A very important thing to consider when planning on raising chickens besides building a chicken coop is where you should position their housing. This is because the placement of the hen house will determine how many eggs your chickens will lay and therefore, how happy you'll be. Needless to say, your chickens will be happier as well.
You all want to be happy in the years to come so you'll want to put a lot of consideration into placement. And selecting the perfect spot. As many things will be affected.
Things To Consider
PROTECTION
The first thing you have to think about are predatory animals. I wrote more about that in my last February post. This is why I like to place a chicken coop close by to where you are so you can keep a better eye on them.
If you have a very large farm, you may only have certain areas of your yard that encounter animals, so choosing to place the coop as far away from that would be a very smart move.
CLIMATE
Just like ourselves, our chickens are affected by climate. Do you live in a very hot area? How about the rainfall in your location?
If you get rain frequently, you may consider building the chicken coop in an area that is more protected by nearby trees, helping to reduce the amount of direct rain that hits the house. You'll also want to place your coop in an area of the yard that doesn't have water accumulating around their housing.
For example, if you have water running down a grade of land, you don't want the coop at the bottom of the hill. Then you'll have a flood or a puddle for the birds. And a wet chicken is an unhappy chicken.
Do you live in a windy area? This is another reason for building the chicken coop in a treed area or around buildings so the housing will be shielded from high winds. Don't confuse wind with good ventilation in the coop. Wind blown chicks are miserable chicks.
SUNLIGHT
Chickens require a good amount of natural sunlight in order to lay eggs effectively. So you'll want to build your chicken coop in an area that's well lit and faces the sun. Another reason to take advantage of the sunlight is to use less electric light which as you know can become costly.
So keep all these things in mind when deciding where to place your hen's new home. You will all be happy in the long run.
Can't wait to get started? Then get your chicken coop plans today by visiting the link below:
Chicken Coop Plans!
