Best Chicken Coop Kits – The 5 Important Elements

You have the perfect spot selected and the size according to the number of birds that you wish to raise. Now it’s time to put a building together that will create an atmosphere of happy, healthy chickens. It’s time to do some shopping in the hardware store for a chicken housing kit.

Here are 5 important elements of the best chicken coop kits:

1) Flooring Possibilities

The least expensive type of flooring material for your chicken coop plan is plain old dirt. While economical, however, it will not protect your chickens from rodents or insulate your coop during the winter months.

Most beginner chicken hobbyists will choose a wooden floor, which is better than dirt but not waterproof. They are also not rodent-proof and tend to rot over time.

The perfect solution, and most expensive, is concrete. Easy to clean, sanitary and a great protection against rodents, a concrete floor is the best selection.

2) Insulating for Warmth and Cooling

No form of insulation makes for a cold drafty winter and a hot smoldering summer. The best insulating material is 1.5 inch of Styrofoam. The Styrofoam sheets provide the perfect form of insulation when used in the ceiling and walls.

A roofing material of aluminum that is painted white will also help in the hot summer months in reflecting heat away from the coop. You can also place bales of hay along this exterior side can cut a northerly wind in the winter back. The hay can also be used as litter.

Another option is to plant tall vegetation around the outside of the coop area. Not only will it make the area more attractive but will give relief of heat during the summer months.

3) The Importance of Ventilation

You want your chickens to be warm with a well-insulated coop but fumes can easily build up to a toxic level if there is no type of ventilation. Your chicken coop needs some vents.

Placing vents on the south or east walls of your chicken coop can help create airflow while protecting your chickens from a cold draft.

Another option is to drill large holes on the north and south sides where the roof meets the walls. Cover with mesh screens to keep outside birds from coming in to roost.

4) Building a Cozy Chicken Nest

Your chickens will become accustomed to their new nests when presented as a safe haven for their nesting. Build your nests approximately twelve by fifteen inches long and thirteen inches deep.

Use a soft type of nesting material for the floor, like litter, to keep the eggs from rolling around and cracking. Start by placing the nests on the floor in a dark area away from activity to let your chickens get used to them.

Gradually, maybe two weeks later, raise the chicken nests eighteen inches up from floor level. If your chickens are really shy, place a burlap flap over the opening.

5) Food and water dispenser

This is no time to find out if only the strong will survive. Don’t skimp on feeders and waterers.

Make sure that all of the chickens are adequately fed and watered and not having to fight over space. They will all get used to their designated areas without having to fight over their nourishment.

Present your new flock with all of the amenities that you would any other pet and they will produce and bring your lots of pleasure in years ahead.

I hope the 5 tips above is useful when you are shopping for the best chicken coop kit.