Thinking of raising chickens in your back yard for fresh eggs or meat? You will want to be sure your hens have a good house to nest in. Happy chickens are healthy chickens. So where do you start?

If you are not handy with tools, you may be considering purchasing a home for your flock. When choosing a coop, you need to decide how many chickens will be nesting in it. 2? 4? Or maybe 10? The number of residents has a big impact on how big their house should be just like us humans.

Now that you have decided how big your fowl's abode will be, what design do you like? There are many designs and styles to choose from. If you reside in an urban environment, you may want to choose a home that will blend with the surroundings. If you reside in the country or more rural areas you may want to go with a traditional big red barn or maybe a larger size home with a run attached so your chickens can free range.

When researching chicken coops, we have found the best built designs are Amish crafted. The Amish are very well known for their hardworking ethic and meticulous attention to detail. Imagine how gorgeous a chicken house crafted for your backyard by the Amish will be!

Where to put your new residents? When selecting where to put your hen house, make sure to place on a flat, dry area. A little slope is good because the rain will run off but you don't want to place it in an area where the water runs too because that will cause a sloppy mess for your feathered friends.

It's also important to avoid wooded areas because predators have a tendency to follow the tree line and keep to the shadows where they will be least suspected. Locking your chicken coop up at night will also add another layer of protection. Also, do you live where it snows? How far do you want to walk to feed your backyard flock in the winter time? Place your henhouse in a close enough place to easily feed but far enough away to not disturb you in your home. Keep in mind that a well maintained chicken coop will not overwhelm you with odors. Consider putting your coop on poles to allow air to flow beneath. This will help also keep the area odor free.

If you still have questions about the best type of chicken house or where to place it, just ask one of our sales guys at Waterloo Structures

http://www.waterloostructures.net/chicken-coops/index.php