The Best Chicken Coop Ideas for DIY Projects

What Does the Ideal Chicken Coop Look Like?

A chicken coop must be spacious enough to allow the birds to move around freely and with no restrictions, and basically have a stress-free existence. They must also be properly hygienized periodically and, for this, they must feature a type of flooring that can be changed whenever necessary, to maintain the space clean.

This means using sand, sawdust, or woodchips as flooring, while also ensuring the right level of ventilation is used. The coop needs to be large enough for a human to be able to thoroughly clean it. A chicken coop should be properly isolated in order to provide the necessary warmth. This can be accomplished with the help of heat lamps, as well as the use if additional bedding and proper nesting.

Let us take a closer look at the ideal requirements for the best chicken coop ideas you could be putting into practice on your own or using a special chicken coop kit.

Choosing The Right Chicken Coop Size

The ideal size for chicken coops is established by the actual number of birds it will be hosting. For example, for six birds, you could opt for a coop that measures 5 ft x 7 feet. Tying a run to it should increase the hosting capacity to 12 birds.

Make sure you will be capable of ensuring a space of at least 5 square yards for housing and running purposes for each of the birds. Depending on your choice of birds, whether you will opt for large fowls, bantams, or a heavier breed, these measurement requirements will be slightly different.

You may also need to consider ensuring some additional space that will separate the main chicken coop from a backyard flock, especially when dealing with:

• Brooding hens need will need to be kept in a separate location from hens that are laying their eggs
• To separate sick birds from healthy birds
• When roosters and cockerels need to be separated from female chickens
• To train show birds that will participate in exhibitions
• To separate new birds from existing flocks so they can be gradually introduced to the rest of the birds

What To Include In The Best Chicken Coops Design

Chicken coops can be purchased as is and they are sold in a number of sizes, shapes and different designs such as chicken coops, hen houses, arcs, or runs. They can be also purchased as remote or permanent housing options.

Chicken runs are normally connected to chicken coops and they are more advantageous in the sense that they will enable the birds to freely run around in a protected space in the outdoors, where they are kept safe from harsh weather conditions or potential predators.

All chicken coops designs need to be able to offer the birds the right type of protection and sheltering they need. This includes having a roof, flooring and walls, as well as doors, vents, and windows to let natural light from the sun to get in.

Another feature that all chicken coops should have it a roost as well as boxes that will be used for nesting. Some chicken coop ideas in terms of design could also cover the addition of feeders and drinkers inside the coops.

There are also poultry keepers who might choose to manually feed the birds or to feed them in the outdoors. This means they will not be interested in a design that features indoor feeders. There are also chicken coop design ideas that feature ramps that will enable the birds to get easy access to their nests, the chicken coop, or a number of other important features inside the coop.

Roosts are also important additions to a chicken coop since they are the actual bars that will be used by the birds at night, for resting reasons. They are built in such a way so they can imitate the role of tree branches that birds will to perch on during night-time, out of instinct. 

It is necessary for the birds to be able each enjoy at least 12 inches of roosting space. The roost should also be placed as high as possible from the off ground to reach its full potential. If possible, never place the roost bar above the feeders and drinkers.