There are lots of people who are enjoying the benefits of raising chickens, like the fresh eggs, insect control in their garden as well as the free fertilizer - maybe your thinking of becoming one of them? If you are, then building a chicken coop that includes a run is probably the best option for keeping your chickens safe.

A run is just another way of saying cage or fenced in area. A well built run takes into account your local predators that you’ll be protecting your birds from. This includes cats and dogs – even if they are your own.

To insure your birds don’t end up on your local predator’s dinner menu, you’ll want to make it so they cannot dig under the fencing, squeeze through any opening or reach into the run through the fencing and if you’re an urban dweller, you’ll need to do this while making sure it looks good.

But before you put the run up you’ll want to build a coop that also protects your poultry from the elements as well as predators.

What is a chicken coop anyway except a shed given a different purpose in life? Now people who live in the country usually have the option to build a coop however they like and maybe they don’t need to be as concerned with the looks as their urban dwelling counter parts.

If you live in an urban area and you are allowed to have chickens, there is no doubt some rules you’ll have to live by in order to keep them. Such as the number of hens you are allowed to have, noise ordinances, your coops appearance and cleanliness, to name a few, are most likely on top of the list of rules.

If you’re concerned about noise ordinances then just keeping hens is a good idea because their fairly quiet and you still can get plenty of eggs without having to worry about a rooster crowing at four o’clock in the morning. Roosters don’t crow any louder than a dog barks, but the timing of it is what can become the issue.

The amount of room you have available and the local livestock and poultry ordinance is what will determine the number you can keep, so its best that you contact your local officials to guide you along with that issue. If you have room for say ten birds but your local laws only allow three then that is a good problem because you’ve got plenty of room and should have no issue with this.

The one thing you have total control over is how good you make your coop and run look which can determine whether you get any grief from your neighbors over the local blight ordinance. If I lived in town I would make it look so good that people would stop by to ask if they could see it instead of complaining it was an eyesore.

Why give anyone a single reason to make an issue of you having chickens? Having chickens in an urban area isn’t a given so it’s up to those who can to give it a good name and help educate the general public by setting a good example.

Raising chickens in town certainly has its challenges, there is no doubt there, but you won’t regret the fresh eggs or the satisfaction of raising these versatile birds and gaining a little bit of self reliance and independence from the grocery store.