So, if you have always wanted to have backyard chicken coops, now may be the time to do so. Before you do though you will want to check with local officials to make sure chickens are allowed and that you are not breaking and city laws or ordinances. Even when they are allowed, it is often just the hen, and not the noisy roosters. Fortunately roosters are not required in order for the hens to lay eggs.

The reasons for keeping chickens varies from wanting fresh eggs to wanting a different kind of pet to desiring a bit of the country in the city. Not only can there be a savings on the grocery bill by producing eggs for family use, but many neighbors are joining together to create chicken projects. They’re splitting costs of the materials to build the backyard chicken coops as well as the cost of the feed and incidentals.

If you figure that you want to have a coop for hens of your own, they’re not at all difficult to build, plus you can design your own plans to make the coop look like a little house or barn rather than the traditional coop you may remember. All it takes is a little planning before you get started.

You’ll need to make sure you plan enough space for each chicken as over crowded conditions can lead to sickness among the chickens. The general rule of thumb for space is to have approximately four square feet of space for each chicken though it never hurts to have more. As you’re building the chicken coop take into consideration the area where you live.

If you live in a northern state where snow and ice are a regular part of the weather, you’re going to need a coop that’s adequately insulated to keep the chickens warm. You don’t want to have to bring them indoors for them to survive. If you happen to live in an area where the winters are not as harsh, but the summers are scorchers, you’ll have to make sure the coop is built to provide maximum cooling.

When building the home for your chickens, you don’t have to spend a lot of money buying brand new materials. You can build it from recycled materials, such as wood left over from a home project – even hinges salvaged from old kitchen or bathroom makeovers can be put to use as hinges for a chicken coop door.

Whatever materials you use to build your backyard chicken coops, make sure you’ve provided good ventilation in the snug home for your chickens otherwise you can get an ammonia build up that’s not good for you or the chickens.

Cost is another reason the smaller coop wins out over the bigger one. They are not as expensive to build because there isn’t the need for all the lumber larger coops need in order to construct them. There is less hardware required and a smaller area needed for ventilation. A smaller coop can be put together in a day versus the length of time it takes to build a standard size coop.

Because of the size, smaller chicken coops can be kept in nearly any location where they are allowed. Even a condominium with what’s commonly called a postage stamp backyard has room enough to support the existence of a small portable chicken coop. With a smaller coop, if you build it in one area of your yard but notice a problem with that area, it is easy to move, unlike a larger one.

Small chicken coops are great for people who want to have chickens but don’t have the time or the space to give to larger coops. Not only are these scaled down versions of bigger coops easier to maintain, easier to repair when something needs to be fixes, but they also make it easier for the owners to provide food and water for the chickens.

For someone who wants to have more than four chickens, smaller coops are not a good option. These coops are specifically meant for no more than five or six chickens – maximum. If you want to have chickens specifically to make money from selling eggs, it’s better to go with the larger choice.

These coops are built with material just as sturdy as the bigger coops and are meant to last just as long. The small chicken coop is not an inferior version of the larger chicken coops, but rather a scaled down version.

The smaller coops operate much like the larger ones. They offer shelter, a place to nest and safety from natural enemies. If you have always wanted to raise chickens but didn’t think you had the space, a small chicken coop may be just what you are looking for.

Reason #1 – Eggs!

Who doesn’t love eggs? Have them boiled, scrambled or sunny side up. Admit it, pets that live comfortably inside your houses don’t give you anything more than barks, meows, purrs, and sometimes a chirp. Fish can be eaten, but who would want to eat Goldie? None of these domesticated animals produce something edible. Well, chickens, on the other hand, have lots of benefits. One of the many benefits of chickens is laying delicious eggs.

You can eat fresh eggs right from the source. Eggs taken from chickens minutes or hours ago are more tasty and nutritious than those purchased in the grocery store. You’ll notice the texture and color of store bought eggs is much different than that of the fresh ones.

Reason #2 – Low Maintenance Pets

Unlike dogs that need combing and brushing everyday to keep their fur alive and shiny, chickens doesn’t need such soulful treatment. All you have to do is provide them their daily needs like food and water and they will entertain you in return. They are friendly, engaging and amusing to watch. You will have to clean their coop at least twice a month and change the beddings too, but that is a small price to pay in terms of time and money.

Reason # 3 – Chickens love leftovers.
A chicken’s appetite is incredible. They can eat almost everything, even their own kind! You can now say bye-bye to those unwanted leftovers left to rot in your fridge. Plus, you can save on chicken feed. But be very careful what you give or it may be their last supper. Tone down on the onions and garlic. Also, make sure the food is still edible. If you can’t eat it, don’t feed it to your chickens.

Reason #4 – Source of natural fertilizers

Chickens love to freely walk around. Chickens also love to peck on anything they see that can be considered as food. And what is food to them? Possibly anything that’s organic. If you let your chickens roam around your space, you’ll find out how reliable they can be. They eat pests living in your backyard – grubs, beetles, insects, earwigs, and anything that comes close.

After the digestion has set its due, they will transform what they’ve eaten into poop. But this is not just any kind of poop but a treasure called natural fertilizer. And you know what natural fertilizers do right? They keep the soil healthy for plants to grow. Cool.

Reason #5 – Grass and weed clippers

Got that right. Now you can save on mowing your own lawn by getting yourself chickens! For chickens, grasses, weeds, and leaves are treats. It’s like a lifetime dessert offering. It’s like having a cow in your own backyard. They will dig through whatever it is without even complaining about the hard work. Chickens will clip it then clean it all at the same time.

With all these reasons, why bother getting yourself a dog or a cat? No offense but they can’t even water the plants nor lay eggs for breakfast. All they do is prove to their masters that they are their best friends.  With chickens, you can have a best friend, a lawn mower, a supplier of organic fertilizer and an egg producer all in one.

In a recent poll conducted by BackYardChickens Forum 1165 members responded (as of September 3, 2009) and the results are below:

I raise chickens for (you can choose more than one):

• Eggs – 28% (1064)
• Pets – 23% (891)
• Meat 7% (278)
• Fertilizer 11% (417)
• Bug Control 12% (470)
• More interesting and/or easy than other animals 9% (349)
• Other 4% (163)
• Showing and Exhibition 3% (130)

Chickens make great pets. They are funny, amusing to watch and have personality. Perhaps that is why the percentage raising chickens for meat is so low!

Bantam – chicken variety that is about half the size of the standard breed of chickens. These breeds are usually bred for ornamental reasons.

Bedding – can either be shavings of wood, haystack pile, or newspaper that are added to the floor of the coop and inside a nest box. The purpose of this is for absorption of droppings and odor of chicken poop. It also provides as cushion for eggs to be safely ejected from its mother without the worry of breaking it.

Brood – this could either mean the hens incubating their chicks or a flock of baby chickens.

Broodiness – a chicken’s desire to incubate their babies – unfertilized or fertilized. Broodiness can make an egg hatch or spoil it. There are a lot of factors that may arise in being broody. And the mother is a bit moody when she is manifesting broodiness.

Candling – is a procedure wherein a candle or a light bulb is used. It is the process letting light shine through an egg to determine if it is fertilized or not. Candling can be useful especially if you are planning to separate the eggs with growing embryo and those that you wanted to sell.

Capon – a rooster that has been castrated.

Clutch – fertilized egg groups that hens tend to incubate.

Cockerel – a juvenile or young rooster.

Comb – this is the rubbery, red flat piece of flesh hanging on top of a chicken’s head. Roosters have a more prominent comb than hens. Some who are engaged in cock fighting preferred to cut the rooster’s comb so as not to interfere with the fight.

Coop – house of chickens.

Crop – Part of a chicken’s digestive system that can be found in the esophagus wherein food is first digested before entering the stomach.

Droppings Tray – a tray that collects chicken droppings, which is located under poles for quick disposal.

Dust bath – A pattern of chicken behavior wherein they dig a hole in the ground and immerse their bodies in earth that has been loosened. They will get down and dirty until they get satisfied. Bathing in dust is a kind of defense mechanism to protect chickens from lice and mites that may invade their feathers and feed on their blood. A dust bath can either be natural or artificial.

Feeder – a container that delivers and holds feeds for chickens.

Fertilized egg – an egg that came from mating of a rooster and a hen and is destined to become a baby.

Grit – bits of rock or sand bits that chickens tend to eat and is stored in the crop that is important for good digestion.

Hackles – chicken’s neck feathers.

Hen – female chicken.

Incubation – process of egg hatching in which application of heat is required. The eggs that are incubated are those that are already fertilized. Constant heat, usual turning, and an environment that is humid are the essential needs of an egg that also comes in with the period. Incubation takes about 21 days before the eggs are expected to hatch.

Layer feed – a feed that is complete and is made for the sake of laying hens.

Molt or molting – this is the process of feather shedding and re-growing which happens once a year. When molting season comes, laying season is suspended.

Nest box – a box, usually improvised, that is designed for hens to lay their eggs. It is a requirement that for a number amounting to 4 to 5 hens, one nesting box is needed.

Non-setter – this is a kind of chicken breed that don’t have any desire to care for their chicks, if they have one, or never wanted to incubate or hatch fertilized eggs.

Ornamental breed – a kind of chicken that is used only for ornamental purposes and nothing more. These breeds are the ones that are often seen in fairs and poultry shows. They are appreciated because of their stunning stature and appearance but not used for producing eggs and chicken meat.

Poultry show – this is a kind of show that is organized for the sake of judgment. The proudest breeds are displayed and are judged according to their standard breed. This show is organized by the APA or American Poultry Association. Not only chickens are brought to this kind of affair but also other poultries like geese, ducks, turkeys, etc.

Production breed – are the kind of breeds that are used for mass production of eggs.

Pullet – a juvenile or young hen.

Roost – the time when chickens are resting on a pole to sleep. It is also what you call the actual pole where chickens use to perch.

Rooster – male chicken.

Roosting pole – a perch that is made out of wood. It can be constructed and put inside the coop.

Rumples – a kind of chicken breed that does not have feathers on their tails.

Run – an area connected to the coop where chickens can roam around freely.

Scratch – a treat made for chickens that are composed of different kinds of grains; this is the one that is scattered on the ground. It can also be referred to as the behavior chickens make wherein they use their claws to dig up either worms, bugs, rocks, and tiny little insects that are inside the ground.

Sexing – determining the sex of a chicken.

Sex link – a type of new chicken wherein the chicken’s sex is soon indicated even before the eggs hatch. Female of the sex link kind is known for producing eggs in a massive state.

Shanks – part of the chicken’s legs which can be seen at the bottom.

Sickles – what is called to the rooster’s tail feathers.

Spur – this is the protrusion that is seen on the shank of a rooster that used for fighting.

Started pullet – a hen that has started laying eggs but is only on a juvenile stage.

Starter feed – it’s the complete feed that is formulated and made especially for baby chicks.

Vent – part of the chicken where poop, eggs and other waste matters pass. It’s like the anus of humans.

Waterer – this is the trusty partner of the feeder which delivers and holds the water supply.

Wattles – it’s similar to a chicken’s crow but instead of being on top of the head, it’s found under the neck of the chicken. It’s composition is red and has rubber-like flaps.

Wheezer – in colloquial terms, it’s what they call a chicken’s butt.

Wormer – a kind of medicine that can treat or rid animals of parasites inside their intestines like worms.

Even large urban areas like New York City are recognizing the demand as well as the advantage of having backyard chickens and are allowing residents to raise hens (not roosters) in the city. Fortunately for egg lovers, roosters are not required for eggs  – only the hen.

The City Chicken, a site that encourages “city folks to take the plunge into poultry!” lists the chicken laws for many US and Canadian cities.

Before deciding to become a chicken farmer make sure you check you local laws and ordinances to see whether they are permitted, and if so what restrictions apply.

Unfortunately sometimes that is easier said than done, as this Chicago caller soon found out!

Location, location, location!  Just like in real estate, the location of your chicken house is very important.  Choose your chicken real estate wisely, taking into account the following factors:

• Build on dry or slightly elevated ground to prevent flooding of the chicken house during heavy rains
• Face the house towards the sun to get maximum light and warmth
• Protection from the elements; if high winds are a problem select a sheltered location
• Protection from predators; locating the chicken house near the house or grazing animals can minimize the danger from predators

Size: Make sure the chicken coop is large enough to comfortably house your chickens. If you are starting with only a few chickens, are you planning on breeding or expanding your flock in the near future. Although the space requirements depend on the type and size of your chickens, as a general rule allow 4 square feet inside the coop and 10 square feet in the run per chicken. For bantam chickens you can get away with half that much space.

Predator Proof: Common chicken predators include raccoons, foxes, coyotes, rodents and aerial predators such as hawks. Your chickens need to be protected from attack on all sides. Wire mesh fencing is commonly used to keep the chickens in and predators out. Make sure when you are installing fencing to dig down at least 12″ to protect from burrowing predators. And don’t forget your cat – who is probably eying your tasty birds!

Lighting: Where possible your chicken house should face towards the sun for maximum sun and warmth. Don’t forget the windows to let the light into the chicken coop. A minimum of 14 hours of sunlight a day is recommended in order for the chickens to lay eggs.

Ventilation: For healthy chickens the coop must be well ventilated, but not drafty. Good windows which open and close will let the fresh air in and the foul (no pun intended!) smells out.

Insulation: In cold climates the chicken house will need to be well insulated. A warm chicken is a happy chicken, and a happy chicken lays more eggs! Yes it is true. Chickens lay more eggs in a warm house than a cold one. The ideal temperature in the coop is between 12C-26C (54-79F).

Feeders and Waterers: Make sure the feeders and waterers are located in the right position and height for the size of your birds. They should be easily accessible for both man and fowl. Also make sure they are not positioned under the roosts or the chickens will poop in them.

The above seven steps should get you a long way in making a plan for your chicken house. If you are looking for pre-made blueprints, Bill Keene’s “Building A Chicken Coop” has excellent plans for coops of all sizes – from small portable coops to large two storey chicken houses.

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