is prone to cloudy cover then the use of light bulbs in the design of your project is a must.
The same applies to ventilation.
I have seen some coops built for hot climates with fans to ensure adequate ventilation.
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