Climate and Space

It is essential that the climate, inside the chicken coop, stays stable and comfortable for the chickens. If you reside in a warm climate, make sure the coop provides enough ventilation, whereas if you reside in a cool climate area, you may have to place a heating lamp to keep them warm during winters. Place the coop in an area with good natural sunlight, as it helps with laying eggs effectively. For spacing, generally a 2 square feet nest box, for each chicken, is considered good.  You can increase space as you like, it’s always good, but never use less spacing as the chickens will peck on each other.

Location

Consider your environmental regulations, if you reside in a city. It’s better to place the coop at least 5 feet afar from your house. You don’t want your neighbors to complain, so make a coop that does not offend them by its smell and offer your chickens a proper care, so they don’t get noisy during the night.

Protection

f you live in an area where it’s common to find dogs, skunks, mountain lions, coyotes, cats, foxes, snakes or other predators, make sure the coop is kept safe from all these dangers. It’s best to place barbwire around the fence, as it keeps predators away from the coop. For diggers, place floor tiles under the coop, that refrain them from digging into the coop. Ensure the coop is not damaged; if so, repair it as soon as possible, since snakes can make their way into the coop from the smallest loop holes.

If you don’t want to go into making complicated coops with fancy designs, then you should learn how to build an easy chicken coop with DIY chicken coop plans from the Internet. Check out a guide called “Building A Chicken Coop”, which is made by Bill Keene, where you will find all the instructions you need to get started.