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Having a home chicken coop means that you’ll have an unlimited supply of free eggs, and perhaps the odd home grown roast chicken. There are plenty of home chicken coop options, all of which have their pros and cons. This article focuses on homemade chicken coops, and shows you a few options.
The Small, Movable Coop
This one is the simplest to build, in that it’s only got three sides and minimal materials. All you need is some timber for the frame, some wire mesh, and a few nails. Small coops like this are not the best for full-time living, as they are generally very small and may stress the birds out causing them to stop laying. However, if you’re only keeping a few chickens it should be ok.
Mid-sized Box Coops
This is a much smarter option for a home chicken coop. You can keep up to about 7 or 8 chickens in a coop like this, and they shouldn’t get too stressed out because they’ll have adequate running space. Materials are similar to the smaller coop, though you might want to build a designated nesting area, which means you’ll have to put in a bit more energy and time.
Premium Coop For Larger Flocks
It’s not uncommon for people to keep 10+ birds in their backyard and even sell the eggs. To keep this amount of chickens you essentially need to build a hen house enclosed in a large chicken run. It’s a lot easier than what it sounds, especially with great building instructions. Costs range from $100 to $200 for a state-of-the-art homemade chicken coop.
To download some home chicken coop plans, check out this How To Build A Chicken House website now.
Steve Kennett is a dedicated family man with a passion for writing. He runs the Chicken Coop Corner website.
If you are considering building a chicken house at home, this may be simpler to do than you think! The high cost of ready made and flatpacked coops has lead many people to try the DIY option and with good chicken pen plans and some very basic DIY skills, there is no reason why you cannot do the same.
Although it is very true that hens are very adaptable, tolerant birds, you should still ensure that what you build is perfect for your brood as happier hens produce better quality eggs. In addition, a few careful considerations in the planning stage can mean that you avoid all kinds of potential problems in the future.
When building a chicken house, one of the most important things to think about is the size. Once you have decided on the number of hens you would like to keep, you should do a little math. It is recommended that each hen has around 3-5 square feet of space inside the nesting/sleeping area and up to 15 square feet in an outdoor run area. This can be reduced slightly if the hens are to be allowed to free-range a few times a week. As well as floor space, the more height you can allow, the better as although hens do not fly, they like to jump and flap so at least 3ft in height is recommended, but again, if allowed outdoors, this becomes a less important factor.
Another consideration is the fact that hens love to perch and roost. Therefore, any good chicken pen plans should take this into account and provide a formal perched area within the sleeping/nesting quarters. In addition, hens who live in the wild will perch on branches so if the size of your pen allows, you could bring in some old tree branches which are sturdy enough to simply lie on the floor randomly-your hens will love you for it!
Proofing your pen from predators is vital. The lengths that animals such as foxes and raccoons will go to in an attempt to get your hens can be astounding. They have been known to burrow into a pen from outside and spend hours carefully chewing through wire mesh. It is therefore a good idea to take precautions by either digging some mesh into the ground around 6 inches deep around where you site your coop or to consider fastening it on paving but placing hen-friendly ground materials inside, such as soil or turf.
As a chicken keeper and retailer of chicken housing myself, I was looking for ideas to incorporate into my own designs and this lead me to a book by a fellow chicken-lover! His designs were so simple that they were almost as easy to construct as my own self-assembly coops were to put together! I have since recommended his book to numerous customers who were looking at building a chicken house themselves and all have been delighted by both the simplicity and quality of the designs. In addition, it has been shown that building your own housing can save over 50% of the cost of a comparable flatpacked pen and even those with very little experience in DIY can follow simple chicken pen plans without difficulty. To take a look at the different options which are available, please visit Building a Chicken House
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Believe it or not, small chicken house plans have recently become a highly sought after item on the internet. In fact, the market has become so saturated that you’ll probably have to spend hours searching for the right plans. This article provides a general outline about self-made chicken coops, and shows you where to download building plans quickly and easily.
How Small Do you Want It?
Chickens will lay significantly more eggs each week if they have adequate room to run around a bit. If you’re planning on keeping a small flock of 2-4 birds, you should be able to get away with a movable-type chicken house. However, if you’re planning on expanding your numbers in the future, building a mid-sized coop might be worth it in the long run.
Positioning For Maximum Egg Yields
Healthy chickens can lay 5 or more eggs each week in the right conditions. However, they are very susceptible to severe climate conditions (heat, cold, rain, etc), and may stop laying if they are too stressed out. Try to place your chicken house in an area that gets good sun exposure in the morning.
Chicken House Designs
If you live in an urban area, you might want to build a chicken house that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to keep clean. You might be surprised at how far a decent coat of paint will go! There are plenty of different styles and designs to choose from, and a good chicken house guide will outline them all for you.
To download the best small chicken house plans online, check out this How To Build A Chicken House website now.
Steve Kennett is a dedicated family man with a passion for writing. He runs the Chicken Coop Corner website.
