Chicken Coops For Sale

How To Choose The Right Chicken Coop Model

Planning to add housing for a flock? Follow these important considerations before building or buying a chicken coop model for your birds. There are hundreds of chicken-housing designs available today, so choosing a new chicken coop model to build or buy can be a challenging task. However, by carefully considering each of the design elements that go into great housing, it’s possible to select a hen house model that’s perfect for you and your chickens.

The important housing elements to evaluate (which we’ll discuss below) include the following:

• size
• storage
• ventilation
• predator protection
• human access
• cleaning
• egg boxes
• roosting bars

In addition to the coop design itself, chicken-keeping factors such as location and access to electricity and water should be considered.

Which Features Do You Need in Your Chicken Coop?

Chicken coops can range in complexity from a simple floorless wooden box encircled by chicken wire and roofed with a sheet of plywood to ornate “designer” structures costing thousands of dollars. There are so many choices that making a decision might be difficult.

If you live in an urban or suburban area, you may need to take into account both security and aesthetics, as well as local building standards, or HOA (homeowner’s association) restrictions. Some neighborhood associations draft their own CC&Rs (covenants, conditions, and limitations), which you promised to abide by when you moved in. These CC&Rs are often stricter than the community’s total construction rules and zoning ordinances, but you have no choice but to follow them. Chicken and other livestock restrictions can be very tight, so double-check ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

Chicken Coop Dimensions 

Your chicken coop should have at least 2 to 3 square feet each bird as a general rule. This is the very minimum for rearing chickens, as anything less will result in unhappy chickens, high stress, fighting, and illness. If your hens will be inside the coop for extended periods of time, you should give them extra space, anywhere from 5 to 10 square feet per bird.