Chicken House Plans - 7 Steps To A Better Chicken House

You have decided to take the leap and begin raising your own backyard chickens

Building a chicken coop for one's feathered friends can save you cash and will let you customize the coop to suit your needs. But before hammering that first nail, confirm that your chicken house plans take note of these seven key elements:

1. Size: You need to allow enough space for your chickens. For standard chickens 3-4 feet square inside the house and 6-10 feet square in the run is suggested. For the smaller bantam chickens you can get away with 2-3 square feet indoors and 8 feet square outside per chicken.

2. Lighting: Chickens need light in order to lay their eggs. Where possible try and face the coop towards the sun and install windows to bring in the light as well as the warmth.

3. Ventilation: You chicken house must be well ventilated to let the fresh air in, but not drafty. If high winds are a problem, consider building in a sheltered location.

4. Insulation: Don't forget to take into account temperature changes. In cold climates your chicken house will likely need to be insulated.

5. Feeders and Waterers: The feeders and waterers should be easy to get to by both bird and man. Consider installing automatic waterers to get a constant supply of freshwater.

6. Nesting Boxes: If raising chickens for eggs, you should have nesting boxes for the hens to lay in. Allow one nesting box per two hens. They don't want to be crowded when laying!

7. Predators: Chickens are tasty, not just to us but to many hungry predators. Make sure your chicken house and run are safe on every side including below ground level and above. Do not forget the burrowing and flying predators! Common predators include foxes, raccoons, coyotes, skunks and hawks. Wire mesh fencing is frequently employed to keep the chickens in and predators out. Ensure when you are putting in fencing to dig down not less than one foot to protect your chickens from burrowing predators.

It is important when building a chicken coop to have a written blueprint to work with. If your chicken house plan takes into consideration the above seven factors, you will be on your way to creating a safe, secure home for your chicken flock.

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