Before You Buy A Chicken Coop: Important Steps To Take

Whether you just bought chickens recently, are planning to or have been raising chickens for years, there are a few important things to figure out before going to buy a chicken coop.  Maybe your old coop broke down or you just need more space for the chickens, regardless of the reason by making a few decisions before heading out you’re going to find the whole process a great deal easier.  Of course one of the main features you’re looking at is price.  While even most new chicken coops are quite affordable, by coming up with a figure you’ll have an amount to stick to and this will help you narrow down your options.

It’s also important to consider what material you want the chicken coop to be made of.  The material should be soft enough that the baby chicks won’t hurt themselves but strong enough to keep the chickens secured.  Deciding on square footage is another important decision you need to make before going to buy a chicken coop.  This will of course be based upon the number of chickens you have and which the coop will need to hold.

If the birds have access to an outdoor run where you’re keeping them then it’s probably best to get an even bigger sized coop to give them a bit of room to space out and get onto the run.  This will make sure they have plenty of room to get going before heading into the run.  This will be uncomfortable for them and is also likely to start fights in the pen.  Chicken coops come with different features so watch for this as well.

There are the simple chicken coops which are basically nothing more than a basic box with some chicken wire.  Then there are the larger more expensive coops that may even be more spacious than some human homes.  For urban homesteaders having a coop with a top is very important, to avoid chickens escaping and disturbing anyone in the neighborhood.  For people living in urban areas it’s always best to buy a chicken coop with a lid, as this will keep the chickens from escaping.

You can choose to buy a chicken coop used or even find a plan and make it yourself.   So if some of yours escape it won’t be a bother to them and you can grab them and put them back in.  Some people even prefer to build their own chicken coop, which is especially useful if you have very particular conditions you want met.  There are a lot of decisions you want to make before going to buy a chicken coop and these are the most important to help you in your decision.