Plans To Build A Chicken Coop
It can be tough to find the right plans to build a chicken coop with everything available on the internet. First and foremost, you need to consider a few things before you start your shopping for a good set of plans for a chicken coop. You also have the option to buy a ready-made chicken coop that fits your needs perfectly, or you can modify it slightly to do so as well. Here are a few things to consider prior to choosing your plans to build a chicken coop.
Plans To Build A Chicken Coop – Helpful Guidelines
Plans to Build a Chicken Coop Guideline #1 – Be sure you know how many chickens you intend on raising, as this will help you determine the appropriate size. You should take the total number of chickens and multiply that by 4-5 square feet. This will allow your chickens to be comfortable and will ensure there is enough room for growth. It will also keep your chickens from getting sick.
Plans to Build a Chicken Coop Guideline #2 – Check the area where you intend on placing your chicken coop and determine the common predators that may attempt to attack your chickens. You will need to ensure that your coop is protected from these predators. Attacks on your chickens are most common during the night time, so be sure your coop is secure at dusk.
Common predators are coyotes, bears, mountain lions, racoons, hawks, large rats (prey on small chicks), snakes, and even skunks. Remember that racoons and bears are very smart. They are not deterred by simple locking devices, so be sure you have a somewhat complex locking mechanism on your chicken coop entries.
Plans to Build a Chicken Coop Guideline #3 – Ensure that the area has good ventilation and lighting. This helps keep chickens comfortable and free of disease. You should position a window to the south of your chicken coop as this will allow for sunlight in your chicken coop from dawn til dusk.
Be sure to allow proper air flow during the day by opening both the entrance and windows to your chicken coop. But be sure to close your coop up around dusk to prevent predators from attacking your chickens.
Plans to Build a Chicken Coop Guideline #4 – The next consideration will be your climate. Construct your chicken coop using materials that are suitable with the weather. If the environment is cold then use thick materials to give warmth to the chickens. If the surrounding temperature is hot, then make sure enough air enters the coop. You can do this by either making windows larger, or perhaps adding more windows to the chicken coop design
Plans to Build a Chicken Coop Guideline #5 - Now you must determine how many coops you need to build. Separate the chickens according to their size. You should not mix them together in one coop because the larger hens may trample your small chicks. Add 2 or more chicken coops to accommodate your hens and small chicks (if you intend on raising them).
Plans to Build a Chicken Coop Guideline #6 – After constructing the house for your chickens, start setting up things inside. Place water and food containers that are easy to access. Put water container and food plates according to the number of chickens in the coop. Do not put only one food plate and one water container because some chickens monopolize. To allow other chickens to get their share, provide them with enough food and water in many different places.
Plans to Build a Chicken Coop Guideline #7 – You should also determine the best method for cleaning your coop. Our highly recommended method is known as the ‘deep litter’. It consists of having a deep floor to your chicken coop, which is often separated with a ‘false’ chicken wire floor. The chickens walk on the chicken wire and their droppings pass through to the floor underneath. It is also a good idea to make this floor easily removed, perhaps by placing it on track and making it like a drawer.
In order to use the ‘deep litter’ method effectively, you will need wood pellets, which you can get from your local lumber yard, or even feed store or farm store. Many urban stores have wood pellets as well, like home depot, lowes, walmart, etc. You should fill the bottom of your coop with 4-5 inches of wood pellets, and every few days, you will use a rake to mix the chicken’s droppings with the wood pellets.
This will significantly reduce the smell, and will aid in the decomposition of your chicken’s droppings. You should add more wood pellets as necessary to maintain the smell at a reasonable level, which is easy to do if you add a fresh top layer of wood pellets every week or so. Every 3-4 months you should clean out your chicken coop completely and start over with a completely fresh 4-5 inches of wood pellets. The left over wood pellets and chicken droppings makes great fertilizer if you have a garden.
Your other option would be to clean your chicken coop in a weekly basis to prevent from chickens becoming diseased. The deep litter method makes things much easier on you and will maintain the smell very well. This is definitely the preferred method among experienced chicken farmers.
Plans to Build a Chicken Coop – Summary
In summary, our guidelines for finding the appropriate plans to build a chicken coop are as follows: Determine the number of chickens you intend on raising to select the correct size while also considering possible predators and protecting against them. Ensure proper ventilation and lighting while also considering your climate in the selection of your building materials and chicken coop design.
Determine how many coops you will need based on whether you will be raising small chicks in addition to large hens, as they will need to be separated. Be sure to add feeders and water troughs in many different areas within the chicken coop to ensure all your chickens have easy access. And lastly, choose a chicken coop design that will accommodate your preferred method of cleaning.
We wish you the best of luck in your project and in raising your chickens. If you need any additional advice, feel free to contact us. We hope you found our guidelines for plans to build a chicken coop informative and helpful.