Before purchasing the chickens you want, it will be necessary to have cages or coops to keep them in. These are not necessarily difficult to build, but must follow certain guidelines to be useful. If you plan on building your own chicken pen, with the right supplies and materials you can have an great coop built in very little time.
Choosing the best location is a necessary factor in egg production, warmth, and over all presentation. If you live in a heavily populated area, you may want to consider the appearance of your pen. Although it is not a law, it is common courtesy to make it look presentable so as not to cause hard feelings between you and your neighbors. You don't have to let their likes and dislikes tell you the type and form of your housing, but as far as the smell and exterior appearance, it should be made presentable. A backyard shed or small garden house would make an excellent coop, but building your own is the way to manage exactly as you would like it.
The type of housing you decide on is dependant on your surroundings as well. The predators where you live, either domestic or wild, should not be able to access the chickens in their housing. The kinds of predators you have in your area will determine whether you will be able to free range chickens or whether they must be kept in an enclosed area not just for their protection, but also to keep them from wandering.
An ideal coop allows for 4 to 4.5 square feet of space per chicken kept, meaning the more birds you intend to raise, the bigger your coop will need to be. Try to determine whether or not you will be expanding in the future or whether you intend to simply raise a few at a time. If you plan on expanding your chicken holdings, it may be necessary to build a large building from the start and section it off to allow for future expansion, rather than be forced to put off expansion plans until the coop is built to specifications.
Most domestic chicken coops are mainly small in their keep and do not include plans for building a feeding and watering system into the building, but it is possible. hard but possible. Most chicken farmers opt for store purchased feeding and watering systems that are made available at most feed stores, and can be ordered at those that do not carry them. Look at all your options before deciding on any one system.
Allow for plenty of room for a full sized adult bird to move around in the pen for cleaning and egg gathering purposes as well as good ventilation for the chickens. Keeping the floor covered with at least four inches of suitable covering (Hay, wood shavings, corn husks etc.) ensures cleanliness and keeps the chickens from ingesting their own droppings. Whether you build an enclosed area or allow them to free range on your land, the chickens will need lots of room to scratch and dig for bugs. The best amount to have is roughly twice the size of the coop.
Whatever style or design you settle on should work best for you and the chickens you will be raising and enable you to keep them safe, healthy and warm when necessary.
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