To start your own little chicken farm, a chicken coop kit can be quite beneficial for the overall health and vigilance of your farm. There are some kits which are available with all the accessories including the paint brush, but it then depends upon your ability with a saw.

Choosing Your Kit

The size of your chicken coop depends upon the number of hens you want to keep in the farm, a standard 4’x4’ is sufficient for three to four hens of normal size. The space required by an adult chicken is about four square feet, you can yourself calculate the area by multiplying the number of feet (Four by Four =16 square feet).

There should be plenty of space for chickens to move and exercise, sunlight too is very important for the overall health of chickens, hence chicken run should be attached to the coop. Most kits available do not have run included, you may purchase it separately or add it yourself with some good wire, once you have purchased the chicken coop kit, you must closely pay attention to the specification.

Sometimes space which is not usable for the chickens is also included in the measurement, the same is true for our homes also as living space does not include measurements of bathrooms and closets. You must see the quality of wood to be used, pressure treated wood which is termite proof is suitable for the coop, if you want to have run, never use run which is made of chicken wire as it will expose your chickens to predators, who can easily break the wire and harm your chickens.

Beginning The Project

You must count all the items once the shipment of kit arrives at your place, match it with manifest, many people do not bother to check it and cannot complete the kit because the some of the parts are missing. This will also help you to complete the coop without any headache.

Now you must decide the place in your yard which is well protected to position your chicken coop. Even Portable “chicken tractors” need a place where it can be parked in case of bad weather. All the living things require sunshine, so does chickens, but care has to be taken to have proper shade also in case of extreme heat.

Both extreme heat and extreme cold conditions are bad for the chickens; you have to provide protection in both the cases. Next is the protection from predators, simple locks or small bolts cannot protect your chickens from raccoons, these creatures are very smart and clever to smell the chickens.

Use good locks and bolts for the protection of your chickens. Many people have hobby of keeping chickens as pets, chickens are not only good pets but also lay eggs which you can enjoy with your family members. Children and first timers are quite excited to see these beautifully feathered birds in their homes. Always give proper space to your chickens and see that this small step will give you lot of fun and enjoyment.

Like many, you too, must be wondering about the most fruitful procedure of raising chickens. Now a day, due to the spiraling cost and growing concern about the manner of production; food is becoming more of an issue.

Therefore, to combat all these, use herbs to raise your chickens not only naturally and in a perfect manner but also to add flavor. Chickens are considered to be low carb diet and together with eggs, these had always constituted an important part of our meals.

Raising chickens in cages is seen as unethical and so, the subject of free range chickens is gathering popularity across the globe; however, the price of store-bought free range eggs can strain your purse.

You can raise your own chickens, if you have some space; even though you might be living in a city. Try not to raise roosters as these birds make a lot of noise; however, give a serious thought about raising hens.

There is nothing better than home-grown eggs and hens can be excellent pets, too, if you have children in your house. These cuddly pets have some real personality and are fun to watch; however, have a proper enclosure for these birds, if you want to keep your house clean.

Buy day old chicks from the local feed stores and start raising your own chickens, since it is easy and quite inexpensive. Even the children would love to watch these small birds in their cute fluffy stage.

Get hold of a strong and sturdy box and place the chick in it with some food and water. Handle and nurture your chick on a regular basis, so that it gets accustomed to people and will feel happy when you cuddle it, after it grows up.

Provide some open and safe area for your chickens to play and scratch. Take precaution and do not feed your chickens – raw beans, raw potato peels, avocado skin and food containing sugar and salt, since these might prove to be toxic and harm them; in extreme cases, even death.

The basic health of the chickens should be of paramount importance to you, when you are thinking about raising them. Herbs can make your birds healthy; add these to their feed or water.

Nettle – a kind of herb – contains calcium, potassium, protein, manganese, phosphorus and Vitamins A & C in high quantities; therefore, it is a good idea to add this to your chickens’ diet. Chickens are vulnerable to mites, body lice and worms. Nettle, along with garlic – another great herb – not only treat but also prevent worms from affecting and causing health hazard to your hens.

Garlic has an added advantage, since it prevents lice and mites from affecting your hens. Grow insect repellent herbs like lavender, rosemary and feverfew near your hen-house, so that your hens can nibble as well as brush against those.

Add Oregano – an anti-parasitic and anti-fungal herb – along with cider vinegar to your chickens feed to keep them healthy. Along with these, try to feed your chickens.

Dandelion – a complete food by itself and Calendula flowers, which contain a high level of sulphur, to keep them healthy and improve yolk color. Try to keep their drinking water fresh, too. Follow these simple steps and you can raise healthy chickens without any problem.

Rearing a clutch of chicken in the backyard is an innovative idea that is catching up quite fast. Animal laws in various urban areas are amended to provide consent to their citizens for farming in their community.

Raising chickens in the backyard has advantages like providing organic fertilizers, fresh eggs and of course chickens are, exclusive pets. The urban residents have found ways like the chicken tractors or chicken coops to house their chickens.

The people of UK refer to this as chicken arks. The chicken tractor or chicken cage is built on the simple perception of keeping the chickens enclosed and safe from predators. The open floor area of the cage helps the chicken to feed on the grass and bugs available. They can also defecate within the coop leading to formation of manure.

The term chicken tractor is derived from the fact that this cage or coop is movable and can be shifted to another area of the yard, once there is enough collection of fertilizer. This coop is built such that there is a safe haven for the chickens from forces of nature and also enough space for them to lay their eggs.

The mobile coops ensure that the elimination of bugs and weeds and maintains a good supply of fertilizers for the garden. Hence, this is a choice of many gardeners. Care should be taken to keep the chicken tractor away from the precious plants in the garden.

Since this trend of raising chicken in the cities is relatively new, you may find certain cities need sanctions while others still maintain a ban on this and a few other cities have changed the laws to support this trend. You can play an important role in changing your city’s law against raising chicken as pets, by attending the city councils and voicing your support on this subject.

Things may not change immediately but perseverance and sticking to the point when asked to speak will surely help. You can make your own mobile coop using some extra wood and metal. The coop can be a simple open cage with small protective cabins for the chickens to keep away the predators and harmful forces of nature.

The type of coop – movable or stationary depends on the purpose of usage. A stationary coop is preferred over a movable coop if the intention is to run a business selling eggs because you will need a lot of chickens to maintain the inventory of eggs and moving a cage all over the yard would mean that you will run out of clear ground within no time.

When the coop is stationed at a place, the manure needs to be covered regularly with fresh hay and saw dust. Over a period of time, this accumulation would have to be scraped out and cleared. Mobile coop is the best option if you want to raise a few chickens and still maintain the beauty of your garden.

The few fresh eggs derived can enhance the kitchen menu. Though owning a chicken tractor would seem weird at this point of time, it is proving to be an excellent means to popularize agriculture in the cities and transform the conventional idea of farming and gardening.