Backyard Chicken Coop Basics

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The Moshier family built their own coop out of old barn wood. They raise Bantam Rosecombs and Bantam Cochins for showing, selling of hatchlings, and eating eggs. "My rooster was my best bud and followed me wherever I went as a child," Erin Moshier, of Martinsburg, W.Va says of growing up on a family farm in Maryland. "He'd wait at the end of the driveway for the school bus.” Now that she has her own family, she wanted to share the experience of keeping chickens. The Moshier family is not alone. Many families across the country are seeking a closer connection with nature while being more self-sufficient and lowering some grocery bills. One option many of these families are turning to is a chicken coop—built in their own backyards.  The Benefits A perfect balance between pet and farm animal, chickens provide much more than just companionship. Here are some other benefits to raising chickens: Natural nitrogen-rich fertilizer for the garden Pest control eating bugs and insects Fresh eggs without the harmful effects of antibiotics in their chicken feed Teaches children responsibility Chickens are great pets The advantages aren't always tangible. "My chickens are pets," says Moshier. "I just enjoy watching them raise their chicks and contentedly peck and scratch. It's a calming feeling” she says for both her husband and her. Not surprisingly, Moshier also likes the way keeping chickens teaches her children how food arrives on their plates and how to be compassionate to other living things. "My son is so concerned if we get home late from an errand, he wants to make sure all the chickens are 'tucked in' for the night." Erin's son give his pet chicken, Bubba, a hug. Dave Zook, president of Horizon Structures, a manufacturer of chicken coops in Atglen, Pa., agrees. "It teaches my kids to be responsible," he says of his four children who clean the coop and gather eggs daily. The chickens benefit too when raised by families instead of factory farms. "Even free-range chickens aren't kept in what we call a good environment for chickens to be happy," says Rob Ludlow, co-author with Kimberly Willis of Raising Chickens for Dummies and owner of Backyardchickens.com in Pleasant Hill, Calif. Laws, Regulations and Neighbors Before buying chickens, make sure you check with your city, town or municipality in regard to ordinances about keeping chickens in your backyard. "One of the first things you need to know is the size of the structure you want on your property," says Ludlow. The general guideline is three square feet per bird inside and five to six square feet outside for them to roam." That will determine how many chickens you can comfortably own." You will need to know the size of the structure when you call your town's city hall to ask about any ordinances. "For some cities, the coop must be set back a certain number of feet from the property line and a certain amount of space from neighbors," Ludlow explains. "Rural areas have fewer regulations while suburban areas have stricter rules." Don't want the bureaucratic hassle of city hall? Jump online, as most city codes are now on the Internet. Find them at The City Chicken. Learn about chicken safety and coop building on the next page.

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