One of the most critical aspects of building a chicken coop is to build the enclosure properly. If you're not taking action steps to protect your poultry house from predators, there will come a time when one may just wipe out your entire coop. If you're thinking about building a chicken coop it's essential you build it properly. If you don't you may wake up one morning to a pile of feathers! Foxes,cats and other predators like chicken just as much as we do and if you allow them easy access to your chickens by building a poorly secured and built chicken coop you are asking for trouble. Some factors you need to keep in mind are: Build your chicken coop high enough off the floor to ensure none of the larger predetors can get in. If your fence is to short guess what? Yup your chickens are history. Use the best possible materials you can afford as again a weak hen house isn't going to protect your chickens very well. Don't forget some animals will burrow underneath your chicken enclosure so as with a house your foundations are important. Make sure to use a good strong door on your chicken house. There is no point in building a fortress and then leaving the front gate open! Keeping chickens can be a lot of fun and there is nothing like eating freshly laid eggs from your own chickens but a great deal of thought needs to go into keeping them safe and happy. After all happy hens will lay more eggs!