Need ideas on the different styles of chicken coop designs? Read on!
Keeping chickens as pets or for eggs or meat is rapidly gaining popularity in the US.
It’s easy to see why these feathered friendlies have such appeal: they provide eggs and meat for very little work, and they can be incredibly charming.
Styles of Chicken Coop Designs
In planning for your flock, one aspect of keeping chickens that cannot be overlooked is a properly designed chicken coop.
Chicken coop designs come in a variety of styles and types depending upon how and why a coop is being used.
All chicken coop designs must have the same basics: safety, adequate square footage and accessibility.
Keeping chickens safe is of concern even in the most urban settings; predators are smarter than chickens and will take every opportunity to harm the flock.
Coops must also provide a chicken flock with adequate square footage in which to live. Experts estimate that each chicken requires between three and four square feet per bird.
Finally, chicken coop styles vary in the route of accessibility.
Beyond those three must-haves, chicken coop designs can range from the cute and compact to large immobile structures large enough to accommodate a person.
Some coop styles have been created with the urban chicken farmer in mind.
These coops have cute names and are constructed of a durable plastic outer coupled with a chicken run where your flock can scratch and peck until dusk.
These designs have bright, friendly colors and look as though they are backyard accessories rather than the chicken coop they actually are.
While sleek, plastic coop designs are popular for people with small flocks and very limited backyard space, they are clearly not the appropriate fit for large flocks.
A chicken tractor is a type of coop style that is popular among chicken farmers who wish to construct their own coops.
Made of a variety of materials, a chicken tractor provides mobility for the coop and can be moved from area to area in one’s yard.
Being able to move the tractor around provides chickens with adequate grazing space; it also gives your grass a chance to grow back!
Chicken tractors are popular choices for handy chicken farmers who feel confident around building materials.
Wooden coop styles with access doors or hatches can either be originally built or come pre-constructed. Wooden coop designs are by far the most flexible of all the coop options.
Wooden coops can be designed with the individual’s flock and space in mind. Often, wooden coop styles have a dedicated space in one’s backyard where the coop remains as a permanent structure.
Wooden coop designs are among the most versatile styles and are able to accommodate both very large and very small flocks.
Regardless of the design of one’s chicken coop, the primary goal is to ensure that the chicken flock is protected from both the elements and predators.
Because of the popularity of chicken farming, safe chicken coops can be as utilitarian or as sleek as one desires.