Chicken Coop Building Plans

  

Chicken are vital livestock as good sources of protein. Their rearing is important too as they provide important lessons.

You can decide to rear your chicken in a free range system or in a confined system. In free range, you leave them to wander unreserved ly and only access their plac e in the evenings. In a confined system, you only let the chicken out of their shelter momentari ly everyday into the enclosed run ( outside area ).

To practise a confined or a free range system depends on the supply of space, predators and your local authority regulation s.

so as to have a successful chicken-rearing program me, you ought to have a n acceptabl e place to rear them. The rearing facility should act as a shelter and a place for them to lay eggs.

This guide gives you the information you need and the direction you want to take while construct ing a chicken house. Do n’t stick to the guide while creat ing ; make changes to fit your environment.

A good chicken house should have the following characteristic s :

* sufficient space for each chicken. Ideally, 4.5 sq. Ft. Of space per chicken should do.

* A good chicken house should have a storage area for storing the equipments employed in the chicken house.

* adequate light and ventilation.

* The chicken house should be spacious enough for straightforward cleaning.

* If you wi ll have the feeder system within the chicken house, make sure that there i s enough space.

* Provide at least 3 nests to be shared between eight chicken.

* Deep litter of about 3” of woodcarvings.

You can get full materials list on line. However ,the list above is pretty complete.

One of the most significant things you want to get started is a chicken coop plan. There are many places online offering  chicken house plans and step by step manuals regarding how to build a chicken coop yourself inexpensive ly and fast.

These manuals are so easy to follow and understand that there is n’t any need ot have any experience in building and even an absolujte beginner will be able to build a beautiful  chicken coop.

So now that you have decided to start your own urban farm a buy a few chickens for both fresh eggs and maybe a fresh chicken from time to time you have to give them a place to live. Like all farm animals chickens need a place to sleep at night and to get out of the weather. Most likely the first thing you do is to start looking at chicken coops for sale, at this point you are going to have to decide whether it is better to buy a new one or build your own.

There are advantages to both sides of the picture and depending on your skills the choice may be difficult to make. If you are interested in new chicken coops for sale you should shop around to see what is available in several different stores and compare features and prices. You might also want to look around and see if anyone in your local area builds them to order.

The biggest advantage to buying a new chicken coop is that it will be delivered to your home and place on site by the company you have purchased it from. Once it is in place all you will need to do is finish attaching it to your chicken yard or run and add your chickens. Most new chicken coops for sale come complete with built in nesting boxes, feed and water trays. They also come with a warranty against defects in case something happens, this way if your coop breaks someone will come out and repair it for you.

On the other hand if you do not like what you see in the chicken coops for sale in your area you can build your own and have exactly what you want in your chicken coop. One good reason to build your own is that you can save a lot of money; however you must have at least basic woodworking skills and be able to follow a set of plans in order to do it yourself. If you decide to go this route then keep in mind that you need to make your coop large enough to accommodate the number of chickens you plan to keep and make it weather proof.

You can build your own coop from wood and shingles for cheaper that most chicken coops for sale and in most cases end up with a much better product as long as you are handy with a few basic hand tools and a paint brush. In the end the choice is yours to make, if you do not want to hassle with building one you can buy a ready to go hen house. For those who like to work with their hands and save a little money you can build one for yourself quite easily.

Buying a Chicken Coop can be quite costly, and you can easily build one for a quarter of the cost of buying…plus you have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself.

  

Now that you’ve decided that you want to learn how to build a chicken coop, here are some things that you will want to think about.

First we’ll explore the crucial first step, the size. If you fail to build the chicken coop to accommodate the number of chickens you buy, you will be asking for trouble. The next decision will be the style, and this is something that you will have to decide for yourself. But there are different options for different needs, and there is one that will fit your needs.

Depending on where you live, you will need to think about your birds’ protection. Not all chicken coops are built to last, and failing to look at the level protection you need will be asking for trouble.

The final step that we will cover is how your chicken coop looks. This could be both a positive or a negative point, so it is something you won’t want to neglect.

Building Your Chicken Coop To Scale

Can you tell me how much room a chicken needs to be comfortable in its house? That’s what I thought. You see, many new chicken owners tend to neglect or overlook the fact that each chicken needs at least 3 sq. ft. of space to stay happy.

If you try and cram too many chickens into too a small space, you will only succeed in creating discord in the chicken coop. And this is something that you will want to avoid for the health of your chickens.

Just like you, space is something a chicken doesn’t want to have to fight over. If the chickens begin to bicker and compete for space, the egg production will drop. And your hopes of a nice fresh omelet every morning will go up in smoke.

So make sure that you provide your chickens with enough living space, and remember, having too much space is always better than having too little. In the even that you have too much space, you can always add another hen or two.

How To Build A Chicken To Suit Your Needs

Now that you know how to plan the size of your hen house, you have a better idea of what type will fit your needs. If you’re planning on only holding 2 or 3 chickens, you can get by with a rather small chicken tractor.

This is a portable chicken coop that allows you to take the chickens and move them where you want them. It is also pretty easy to maintain and clean, since you have the option to move it to a convenient spot to complete the chore.

Don’t assume just because it is portable it has to be small, some of these chicken coops can be rather large, housing many chickens.

The drawback is that when you build a chicken coop with the intent of moving it around, it is generally much less stable than a fixed hen house.

Because of this, many people choose to pick a spot in their yard and build a static chicken coop. Such coops tend to last much longer and give better protection from predators.

But I have to point out, not every location in your yard is the right one. Chickens need access to plenty of sunlight, but they also need to be protected from the elements such as heavy rain and winds.

When you build your chicken coop, keep this in mind. Building it next to a group of trees or close to another building can really help cut down on the stress caused by strong storms.

Also make sure you build your coop on a high spot on your property. This will keep your hen house from becoming flooded when it storms. And let me assure you, your chickens will not be pleased if their home gets flooded.

Don’t Forget To Build For Protection

As you may know, chickens have enemies which are more than happy to make your pets into a meal. Build your chicken coop for their protection, and your chances of waking up one morning to an empty roost will be greatly diminished.

So what are the types of predators you will be up against? For starters, you will want to keep your neighbor’s dogs and cats out. Rodents such as rats can also prove to be a problem. But threats from larger predators such as badgers, foxes and coyotes are not uncommon, depending on the area you live in.

Your chickens may also fall prey to hawks, depending on your area. If you are not sure of the types of predators you have in your area, it is always helpful to ask around. Your neighbors might be able to give you more of an idea, so take the opportunity and ask around.

With a list of potential threats in mind, you can better build a chicken coop. If there are larger animals, you will want to make sure that your fence is strong enough to withstand an attack. Don’t ignore the possibility that they might also try and dig under the fence. Make sure to place it deep enough underground to discourage even the most determined predators.

Nobody Adores An Eyesore

The looks of your hen house do matter. No matter what you think of your chicken coop, if your neighbors think that it looks like an eyesore, you may run into trouble.

There are various city ordinances, depending on where you live, that dictate if you can even erect a hen house in your yard.

But your chicken coop doesn’t have to be a property devaluing monstrosity. If you plan it properly and landscape it nicely, your chicken coop will quickly become the talk of the neighborhood. And that is for all of the right reasons.

So don’t overlook this important step when you build a chicken coop.

The next step of course is to get the chicken coop plans that best suit your project. Building a chicken coop isn’t hard, and with a proper set up plans it is that much easier.