Chicken Coop Construction Plans

When it comes to building chicken coops for your pet chickens, it doesn't matter whether it's conventional chicken coop construction plans, an open range or an off-the-ground kennel. All kinds of poultry housing require specific characteristics and features to ensure a healthy flock. The best chicken coop buildings or poultry houses have several characteristics, as recommended by the University of Maryland's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Using many years of experience in the poultry industry, an easy to follow guide to building your own chicken coop has been created. It is designed for the total beginner, you don't require any carpentry skills. It doesn't matter if you want a big coop or a small coop, or if have a big or a little budget.

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First, the coop should protect your backyard chickens from predators like weasels, hawks and your neighbor's dog. Second, it should be constructed of economical building material that's easily available. Third, it should be sturdy enough to stand up against unfavorable weather. Fourth, it should provide your chickens with a balance of shelter and ventilation. Fifth, it should be easy to clean and budget-friendly to maintain. And finally, it should be big enough for your backyard flock of hens.

Luckily for you, using many years of experience in the poultry industry, an easy to follow guide to chicken coop construction plans has been created. It's designed for the total beginner, you don't require any carpentry skills. It doesn't matter if you want a big coop or a small coop, or if have a big or a little budget.

Although there are hundreds of plans for chicken coops on the market, most of them can be divided into two types. Some coops are portable, meaning they don't have a bottom and can be moved around a field or pasture to provide your chickens with fresh grass. It's often known as the chicken factor-style coop. In contrast, a permanent coop is designed to stay wherever you first build it and is best if you have only a limited amount of backyard space for your chickens.

Here are some space requirements for building chicken coops. The more space you give your chickens, the happier and healthier they'll be. Generally, chickens should get a minimum of 2 square feet per chicken unless you're raising bantam chickens, which only need 1.5 square feet. Tempting as it may be, don't cram more chickens into your coop than the chicken coop can hold. Overcrowded birds are more susceptible to health problems like cannibalism and disease. You don't have to spend a fortune when you want to start building chicken coops. This isn't hard at all, contrary to popular belief. You can actually use materials around your house to fully outfit the chicken coop building and make sure that it has everything it could possibly need. The first thing you need to consider is how you are going to feed your chickens.

Look around your house for things that you can use. The best item is an empty pop bottle. Typically you will want a two liter bottle that feeds through a hose dropping into some type of container. It would be best to use a plastic container and keep it elevated so that the chickens cannot do anything with it other than eat.

Remember to not put the feeder next to the watering device. The water works on the same principal as the food, which is gravity of course, but even though it is in a self contained bottle, the chickens will likely find some way to move the water from the water dish to the food dish. If this sounds unlikely to you, then you've probably never had chickens.

When it comes to the roofs you can make these yourself. Make sure that each roof is a foot and a half wide or about fifteen inches. It should be a bit longer than it is tall, and this is to accommodate the movement of the chickens. Remember, you want them to be as comfortable as possible. On the edge of the roosts you should have some sort of ledge so that the chickens can easily hop in and out of the roosts. You could forego the ledges, but if you do then you will want to put the roosts on the ground.

You will need to have a heat lamp, but make sure that it is close to the ceiling. You don't want your chickens to fly into it because they will at the very least break the lamp, and at the most hurt themselves. The last thing you want is broken glass lying in the chicken coop because you will need to clean the entire thing out to ensure none of your chickens eat said glass.

To some people it is just a chicken coop building, but for the chickens that reside there, it is home. What you need to do is design it so that it is comfortable for your chickens, and with that in mind, make sure they have easy access to water, food, and shelter. You should also make sure that they can exit the chicken coop building into the pen when they need to. That is why you will need the best chicken coop constuction plans available

Are you looking to provide shelter for your chickens? If so, then you should consider some important points before you start building chicken coops. Outlining a feasible plan will make your chickens feel happy as well as provide you with fresh and organic eggs right in your backyard.

The first thing I suggest you should decide is whether to go with a fixed or a mobile chicken house. Both have pros and cons, but generally a mobile coop is a more flexible, convenient, and less expensive option. If you're limited on space in your backyard, you should go with a mobile one. However the major benefits of a fixed chicken coop building are the ability to keep a large number of hens, and to properly protect your chickens from rain with water resistant material. If you're on a fixed budget, mobile coops are less expensive.

The number of chickens in your flock will decide how big the size your chicken coop building should be. As a bare minimum requirement, each chicken requires about 4 square feet of space and based on this, you can calculate the space needed. Providing additional space is essential, which avoids overcrowding. I usually follow this and allow additional space while planning my chicken coop building. If your flock is low in number you can go for small plans for chicken coops - which are easier to build.

The most primary reason for maintaining a chicken coop building besides fun is enjoying fresh eggs. Providing nesting boxes inside the coop will provide the right environment for laying hens. While building chicken coops, provide one nesting box for every 4 to 6 chickens. The optimum depth to provide for a nesting box is 4 inches and making it darker and warmer will make the chicken feel comfortable. You can make nesting box of any size, but making it 12x12x12 inches will be a good idea. I usually keep the nesting box a little higher off the ground, but keeping it too high will make it difficult for hens to get in. Keeping the roof the nesting box slant will avoid your chickens to roost.

There is no need for a floor in your chicken coop building, as birds love to dig and eat worms. So, leaving the floor open is best. But this may invite predatory animals to dig through ground and prove fatal for your flock. So if you're building chicken coop buildings that remain fixed, you can cement the coop surroundings.

You need to take care while building chicken coops so that your chickens receive optimum sunlight. Chickens love to enjoy natural sunlight. But during the winter months, you can provide electric lighting to substitute sunlight. Chickens love and need warm body temperature to stay healthy, so when looking at your plans for chicken coops, it's essential to consider temperature control.

The most crucial point to consider while building chicken coops is how strong your coop should be. Selecting from lots of chicken coop building designs, choose one that will result in a strong and a reliable coop and will keep your flock safe.

With the current financial climate and the ever growing worries about the environment there has never been a better time for building chicken coops. Building chicken coops in your backyard can benefit you in many ways. The obvious benefit is the delicious fresh free range eggs you will have every day, (chickens will lay roughly 240-280 eggs a year).

When you buy chicken construction plans you will realize chickens can be an entertaining addition to the family and most pets such as cats and dogs will soon get used to them, as long as your dog is not too disobedient or aggressive. Cats will be afraid of the chickens at first but eventually will just ignore them. You need to consider your neighbors when planning which birds to keep. Roosters can be very annoying for both you and your neighbors as they can start being very loud from as early as 4am! You DO NOT need cockerels in order to produce eggs, chickens will lay eggs without the assistance of cockerels but the eggs will be infertile.

Testimonials

"My chickens are happy with their new home..."

Have you been planning to make a cozy, comfortable and tidy coop for your chickens? Well, follow the guidelines in this wonderful resource! My chickens are happy with their new home! Bill's book helped me make a well-planned, easy-to-clean-and-maintain coop for my chickens. I got practical tips on locating, positioning, protecting and maintaining the climate in the coop. Like me, it will help you too to choose the appropriate size, building design and materials for construction. This book not only helps you save while you build, but also enjoy the freedom to customize the coop to your individual specifications and needs. With valuable inputs on light and ventilation, I was able to ensure that the coop position was such that it allowed enough light in, but did not make the coop draughty. I particularly enjoyed the creative and innovative ideas thrown in about building low cost nesting boxes with material lying around the house. It set me exploring my own creativity and resourcefulness! An informative and easy to follow read, this book will guide you in building your own coop at a fraction of the cost of purchasing one!
Rachana Misra Go Green Farms Owner

"If you are considering keeping chickens in
your back yard, you must read this book..."

"...If you are considering keeping chickens in your back yard, you must read this book. Whether you have a tiny courtyard or acres to play with, Keene's advice will stand you in good stead and help you build the right chicken coop. The focus of the book is on being well-prepared for your flock before they even arrive. Keene ensures that you consider every issue before you spend a cent on birds, feed or equipment. He discusses which species is appropriate for your garden, what they should eat and, as the title suggests, how you should house them. Anyone with basic do-it-yourself tools and a patch of land could follow his instructions. The drawings and diagrams are easy to interpret and the lists of materials and tools needed are very helpful. Keene also appreciates that the value of using recycled materials in your chicken coop's cheap and environmentally friendly. Keene encourages responsible husbandry's his reminder of tasks to be completed weekly, monthly and sixth monthly should be replicated onto the calendar of any careful poultry keeper. The level of detail is just right, from a list of the color of the egg you might expect from you hen to a description of healthy hen's poop! If you follow his tips, your happy hens will be very productive. Next we need a cookbook for ideas to use up all the spare eggs"
Tracyann - Amateur Chicken Farmer - Devon, United Kingdom

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