If you will be asked what animals are usually kept as pets, you will probably say cats, dogs, fishes, birds, rabbits and hamsters.
Some more adventurous people might say snakes or other kinds of reptiles.
Seldom will you hear people say they have chickens for pets.
But there are people who keep chickens for reasons similar to why others keep rabbits or dogs.
Chicken can give as much fun as these other animals.
Over and above this, they also give other benefits like eggs and meat to eat.
If you really want something new then you can try having a few chickens at home especially if you have a backyard where you can keep them.
Building a chicken coop for your new pet is not very difficult and it can also be a fun bonding activity for your family.
     The first step is to know some basic rules.
A comfortable chicken house needs to meet the following things.
1.
There should be a sufficient floor space for all the chickens that you will take care of.
2.
There should be proper ventilation for the chickens.
3.
The area should be dry and with proper water drainage.
4.
There should be ample protection against predators.
5.
It should be easy to clean.
The chicken coop should be big enough to allow all the chickens to roam freely without hurting each other.
There should be enough area where they can run to especially when they want to have their "own" time away from others.
Usually 2 - 3 square feet should be available for each chicken.
But it would be better if you can provide more.
In building a chicken coop you also need to consider proper ventilation.
The chickens should be protected from strong winds and cold weather because like humans, they can also get sick.
There has to be a cover to protect them against these.
However, you should not use permanent covers or solid walls because the chickens might get suffocated.
What you need is a cover that you can put up when it is cold and you can remove when it is hot.
Removing covers will also allow sunlight to seep in to keep the chickens healthy and at the same time to dry the flooring to prevent accumulation of molds and bacteria.
Another consideration is protection against possible predators.
In farms, common predators are hawks and snakes.
But in domestic settings possible predators are dogs and cats.
To prevent these animals from preying on your chickens, you have to secure all doors and windows of your chicken house.
Open top houses are not advisable because cats can still reach them.
After you have met these basic requirements you can also make your chicken house attractive.
You start by laying out the house well.
Make sure that the things that you put inside like the nesting boxes and feeders will not look crowded.
You can even veer away from the conventional rectangular shape or the box type house.
If you are not adept in drawing, there chicken house plans available on the Internet.
You can also be creative with the materials that you will use.
Though wood is the most common material used as frame, you can opt to use PVC pipes.
You can also play around with the roofing.
You can use hay for a native look or galvanized iron sheets for a contemporary appeal.