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Chicken coops come in all shapes and sizes and are made out of many different types of materials. The type of material it's made out of generally depends on two factors: your budget and the type of predators in your area. Many people use small sheds to house their chickens. In bear country a more robust chicken coop is mandatory.
There are two parts of a chicken coop, the 'house' which keeps the chickens safe from the weather, and the 'run' which is a fenced area to allow chickens to roam. With 'free range' chickens, the chickens don't have a fenced run and are allowed to roam over a larger area such as a pasture or roam free on a large farm. Free range chickens are especially suseptible to predators.
A chicken coop must contain nest boxes for the chickens to lay eggs in. It must also have a place for the chickens to roost at night. Chickens like to climb up to the highest possible place to roost for the night. Often the owners will provide perches, usually all of them the same height to prevent chickens from fighting for the highest roost.
The coop usually has a small door and a ramp which allows the chickens to come and go as they please. It's a good idea to have a locking door so it can be sealed up for the night to keep out predators.
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