You can find chicken coop plans both at local building centers and online. Some plans are a free download with a list of all the materials needed for building. Some of the best chicken coops are built by hand, with your needs in mind.
When you plan your chicken housing and runs, make sure to account for how many hens you will have and the climate in your area. Adult hens require four square feet of space (Bantams require half that). This means that for every 3 chickens you plan to have, you will need twelve square feet of space.
Of course, the more space they have, the happier (and healthier) the chickens will be. Larger spaces means less squabbling, more exercise, and less illness.
There are also chicken coop kits available that have all of the construction materials included. Most backyard coop kits are sized for three hens and anything larger will probably be cost prohibitive.
If you just want a couple of hens, you can buy a ready to go coop and run online. Most of these kits will sit directly on the ground and will not be proof against predators. They are convenient, however, because they can be easily moved. As a secondary “day pen,” they can be perfect as a way to easily allow movement to fresh areas of the yard.
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When building your own chicken coop, you should be careful of using building materials that can be a hazard to your birds (and the eggs you will collect). Arsenic is in treated lumbers and can be ingested by the hens when they peck at the wood. Do not use paint with lead or aluminum in its base. Remember that anything ingested by the chicken can end up in her eggs, and that can end up in your family’s food.
Chicken wire is not very good for keeping out predators. Animals like dogs, skunks, opossums, raccoons, and others can get through chicken wire easily.
When designing your chicken coop plans, only use chicken wire for the bottom of the cage so that predators can’t dig under it. When digging under, the predator won’t have the leverage required to break through the wire, so it is a good deterrent. He will either get discouraged or will hurt his paws on the wire and give up.
Protect your hens with heavier gauge wire on the sides and top of your pen. Even if your coop provides for lock down at night, many predators will still try to get through to eat leftover grain, drink from their water, and will try to get into the coop itself.
Often, you’ll need a padlock or something sturdier than a latch to keep raccoons out. Many is the farmer whose come out to disaster when only a slide bolt or hasp was used to keep raccoons at bay. Your chicken coop plans should take into account the type of predators that are in your area.
With some thought about your climate, the number of chickens you would like to have and basic safety measures, your diy chicken coop plans can be the start of an enjoyable hobby for you and your family.
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