Building Chicken Coops

So many people like to keep chickens in their backyards so they could have the fresh chicken meat if they need it and they could have all the fresh eggs that they want. Newly hatched chicks are adorable and some children demand to have one for them to take care of simply because they are cute. Most buy them to replenish their stock come spring time. In some countries, the weather is very cooperative all year round so there is no ‘right’ season to buy the chicks.

When I am asked to build a chicken coop for someone one of my first questions is the purpose of the chicken coop. There is a difference, in case you did not know. There is a chicken coop for the layers, and the breeders, and then there is the grow-out coop.

The second question I ask is what kind of chickens I am building the coop for. There are some breeds, and there are a lot, that are great egg layers so I like to design the coop around the needs and behaviour of the chicken.

Now, my clients will sometimes ask what breed they should choose and I always tell them that it really depends on the purpose of the chickens. There are about sixty breeds of chickens to choose from and they are different from one another.

The excellent egg layers are the Ancona, Australorp, Rhode Island, and the Star breeds. If you like to have a business in selling eggs and making profits, then these are the choice breeds.

There are others who like to breed fascinating chickens. They are fascinating for they are very beautiful and could make children ooh and ahh. They are not only good for their feathers. In fact, a lot of people who breed this chicken find that they make a good business out of it for they never fail to fascinate.

These chickens are too beautiful to describe but their purpose is not only for aesthetics. Examples of these breeds are the Japanese Phoenix, the Silkie, the Polish, Sebright, and the Dominique to name a few. Fortunately, they are also good egg layers so you can sell your chicks for those who get fascinated with their beauty.

I like a breed that is not only pretty to look at but also give me the eggs that I want. However, that is just my personal preference and that should really be the key to whatever choice of breed of chicken you should choose.