Building Multiple Chicken Coops

Filed under Chicken Coop

Chicken Coop with Run and Nesting Box

Sometimes you face some problems building just one chicken coop in your backyard.  Some people have a small backyard and can’t fit a large chicken coop or it’s too space consuming.  Others prefer to raise one half for meat and the other  half for eggs and want to separate the flocks.  Whatever the reason is, there’s no problem building more than 1 coop in your backyard.

With multiple chicken coops, first, you will need to measure the area of your backyard to make sure there is enough space for how many coops you’re planning to build. All the chicken coops should have the same of everything. Basically, it will be identical unless you want one to look different from the other.

Second, ask yourself why do you need more than one coop.  Some people want to raise different breeds of chickens and keep them separated. Some want to keep the flocks separated for eggs and meats.  Other just prefer to have a couple small coop than 1 large one for maintenance.  When you figure why you need more than 1 coop, plan it out first to make building the coop easy.

Third, figure out how many chickens you will be raising.  That will determine the size of each chicken coop.  If you are planning to raise 10 chickens, building 2 medium size coop is a good idea.  You can put 5 chickens in each house.  That should give each chicken enough room to move about.

Fourth, draw out a floor plan on where the chicken coops will be located in your backyard.  Try to look for an area that provide shades for half the day for the coops. Under a large tree is an ideal spot.  If you don’t have a larger tree for shading, look for an area such as near a tall structure like the side of your house or a tall fence.  Anything that can cast a shadow over the coop should work.  If you still can’t find anything that provides shading, the other thing you can do is cover the coop with a sun screen.  That should provide some shades for the chicken during the day.  Also, shades keep the chicken coop cool throughout the day.

Finally, after you have planned everything out and get all your materials together, you can start building the chicken coop. If you are building identical coop, it’s a good idea to cut all the pieces into shape first.  That will save you a lot time and energy.  Another way to save time and energy is to get your whole family involved.  What’s better than enjoying a whole day with the family working together.

Multiple chicken coops isn’t something strange, everyone has their own reason why they need multiple coops.  Just remember to build the right size coop to raise the chicken comfortably. If the chickens are happy, that translates into healthier chickens, and healthier chickens will lay great tasting eggs and their meat will be delicious!