Best Chicken Breeds For Backyard Coops

Ok, so now you have a chicken coop built. What comes next is picking the right breed of chickens for your backyard coop. There are so many breeds of chickens to choose from that it makes you go hum.

The first thing to take into account is what you are raising chickens for. Is it just for egg production or for eggs and meat. If it is basically for egg production then that will narrow down your choices somewhat. Next you want to look at the temperament of the different breeds of chickens that produce the most eggs.

Some like the Leghorn, you remember foghorn leghorn, are use by large egg production chicken farms because of the number of eggs that they produce. The downside to this breed is that they are very shy and noisy. Not quite right for a back yard coop unless you like to annoy your neighbors. The Rhode Island Red on the other hand is more docile and produces almost as many eggs. A much better breed than the leghorn for our needs.

The second point to consider is how many years the chicken produces eggs and when their egg laying starts to drop off. Although their no guarantees, the Reds usually produce for about 3 to 4 years with a life expectancy of about 5 years.

If you want to raise chickens for meat you might want to look for a more hearty breed with a meatier body. One good breed for meat is the Cornish hen, not a huge bird but a great eater all the same. There are many breeds that don't produce as many eggs yet still make great table chickens.

Regardless of your intention for raising chickens even if it is for egg production. It is a good idea that when a birds egg production drops off you might want to have another chicken coming to take its place and process the old bird for meat.

 

You will want to take into consideration the weather for your region. Make sure the breed of chicken you pick to raise will thrive in the weather conditions. A great guide for research can be found by clicking here.

When picking Chicken House Plans keep your chickens health in mind.

When deciding on your chicken house plans make sure to choose a design that is easy to maintain and healthy for your chickens. Just like any pet your chickens have basic needs. They need food, water, a place to sleep, a nesting box, and an area to roam.

 

Now, let’s break these down.

 

Food and water. You’ll want to make sure that the feeder and water bowl are accessible for all your chickens. Keep it low enough for the small chickens but not so low that it is easily spilled.

 

Roosting place. The roosting place will need to give enough room for all the chickens to roost at night. You can use wooden poles or two by fours for this.

 

Nesting boxes. Nesting boxes should be easy for your chickens to get into and big enough to allow for comfort while sitting and laying eggs. Make sure your layout allows for plenty of room for the nest boxes when picking your chicken house plans.

 

Chicken run. A chicken run is the area of the coop that allows the chicken to go out of the chicken house and roam in the yard. It should give them plenty or room to peck and scratch. It should also be protected from predators.

 

Free range chickens are allowed to roam free without a wire coop to hold them. If it is safe to do so.

 

Make sure your chicken coop design is easy to clean to keep the ammonia smell down. This is a very big factor if you are building your chicken coop in a residential area or have neighbors close by. It also helps keep your chickens free from disease.

 

After all, no one wants to have the smell of chicken poop wafting around during a backyard barbeque.

 

These are just a few tips for your chicken house plans. If you want some great chicken coop plans and designs click here.

 

You also get a list of materials with each design to save you time and money. After all a happy chicken is a productive chicken.

Building Chicken Coops that are safe for Hens.

When building chicken coops you want to keep in mind the safety of your chickens. Many predators will see your chickens as an easy meal. There are steps you can take to protect your chickens from these vermin.

Building chicken coops that are hard for predators to get into.

Raise you hen house up off the ground. A couple of feet will do fine. This will deter animals from digging through the walls of your hen house. Also wrap the bottom area, (the couple feet you raised your hen house) with wire to keep predators from coming in through the floor.

Building chicken coops using thicker wire will protect your chickens better.

Use heavier rabbit wire rather than chicken wire to prevent animals from chewing through the wire and getting into your chicken run. Place wire over the top of your chicken run to keep hawks from swooping in on your chickens.

Use barriers when building chicken coops.

Place a barrier around the bottom edge of your chicken run. A one by ten board will do fine. Dig a trench around your chicken run where the wire will meet the ground and put the board into the trench, bury it and attach the top of the board to the bottom of your wire.

This will stop animals from digging under the wire.

Another tip when building chicken coops would be to put chicken wire under the eaves of your chicken coop to keep squirrels from neting in the eave of the hen house.

When it comes to snakes there are no sure fire ways to keep them from trying to get your eggs or baby chicks.

You can find great plans for building chicken coops by Clicking Here.

Building Chicken Coops

Building chicken coops for yourself can be fun and affordable. First you need to decide just how big your chicken coop should be. The number of chickens you plan to raise for your family will determine the size and design that is best for you.

If you are only raising one or two chickens a small chicken coop will suffice. This way you can start small and build bigger as your poultry farm grows.

Chicken coops don't have to be huge or fancy at all, they just have to meet your chickens basic needs.

They are:

A nesting area or hen house. A place they can roost and nest while being protected from the weather and predators. This is also where your hens will lay their eggs, so you will want to make it easily accessible for you to gather the eggs.

A yard area. A place where the chickens can peck and scratch the ground searching for insects and seeds. Your chickens will spend most of the day here. Chickens need room to roam.

Building a chicken coop can be done in a day or two and doesn't have to cost too much.

Get plans and designs for building chicken coops here.