You’ve made the decision to begin raising chickens at home. Before you go off and bring your chickens home, you need to make sure you have adequate shelter for the birds. Not only do chickens need protection from the wind, rain and fluctuating temperatures, they also need protection from predators in your areas. Some of the known predators of chickens are foxes, raccoons, dogs and snakes. A regular fence in the backyard will not do the trick – your chickens can escape into the neighbor’s yard and predators can get in.
The best kind of coop allows for a chicken house and chicken run to be attached in the same structure. You can buy chicken coops that are very elaborate and expensive or you can choose to build your own. In order to build your own, you need decent chicken coop plans. If you are starting with a small flock, I recommend going with a chicken tractor (or chicken ark) style. The most popular style is an A-frame with the coop on one end and an enclosed pen on the other. There is no floor in a chicken tractor and it is lightweight and can be moved around the yard as the chickens peck at the bugs and weeds. They also leave free fertilizer around the yard!
