how to speed up the composting process

Composting is a fantastic way to turn organic waste into excellent garden fertilizer, how to speed up the composting process
Simply collect kitchen wastes, such as carrot peelings and cabbage cores, and compost them.
Composting is often done outside, however worm composting can be done indoors or outside.
You must accelerate the composting process if you want to use the final compost to fertilize your plants as soon as possible. Here are seven strategies to accelerate decomposition and fertilizer production.

Worms for Composting

Outside, in a compost bin or compost pile, cold composting is commonly done. To break down plant waste and food leftovers, the system mostly relies on microbes. It can take anything from six months to a year for cold composting to create useful compost.
Composting worms are used in vermicomposting to quickly break down plant materials and food scraps. In just a few months, you can have finished compost.
When the two procedures are combined, finished compost can be produced far faster than cold composting alone. You also receive the added benefit of nutrient-dense worm castings. Learn more about the advantages of worm castings.
Moisture Retention
Water is required by the bacteria in your compost container, but not in excess.
Like a wrung-out sponge, your compost should be wet.
Sprinkle a little water into your compost if it becomes too dry.
Add dry material, such as fall leaves, if it becomes too wet (or, if you have composting worms, more bedding).
Flow of Air
When the composting bin contains enough oxygen for aerobic bacteria or microbes that need oxygen, the composting process works optimally.
When there isn’t enough oxygen, anaerobic microorganisms (non-oxygen-using bacteria) take over, but the decomposition process slows.
Furthermore, under anaerobic conditions, the compost begins to stink.
The oxygen required for fast decomposition is provided by using a bin with sufficient airflow or stirring your compost on a regular basis.
Tumbler composters make it simple to get enough air to all parts of your compost pile.
Warmth During the Winter
You can keep your compost bin outside throughout the winter, but nothing will happen.
Consider the plant matter in your composter to be sustenance for your home. Food kept in the freezer can last for months.
Food can be kept in the refrigerator for days or weeks. Food left out on the table or in a compost pail, on the other hand, will rot rapidly and begin to degrade. We want the plant material to decompose in compost.
When the outside air temperature is warmer, the breakdown process will accelerate. In the winter, learn how to compost with worms.
Composting is accelerated by using chopped plant material.
If you put whole leaves in your compost bin in the fall, you’ll have whole leaves in the spring.
You can get beautiful compost in time for spring planting if you cut up those leaves before placing them in your bin in the fall.
Run a lawnmower over the leaves or use a leaf shredder to break them up.
Allow the leaves to dry before stepping on them—it’s a lot of fun for the youngsters!
Fill up your trash can
A larger amount of stuff decomposes more quickly than a little amount. If you’re composting using worms, though, be careful not to overfeed them.
Speed Compost Processing Time to Balance Carbon and Nitrogen
Your composting bin’s processing time will be sped up if you balance your high-carbon components with high-nitrogen materials. Most of the substances listed below are not recommended for worm composting.
Dried leaves, straw, and wood chips are examples of high-carbon materials that are brown and dry. Green materials, such as grass clippings, or colored materials, such as fruit and vegetable peels, are high in nitrogen. Manure from horses and cows, however, is an exception to this rule. Manure is brown, yet it contains a lot of nitrogen.
Composting is most efficient when the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is around 20:1. That means you’ll need around 20 times as many dried leaves as fruit peels (by volume).
Based on dry weight, a figure from Cornell Waste Management Institute displays some carbon-to-nitrogen ratios for common materials. The materials with a small first number are high-nitrogen, while those with a large first number are high-carbon. (Please note that the content of some of these documents varies.)
Here are the carbon-to-nitrogen ratios for some typical materials:
Poultry manure, from 3:1 to 15:1
Cow manure, 20:1
Horse manure, from 20:1 to 50:1
Food waste, about 15:1
Fresh grass clippings, 15:1
Sun-dried grass clippings, 20:1
Oak leaves, 40:1 to 80:1
Straw, 50:1 to 150:1
Sawdust, 200:1 to 750:1
Newsprint, 400:1 to 850:1
Corrugated cardboard, about 560:1
In conclusion, accelerating the composting process
The composting process will go faster or slower depending on quite a few factors. Temperature, the amount of material you are trying to compost, the ratio of brown to green matter, and the size of the material all make a difference. Adding nature’s helpers, composting worms, can dramatically reduce processing time.
Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm is the nation’s leading supplier of composting worms, especially Red Worms.
Composting information, live worms, and composting bins may all be found on their website.

Worm Farming: What, Why, and How

Worm Farming: What, Why, and How

The word “worm farming” may make it seem like a bigger job than it is. Benefits far outweigh the perceived inconveniences or difficulties of worm farming by a huge amount. Worms may be slimy and wriggly, but they do a lot of good for our environment. In nature, they break up the soil and help it grow.
Most farmers use chemicals to make their plants grow bigger. These chemicals kill off worms. This is a trick many farmers don’t know. They kill the animals that could help their plants grow bigger without using a lot of sprays and chemicals. Composting is a very easy way to make sure these important animals have a healthy and safe place to live.
This is a simple and small way to start worm farming. You just need to make a “worm jar.” A local organic grocery store should have some foam boxes that you can buy. Make a few holes in the bottom to let liquid drain, and put the first box on top of a second foam box. As soon as you have your box ready, you can add the “bedding.” It can be made from leaves, cardboard, or even newspaper. Bed sheets should only be about the thickness of your hand. Take the bedding out of its bag and soak it in water. Then put it in the foam box.
Another great way to make a worm jar that works well is to put something stable in the bottom box. This makes a safe island for the worms to climb up on if they fall through the top level box holes. You don’t even have to help the worms get back up into the top box!
As soon as you build your box and put down the bedding, you can add some worms! If you have worm farms, Redworms and Tigerworms are good things to have, as well.
we highly recommend that you buy your worms from uncle jims worm farm
 and yes they offer everything you can possibly need to start your worm farm and feed your chickens today!!
To start, you should put the worms in. Then, you can start adding your kitchen waste to the box.
It’s important to do it slowly and in small amounts.
Worms can be picky eaters.
  1. This means that they won’t eat anything that’s made with meat bones or dairy.
  2. They won’t eat uncooked potatoes, oranges, garlic, or onions.
  3. They will, however, eat cooked potatoes and cooked onions.
  4. As for apple cores and banana peels, they’ll eat them.
Then, cover the box with newspaper. When your worms are in place and you have added their first batch of waste, do this. When the box is dry, add water to it. It should be like a damp sponge. Place the box in a place that isn’t too hot or too cold. You can put it in your garden or garage.
I think the best thing about worm farming is the castings that you can get after a while.
The box can be moved to one side, and then new bedding can be added to the other half.
You can wait for a while.
New bedding will be put down, and the worms will move to that, leaving the old bedding behind!
It is very easy to get those castings and put them on your house plants, gardening, lawn, and trees!

feeding red worms to chicken

feeding red worms to chicken

I know there are a lot of chicken lovers out there, and I’m sure some of them are wondering the same thing: Is it OK to give red worms to chickens?
Yes, feeding Red Worms (or mealworms, but that’s an other issue) to hens is a fantastic idea.
Red Wiggler worms are not only excellent composting worms but they may also be fed to animals as a high-protein, nutrient-dense meal (i.e., chicken feed).
Now, if you’re considering cultivating your own worms for the sake of convenience, go ahead. Just keep in mind that there is a drawback: it takes a long time and a lot of effort for this self-sustaining food supply to increase quickly enough to meet the demands of your hungry animals.
Even with the time and effort put into the worm farm, you will find it to be a very cost-effective investment in the long run.
You’ll be making fewer trips to the feed store, which will save you money as well as give you more time to spend with your prized chickens! So, if you’re raising hens, consider starting a worm farm as well.
If you want to start feeding worms to your backyard hens right away, you may get them from bait stores, local dealers, and, of course, from uncle jims worm farm
You might also check with your local poultry feed distributors to see if they have worms for a number of uses.
You can check them up in a directory or find them on the internet.

Worms can be harvested and used in a variety of ways, including:

If you have a worm bin at home, only take a few handfuls of the active top layer of the bedding.
Because these worms live in the top 3 inches of biodegradable material, you should be able to obtain a lot of them this way (your worm bin or compost pile).
If you don’t see any worms with these handfuls, try grabbing a few more from the bin’s center. Make sure to distribute the handfuls throughout the chicken house so that the hens can begin eating right away and the worms don’t get away or get eaten by other animals.
When collecting castings, you can harvest worms at the same time. This serves two purposes: feeding your chickens and using the castings as organic fertilizer for your plants! You can separate the two by using the dump and sort approach or by keeping a piece under light and brushing off the dirt on top on a regular basis.
You can also dry the worms and grind them to mix into their food.
Just keep in mind that drying any food source depletes nutrition and hens like ‘hunting’ their prey.
Drying them can be done in a variety of ways:
Put the red worms in front of a light bulb.
Put them in a dehumidifier or a convection oven.
Set them out in the sun.
After they’ve dried, simply grind them in whatever manner you like (e.g., food processor, mortar and pestle, a hammer, whatever).
Whether you raise your own or buy them, whether you give them fresh and writhing or dry and powdery, worms are a great way to keep your chickens healthy!
Red Worms include all of the nutrients that most livestock and pets require.

red wiggler worms for worm composting

red wiggler worms for worm composting

 

Red wiggler worms are the best earthworm species for worm composting (also known as vermicomposting).
Worm composting is superior to traditional organic composting because the worms utilized in this procedure are able to produce more.
Its by-products are nutrient-dense, and it’s a simple and environmentally responsible approach to recycling organic waste.
You can compost with these interesting red worms indoors or outdoors in either case (paves the way for a year-round of composting).
Red Wiggler worms, like every other living thing, are looking for a pleasant spot to call home.
You should be able to prepare their bedding before placing your compost friends in your composting bin.
Worm bedding is often a pile of organic items in which the worms can live and thrive. As a result, begin by acquiring resources and then combining them.
These organic materials can include dried leaves, pre-soaked and shredded newspaper or cardboard, shredded straw, dried grass clippings, and days-old animal manure (do not use pet manure for this).

The stuff within the bin will also be eaten by your worms.

So, in addition to fruit and vegetable peels, broken eggshells, and coffee grounds, you can add a few more organic wastes. Add two handfuls of soil or sand as well.
These items will supply the worms with the grit they require to digest their food properly.
Remember that red wrigglers have no teeth, so you can only imagine how they eat.
Consider the size of the organic items you’ll be putting in the worm bin, as breaking them down into smaller bits will be very beneficial to them (so that they may eat these materials with ease).
Your worm companions also prefer moist and dark environments, so placing them in these settings will benefit them greatly. Given that their bodies are made up of 75 to 90% water, they would be able to flourish under these conditions.
To help them breathe better, their bodies should always be kept moist.
You should be able to cover the worm composting bin with a lid that has a tight-lock feature to keep them away from all the bright lights while also keeping the moisture inside.
Red Wigglers (also known as Eisenia foetida, tiger worms, or manure worms) can multiply quickly.
The more worms you have in your bin, the faster you’ll obtain worm compost.
If these worms are given adequate food and enough area to roam around and breed, they are more likely to reproduce.
So, if you give them the correct quantity of food and care, they’ll be able to generate a high-quality, odorless natural fertilizer for you (also known as worm compost or worm castings).
This natural fertilizer can be used instead of chemical fertilizers. It is cost-effective and will undoubtedly assist you in saving money.
Worm composting is a fantastic technique to get rid of organic scraps, especially those that build in the kitchen on a regular basis. It also provides a nutritious feeding source for your red wiggler worms.
Vermicomposting with red wrigglers can truly provide a lot of benefits.
for everything related to vermicomposting please check uncle jim worm farm here

How to Make a Great DIY Chicken Coop For Your Kids

If you are considering building a chicken coop but don’t really know where to start, then look no further than this list of the best chicken coop and tractors for your needs. These are all free DIY models from various online resources. They are easy enough for even a beginner to build with the right plans. You can save a bunch of money if you decide to purchase a ready-made coop for your chickens, but you may not be satisfied with the final result and it may take weeks or months to complete depending on the size and complexity of the project.

If you don’t know where to start, a chicken coop and tractor are ideal. But, which one? There are so many, I couldn’t possibly write them all down. This is a simple guide to help you decide which of the chicken coop and tractor plans are best for your needs. You will need to spend some time looking around, checking the reviews, and doing some research to find the best plans that fit your needs and budget.

One of the best chicken coops in plans is a portable design chicken coop diy. It uses wood blocks as the main framing component. This portable design makes it very easy to assemble without having to worry about any twisting, bending, or bracing. Plus, the use of woodblocks makes it much easier to provide ventilation, heating and lighting to your chickens in an easily moved and assembled design.

Another chicken coop plan is the built-in design chicken coop. These chicken coops often use a sloping roof that allows for the build-up of matted hair, feathers, and droppings. These clippings can sometimes become a veritable mess! With the built-in design chicken coop DIY, you can eliminate the need for using netting and thus cut down on the mess!

The built-in coop for DIY poultry owners also provides a way to ventilate the area. It has vents located both inside and outside of the coop that allows fresh air to get to the chickens and fresh air to enter the coop. This will eliminate the need for you to open the windows and doors frequently during the day. A lower floor will protect the chickens from the bottom floors of buildings. Predators will not be attracted to the chickens because they cannot climb or move their way into the chicken coop. These predators include foxes, raccoons, weasels, coyotes, bobcats, and cats.

You should also consider having a mobile chicken coop. This is similar to the built-in coop, but it has legs on four feet so it can be moved from one location to another. This will give your chickens a place to go if they become disoriented. You can move it from one side of your property to the other in the event that you want to give them a new place to live. However, you need to make sure that the legs are attached to four feet, so it cannot fall down and injure your chickens.

Many people have questions about the building of chicken coops, such as questions about using nails and whether they should use tongue-and-groove clapping or grooved trim. Nails and studs are fine for standard chicken coops, as long as you use those that have been treated with preventative materials to keep them from becoming hazardous. Fence posts and trimmers with rounded ends are nice, too, because sharp edges can hurt your chickens.

Grooved trim, however, should not be used. Some people who try to install it without grooves make the mistake of cutting corners and buying a less expensive chicken coop plan. They are still not sure whether it will hold up to severe weather. When installing the roof, you also need to make sure it is treated with a water-resistant coating. It should also be able to withstand being run over by at least two vehicles without getting damaged.

 

3 Important Considerations How to Build Chicken Coop

There are many reasons why people think about how to build chicken coops. This is mainly because of the fact that chickens require shelter and protection. They need a place to sleep and roost. You may think of building the coop yourself since you have all the necessary skills in building things. However, not everyone has the skills in carpentry. If you are one of those who do not know how to build a chicken coop, here are some great tips for you.

When learning how to build a chicken coop, it is important for you to consider the space that you have. Make sure that you do not take the space that is available for granted. Take note that whatever you build must have adequate enough ventilation and light. If the coop does not allow these necessities, it might only cause diseases inside the coop. The only way for you to know the right amount of space that your coop must have is to consult a realtor who knows more about the matter.

You have to consider the materials that will be used in building the coop. This is the first tip on how to build a chicken coop. If you cannot find the materials that you need, you can always buy them from the lumberyard or hardware store. Wood is the best material that you can use. It is sturdy and durable.

Once you have decided on the materials that you will be using, it is time for you to decide the size of the coop that you would like to build. The size depends on how much chicken you would like to keep. Once again, make sure that the coop is large enough for all the chickens that you intend to keep. The coop should also be able to house the eggs that the chickens lay.

After determining the size of the coop that you wish to build, the next question on how to build chicken coop is on how you are going to finance the construction. If you do not have enough financial resources, you can always ask for help from your family and friends. Ask them if they can lend you some money. Or, if there is no one around, you can always try to borrow money from a family member or a friend.

You can also opt to use steel pipes for the walls of your coop. It is durable and will not easily break. Just remember that the coop must be placed on a strong foundation. If your coop collapses, you risk the safety of your chickens. That is why you have to make sure that your coop is firmly attached to the ground. It is also essential that you have enough ventilation and a door for easy entry and exit.

The third question on how to build a chicken coop is about the material that you are going to use. You can either use wood or concrete. Wood will prove to be the most expensive and the risk of pests and rotting is higher. Meanwhile, concrete will be more durable and easier to maintain. If your budget permits it, you can even use metal for your coop. However, it is important that you have a concrete floor.

Lastly, you have to consider the number of chickens that you are planning to keep. A big coop is obviously more expensive than a small one. Also, a big coop will allow you to feed a bigger number of chickens. Again, these considerations should be given importance in order for you to know how to build chicken coops correctly. It will allow you to enjoy the fresh eggs that you have personally made for your family daily.

 

How to Build a Backyard Chicken Coop – Simple Steps

One thing that is very important when it comes to raising chickens is chicken coop design.

If you have the right type of coop with all the proper specifications then your chickens will be safe and comfortable. Chickens are susceptible to extreme weather conditions so having a high-quality structure that can withstand these changes is a must. There are many different designs that you can find for your chickens and this can sometimes make it difficult for you. Here are some tips on how to find the right design that will keep your chickens safe.

The first thing that you should do is measure the area that you have in mind before you start searching for a design or blueprint. The easiest way to find chicken coops is to look at what other farmers are using. If you look at other farmers’ designs, you can get an idea of what you would like your own to look like. You can also look at pictures that you have taken of houses that are similar to your own to get a good idea of what you want. Take note of the square footage, height, and overall design.

When it comes to the actual coop itself, there are a number of things that you need to consider including the flooring, the perches, lighting, and the venting system. If you have the luxury of time, you can sit down and draw up a plan of your coop and mark in the perches, lighting, and vents. Keep in mind that your chickens will need to have fresh perches and feeding areas on a regular basis, and these should be placed near the roosting perches in the chicken coop.

When it comes to the flooring of your chicken coop, there are two main options – the wood floor or the concrete floor. Both of these provide your chickens with an easy way to scratch and exercise. Since the concrete floor is harder than wood, the floors will need to be repaired from time to time. A lot of people choose to use wood because it keeps their hens off of concrete and allows them to jump up into the nesting boxes.

Another major consideration when building your flock house is ventilation. You cannot keep the chickens in an enclosed space like a small pen for all of your chickens. Ventilation is critical for the health of your chickens, so make sure that you build your coop in a way that allows fresh air to flow through the building. If your flock has a roosting area in which to sleep, then you also need to provide adequate ventilation. If you are building your chicken coop on the ground, consider using a screen door to allow air to flow through.

If your flock is restricted to a small amount of space, then you may be able to get away with constructing your poultry house without any outside areas at all. There are many plans available that provide free plans for constructing a simple chicken coop that only requires four feet of ground to be usable. There are also plans available that allow you to construct a larger coop for your fowl flock. Keep in mind that even the smallest of poultry houses will need to be sealed off from wind and water in order to prevent illness.

As a precaution, make sure that you choose a location that is not easily accessible by predators. There are many birds that enjoy roosting in birdhouses, and even if you do not have any predators, your chickens could be in danger if they are left out in the open without protection. Your chicken coop should be constructed in such a way that no natural predators can get inside. Consider the area where you intend to build your coop and search for a place that does not offer access by natural means.

After the construction of your chicken coop, you must protect it from bad weather. If you live in a warm climate with lots of sunshine, then you should not need a protective cover. However, if you live in a cold or rainy climate, then a good covering would be a net over the nesting boxes. If you decide to use nesting boxes instead of netting, be sure that you cover them properly to ensure that your chickens are not affected by the cold or rain. Chickens cannot survive very long in these conditions.

 

Three Steps to Building the Perfect Backyard Chicken Coop

In the past, I have written about the benefits of chicken coop designs that are fun and easy to build.

This article is about one of the many challenges that a new chicken owner will face – deciding what style and design to build their own chicken coop. I will briefly highlight some of the options open to you here.

First of all, you need to consider predators.

You must design your chicken coop with predator protection in mind. For example, most coops will be built with a roof for protection from hawks or cats, but this is not always enough. It was once a major feat for two women to wrestle a ten-meter-long python that they eventually caught in a chicken coop at Kampung Jelutong, just outside Padang Terap, in the early hours of the morning. Luckily they were not injured and the python escaped.

If your hens are susceptible to attack by predators then ventilation is an important consideration.

Ventilation is particularly important if your flock is prone to heat and illness.

Chickens don’t like much ventilation and a well-designed ventilation system will help to keep the flock comfortable and disease-free.

There are several designs available for a good ventilation system, including chicken house shapes with vents running vertically through the sides and bottom of the building.

Ventilation is also important from the point of view of maintaining good egg production.

Egg production can be maximized if you have a large enough flock.

A well-designed chicken coop will allow plenty of air and light to get to the eggs, as well as prevent predators from getting to the flock.

You will also need to consider your local climate when choosing your backyard chickens’ shelter.

Will your climate be very cold, very warm, or somewhere in between?

You need to choose a chicken coop design that will allow your flock to remain comfortable and prevent them from being harmed by too much cold or too much heat.

Ventilation holes should allow lots of fresh air to get to the eggs during winter and summer but should be covered when it is too hot.

The size of your chicken coop depends greatly on the number of chickens you want to keep.

However, it’s equally important that your chicken coop is big enough for all of your chickens to live comfortably.

It’s no good having cramped conditions for your chickens if you expect them to lay healthy and quality eggs.

If you only have two chickens then you could probably go with a smaller coop so that you can still provide them with enough room to move about without feeling cramped.

The final consideration for your backyard chicken coop is the nesting boxes.

Chickens require their own nesting boxes in order to have a place to lay their eggs, so it’s a good idea to purchase nesting boxes that are large enough for your hens and have several small holes spaced closely together.

You could use plastic nesting boxes but make sure they are completely clean before you start providing your chickens with fresh air and light.

When building your backyard chicken coop, there are three major things to consider:

  • ventilation,
  • nesting boxes,
  • and hen house plans.

Ventilation is the most important element as poor ventilation means that your chickens won’t be able to stay healthy.

Your backyard flock will need plenty of fresh air and light to grow properly, so it’s a good idea to build your hen house plan with ventilation included.

If you take the time to do your research and build your backyard flock coop correctly, you can have an extremely successful poultry operation.

 

Building your Chicken Coop

Building a chicken coop is a very ambitious project, but also very rewarding.

Raising chickens is a tradition in many countries, with young boys taking the task of constructing the coops at summer camps.

Raising chickens is really very simple, the only hard part of it is protecting them from bad weather or predators.

This coop gives chickens a nice elaborate house for laying and roosting since hens can usually lay up to one egg a day.

it will also provide a very comfortable abode for hens which only needs to build only five sections to be satisfactory.

If you’re serious about this, you need to make sure that the plans you get are really good. Make sure they are not just following another set of instructions that someone found on the internet, and make sure they give clear instructions on what to do.

You don’t want to find yourself lost after you’ve paid good money for your chicken coop plans.

Also, chickens like to scratch and peck, so make sure that your guide includes a way to protect them from predators.

Cats, hawks, and dogs, for example, will often attack your birds if they are left outside unprotected.

Make sure that your guide provides a way to lock the door to keep unwanted visitors out.

There are several ways to build a chicken coop.

The simplest are free-standing coops, which save space.

You can also choose to have a portable coop, which is more compact and takes up less room.

You can also go the more expensive route and get yourself a custom chicken coop plan and get the design you want. There is also a DIY chicken coop plan with a pre-fabricated chicken coop, which is nice if you’re trying to save some money.

In addition to nesting boxes and roosts, you will also need to provide shelter for your chickens.

A window coop is one option, as well as a small building that is walled or shaded.

This way you will be able to keep out the elements, like rain and snow, without affecting the chickens.

As an alternative to using a small building, you could look into a large warehouse-style coop.

You could even get a mobile chicken coop that allows you to move your chickens from place to place when necessary.

Another important consideration is how you will provide water

A good way to provide drinking water is with waterers.

You can buy small plastic containers that will fit waterers easily. You can build waters out of PVC pipe, which allows it to withstand the elements like rain, sleet, snow, hail and heat, while still providing water for your chickens.

If you have a large flock, you may have a difficult time raising your own chicken coop, because it will take up too much space. This is why most people will opt for buying coops from a company.

However, there are coop kits available that allow you to raise the number of chickens you want, and still, have plenty of room in your backyard.

There are even chicken coop kits available that are designed specifically for those who have limited space.

You need to think carefully about the roosts you choose.

While some people will choose standard wire mesh, others will opt for metal roosts.

These roosts will be much stronger and will last longer.

A chicken coop with metal roosts will make it much easier for the birds to keep their heads and bodies above the ground.

This will help the birds easily beat the winter blues.

If you do not have enough nesting boxes and roosts, you may consider building multiple roosts.

Chicken breeders recommend three roosts, each seating ten to twelve chickens.

The nesting boxes should be placed at least five feet away from the roosts so that predators like foxes and raccoons cannot harm the chickens.

 

 

Chicken Coop Plans – 3 Factors to Consider When Choosing Chicken Coop Plans

Chicken Coop Plans – 3 Factors to Consider When Choosing Chicken Coop Plans

For many people wanting to raise chickens, chicken coop plans are one of the first things that they need. But not just any chicken coop plans can do. Before choosing a plan you need to look for certain features in it that will ensure maximum comfort and safety to your hens.

The first thing that you should check on is if the plans offer easy step-by-step instructions to follow. This way you can save a lot of time.

The next thing that you need to check is the difficulty of the project. If you are just starting with this hobby, you should go with a simple design, and then once you get an experience you can upgrade to more difficult designs.

The reason for this is that novices are usually very clumsy and inaccurate while building things.

So beginners should stick to designs that are very easy to follow so they can easily learn how to do something.

The next feature that you should look at is the actual size of the coops.

You need to estimate the total number of chickens you intend to keep. This is to give you a clear idea about how big your house has to be. For those who are having no problem estimating their dimensions, you can also use graph paper to determine the dimensions.

Once you have these two basic measurements, you can start working on your coops.

You can either use a measuring tape or simply tape the tape to the floor of your backyard.

For those who want a more professional look, you can measure the dimension using tape and draw the lines. This is necessary especially when you want to build your chicken house in a smaller space because if you take the measurements while you’re measuring the dimension you’ll have a precise dimension that you can easily work with.

Now you can start working on your plans. If you’re using measuring tape, you can just follow the tape traces around your backyard until you reach the ideal size.

However, if your plan includes cutting the woods and then using the dimensions to make the coop, you have to make allowance for the spaces between the boards.

But if your plan uses straight lines, you don’t have to account for these spaces.

Therefore, this method is not ideal when you’re working on your plans for a larger coop with more chickens.

However, if your plan uses an ideal capacity calculation, you should calculate the number of chickens you’re planning to raise so you can get the right size for your coop. If you choose to use a tape measure, you will need to take the square footage of your backyard and then multiply it by the ideal capacity of chickens to get your desired number of chickens.

Then, you can multiply this by your square footage in inches, which gives you the number of square feet in your backyard that you can accommodate per chicken.

You also need to determine the location of your nesting box.

In this case, you can consider setting your nesting box near the entrance of your backyard. If your hens can see the chicken run, they will be able to get to feed easily and they’ll be safe from predators like snakes. Of course, the exact location will depend on the breed of your chickens, the climate of your area, and other such factors.

The last thing to consider is the complexity of the task.

Determine how big your chicken run must be, the number of materials needed, and the distance between your nesting box and your house. All these factors will determine the difficulty of your project. Simple projects will require smaller dimensions and easy construction while complex projects will require bigger dimensions and more materials. A simple project may need only a few nails, few screws, and a little woodworking skill to complete, while a complex one may need many nuts and bolts and a lot of woodworking skills.