Where To Get Chicken Coop Plans

Written by Isaac Wood Tuesday, 23 August 2011 03:47

If you are keen on rearing chicken, one must-have is shelter for them and that will be chicken coop plans. It ensures predators and rodents can reach them and also gives them refuge at night and when the weather conditions get extreme. Layers also need a place to nest. Before you can put up a coop, you will need chicken coup plans.

If you are keen on rearing chicken, one must-have is shelter for them and that will be chicken coop plans. It ensures predators and rodents can reach them and also gives them refuge at night and when the weather conditions get extreme. Layers also need a place to nest. Before you can put up a coop, you will need chicken coup plans.

Fortunately, there are free plans available on the internet. There are some factors to consider when choosing one. A higher spot is better than where there is a downward slope so that no water pools form around or beneath the hen area. As regards the size of the place, professional hen breeders recommend that every hen get five to six feet. Nesting hens should get an extra two feet.

Wood is mostly used to make the place for hens, although almost any kind of material can be used. You can also use scrap lumber, convert an old shed or camping trailer. New lumber may be expensive and it is not absolutely necessary. You can reuse glass for the windows too.

Ensure that the plan you pick has a window and a door and that the windows face south. This serves to allow air in more so in hot months and light in the cooler and darker seasons. Check also for a nesting area and six to ten inches for each hen to perch on.

The floor is a big deal because of the droppings. One option is to have a hen wire floor with a container underneath to collect droppings. You can also use the deep litter method where four to eight inches of wood pellets, sawdust or wood shavings are placed on the floor. The droppings are stirred to the top into the bedding below. Decomposition will begin and the bedding will start reducing at which point more is added. Then the coop has to be emptied and cleaned out just once or twice a year and you will have some compost for the garden.

When it comes to construction, the frame goes up first followed by the sides and then the roof. Slope the roof a little so water never gathers on it. See also that the doors and windows are secured using hen wire. Put latches on the door and then put in the nest boxes and perches.

Next, the feeding bowels and watering should go in. Place them such that they are at the same level as the chickens backs. Hens tend to scratch a lot and they will scratch against them but away from the water and food to avoid contamination.

You may have a different idea such as a movable place. These are also called chicken tractors. No floor is placed on them and they are easily moved from spot to spot which ensures no part of the lawn gets flattened. This is also a good solution for urban dwellers where space is tight. For the lawn, there is the benefit of free and frequent fertilizing and for you, the need to clean up droppings is eliminated. Whatever plan you have exactly, you can find chicken coop plans on the internet and at no cost.