| So you have your Buff Orpingtons and you have your | | | | Small chicken flocks can often take advantage of the |
| New Hampshire Reds. You have some Wyandottes | | | | portable chicken coop. These are light and easy to |
| and maybe an Ancona or two as well. Heck, maybe | | | | move. You can move them according to the season - |
| you even have a rooster to wake you up every | | | | keep the birds in shade in summer and in sunlight in |
| morning when the sun is just peeping over the horizon. | | | | winter, for example. |
| You have a whole flock of backyard laying hens out | | | | Another option - most desirable to gardeners - is the |
| there and the one thing that is missing is the chicken | | | | infamous chicken tractor. These are portable chicken |
| house. Those faithful providers of eggs for you and | | | | houses that are built on wheels. They are designed to |
| your family deserve a home! | | | | move a few feet at a time in one direction every few |
| There is no shortage of possibilities when it comes to | | | | days or so. The chickens scratch the earth, leave |
| deciding how you want to shelter your birds. There are | | | | some waste, and then move on. If you put them in the |
| hundreds of plans out there, and there are plenty of | | | | garden space in early spring before you plant and in |
| marketers who have pre-built sheds and chickens | | | | fall after you have harvested, then you are going to |
| coops. If you don't feel like doing it yourself, then you | | | | have some mighty rich growing soil! |
| can just plop down the money and away you go. | | | | In other words, you aren't going to find that there are a |
| But you might want to take your time and think it over | | | | lot of black and white answers when it comes to |
| a bit. You might want to answer a few questions in | | | | housing chickens. There are shades of gray. And there |
| advance. For example, are you going to need a home | | | | are a lot of questions that simply boil down to what |
| for five birds or twenty-five birds or two hundred | | | | your personal intentions are. You want to keep safety |
| birds? | | | | in mind and you want to be sure the birds get plenty of |
| Obviously if you've got hundreds of birds you are | | | | ventilation and a minimal amount of drafts and some |
| running a poultry farm and your needs are different | | | | safety from the inclement weather. |
| than a backyard chicken farmer. | | | | But beyond that, it's pretty much up to you. Chickens |
| On the other hand, maybe you are working with less | | | | are heartier birds than a lot of people realize. You can |
| than ten chickens - and they are bantam chickens at | | | | scrape up some old lumber and a few plywood panels |
| that. In that case, you might find yourself with quite a | | | | and have a rough house in no time. People have even |
| simple task in front of you. | | | | used old pop-up trailers that can't be used for camping |
| Another question that you need to answer is whether | | | | anymore. Chickens love them. |
| you are going to let your hens get broody on you. In | | | | If you decided to build your own coop, then be sure |
| other words, are you going to let them raise a flock of | | | | that you follow the old carpenter's adage - measure |
| chicks? There are plenty of pros and cons here - it's | | | | twice and cut just once. You don't need a perfect |
| nice to have some replacements on hand when your | | | | chicken coop, but you do need to be sure that it's safe |
| current flock of layers slow down. | | | | and functional. |
| But in order for hens to successfully raise babies, they | | | | A little time saved on the front end will pay off in |
| need some very particular digs and you have to factor | | | | spades - or eggs, perhaps - in the months and years |
| that in. | | | | to come! |