If you’re looking to get back to your primitive roots and save yourself some money on groceries, a chicken coop can be the perfect investment. Unfortunately, not many stores are around that offer an array of chicken coops for you to tour. Instead, you’ll want to follow these five tips to ensure that you pick out the perfect chicken coop during online shopping.
Start By Assessing Size
Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you’ve looked at a bunch of chicken coops online to determine what size you’re going to purchase. This tends to lead to buying ones that are bigger than necessary. Instead, take the time now to consider what size of coup you’ll need.
There are a couple of different factors that you’ll need to take into consideration. The first is the desired size for your space. Decide on where you’re going to install your chicken coop. Take maximum measurements for the width, length, and height. Next, consider the number of chickens that you’ll house. A general rule of thumb is to have at least three square feet of space per chicken that you house.
Decide Between Stationary And Moveable
The next factor you need to determine is whether you’ll need a stationary chicken coup or one that is moveable. Moveable coops provide the benefit of being able to move your chicken around to fresh pasture at a moment’s notice. However, stationary coops are much simpler to construct and manage.
Identify Any Design Restrictions
Depending on where you live, you may have some specific restrictions that you have to abide by. Most farm chicken coops are thrown together with chicken wire and plywood. When it comes to neighborhood living, the restrictions start to get tighter. You’ll want to check with your local HOA, zoning ordinances, local building codes, and any other associations that may place restrictions on your ability to house chickens.
Many neighborhood zoning boards will limit the number of chickens that you can house. They may specify a specific maximum size that the chicken coop may be and what it must look like. It’s best to know these restrictions upfront so that you can abide by them. You don’t want to invest your hard-earned money in a chicken coop that you find out that you can’t keep because of zoning and other ordinance restrictions.
Choose What Features You Want
Modern chicken coops come with many different features. Determining what features you want comes down to necessity and your budget. Some commonly purchased features include roosts, elaborate exterior design, nest boxes, feeder boxes, windows, water hookups, and even electricity hookups. There is an abundance of features that are all available for the right price.
It’s a good idea to sit down and consider what features are a necessity for your coup. These are going to be the features that ensure your chickens stay safe. Next, list out the features that you want. This could be electricity, automatic water, or even an elaborate exterior design to match your house. By making these lists, you can ensure that any coop you decide on has the basic features you need and some of the ones that you want. Again, your budget is going to play a big role in what features you can afford.
DIY Vs. Assembled Upon Delivery
The last factor that you need to take into consideration when deciding on what chicken coop to buy is whether or not you want to build it yourself. You’ll have the option of either constructing the chicken coop based on planned blueprints or purchasing a coop that is already constructed.
Many people falsely assume that it’s cheaper to ship the materials for a DIY chicken coop as compared to one that is pre-assembled. This isn’t always the truth. Many times, they run fairly similar in price. Your decision should come down to whether or not you desire to actually construct the coop or not.
Deciding on the right chicken coop while online shopping takes some directed thought and time. You’ll want to consider all of the five factors above when it comes to picking the right chicken coop to fit your needs. Remember to think over your decision and ensure that the coop you’re looking at fits all of your needs before you buy it.
