There are some things you must avoid while building the hen house.
1. Not taking into account the size of the coop before construction:
Each chicken needs a minimum area of 4 square feet in order to be comfortable. This means that if you have four chickens, the area of your coop should be 16 square feet at least or your chickens to be able to roam about. Additionally, you will need to have a look at the amount of space available in your backyard as well as the space the coop will take up. If you don’t, the coop might end up looking ill-suited to the environment.
2. Inadequate precautions against predators:
Wily predators like weasels and raccoons are notorious for their skills in finding their way around raised fences to catch their prey from inside chicken coops or the run. If you plan to add a chicken run to your design then be sure to bury the wire mesh at least a foot deep into the ground in order to keep these predators out. In addition to this, cover the chicken run with some sort of netting to protect the chickens from aerial predators like owls and hawks.
3. Gaps in wiring /fencing:
This is responsible for an astounding number of poultry deaths, and most people are unable to realize this. Often, when chicken are scared of predators, they stick their heads out of such holes and gaps and seldom survive. Hence make sure that these gaps are taken care of so that similar incidents do not happen.
4. Positioning the coop in an inappropriate place:
This is another factor which is often overlooked. Before you place your chicken coop house somewhere, you need to be considerate enough to think about whether it will disturb you neighbors in anyway. Also, if it is visible to them then it should not be an eyesore. Another thing you may want to consider is if the chickens will be safe from predators or if the wind or drafts will be a problem.
5. Buying an expensive readymade coop when a much cheaper alternative is available:
You may not realize this, but even pre-built coops will need to be assembled. Hence what you are paying such an exorbitant price for is only unassembled material and plans that accompany them, and both of these can be bought separately for almost half the price.