By 
The chicken coop is basically a cage where you keep your pet chickens for shelter, laying eggs, feeding, and more.
It comes in various sizes, shapes, according to the needs, etc. Most people keep the coops indoors and lay eggs; isn’t that your motive too? Or maybe you want to keep them as pets; the coop also comes in handy.
However, there is an ideal distance maintained from your house to the coop, basically for the shelter and happiness of your chicken, as unlike us, they do not have access to luxury.
Just like we go through every measurement and detail for building our house, the same goes with the coop, so in all, it is a fun activity of building a coop, especially by yourself.
It does not require heavy or costly materials to build too, just a couple of wood blocks, tools, other small requirements, and you are ready to go. Building a coop is also good for you and your kids since they will learn the art of building things from you, from the blueprint to the real deal.
Let us know more about how much distance is required for your coop to build and why the coops have two doors.
Building
The first stage that comes is building your coop on the ground level. For this, you can either have a large part of your land separated in the first place or clear out space for your gardening to your coop.
Ensure your area has enough drainage and is not prone to disasters like floods; you can even put a concrete foundation on the base to keep the coop dry. Also, keep a lot of space for foraging, as chickens tend to go out and seek their food, and a wide area will give them plenty of time to explore and catch their food.
Fencing
It is important to build your fence gates at least 18 inches in the ground; this way, there will not be any chance of the predators walking inside.
According to some people’s references, the gates of the fences should be near the house and tall enough so that you do not have to go all the way in the front to open the coop or collect the eggs.
Chicken Coop Door
One major question people ask while searching for coops is why chicken coops have two doors; one is for the entrance and the other for collecting eggs.
The first door is mainly to enter or exit. However, the second door is placed for when you must collect the eggs.
Chicken coops are not big enough for a human to fit in, so the second door helps collect the eggs and not scaring the chickens too.
The purpose of the main door is also for the chickens to exit and spend their time in the open space, which is wide enough, and from the second door, they can be entered into a secluded wide area for spending some quality time in the sun.
What Is a Safe Distance from My House to Have a Chicken Coop?
Few of these factors will help you understand why it is important to keep your coop at a distance from your house –
Safety
You do not have to keep the coop far away from your house; just keep it a couple of steps away so that if by chance you hear any predator coming by, you can hop on in action quickly.
You need to keep a close check on your chickens too, which is why building the coop at an appropriate distance is a must.
Electricity
For switching on the heat inside the coop or installing an electronic door opener, it is better to get the electricity from your house only.
For that, you will need to connect the wires to your main power source, thereby keeping it at a distance.
Convenience
You are keeping the chickens as your pets, which means you will need to feed them, give them water, and check on them at least twice a day; keeping the coop at a walking distance will not make this a tiring job.
Insects
Since chickens are attracted to small insects or flies and consider them as their food, they will feed on them once out in their secluded area, so it is recommended not to keep the cope next to your home as all the flies and insects will be gathered there.
Cleaning
Cleaning your pet’s house is as important as cleaning your own.
However, it would help if you cleaned the coop once every year by using a hose, and the reason you should not keep the coop next to your house is not to throw any waste from the coop in your house.
Conclusion
Building a chicken coop is a fun activity, especially if you are using a DIY technique; however, before starting to work on it, make sure to go through all the measurements, distance and take precautions.
Once your chickens are inside, you cannot move the coop here or there as it will disturb their lifestyle and make them anxious.
It is better to fix everything beforehand to prevent any mishappenings, and neither you nor your chickens will be disturbed for a lifetime.
Comments