If you’re like a lot of people, you’ve been thinking about keeping a few chickens at home. After all, they’re great pets, inexpensive to keep, and come with the bonus of providing eggs. But where will your chickens live? Appropriate poultry housing will have a lot to do with how healthy and friendly your chickens are, how well they lay, and how easy they are to take care of. Here’s a look at some of the options, from the chicken ark to the old fashioned backyard coop.

The circumstances you’re in and the number and type of chickens you want to keep will have a big effect on your poultry housing choices. A small, commercially produced chicken house, such as the eglu, is okay for a few bantam birds, but not the best or most economical choice for multiple chickens. The first decision you have to make is how many chickens you want to keep and which breed you’re interested in having.

Commercial guidelines aren’t too helpful as to how much space you’ll need to provide. After all, UK regulations state that you should have no more than nine hens per square meter – barely enough space to stand in. That won’t keep your hens healthy and friendly. This is why you need to take the time to find out how active the breed you’re interest in keeping usually is, and think about how much space you have available. Most backyard chicken farmers are keeping few hens – anywhere from two to a dozen.

If you choose manufactured poultry housing, you can just follow the guidelines on the packaging to tell you how many birds to keep in it. If you’ll be building your own chicken ark or stationary coop, you’ll need to use your own best judgment. Bantam breeds can get by with less space than full size breeds, and unusual chickens like the Jersey Giant may need a lot of space.

It’s possible to convert existing buildings into chicken housing, as long as you clean and disinfect the space, and do your renovations with a good idea of what chickens need. Floors have to be easy to clean, the structure has to be proof against the weather, and there has to be enough ventilation to avoid ammonia buildup. It’s also a good idea for a chicken house to have windows, as more sunlight encourages more laying.

Chicken arks are a great choice if you’ll be keeping a handful of chickens, since they’re easy to move around, effectively free range and simple to build on your own. They’re also relatively inexpensive to construct. These poultry housing options allow you to keep your birds close to the house, and to give them access to fresh grass. Since the bottom is open, there’s less coop cleaning to be done. They aren’t suitable for a large flock unless you have several, but can be an excellent choice for the average backyard chicken owner.

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