A chicken coop is a place especially designed for hens, where they can find comfort, rest, and lay their eggs. Hens must be able to be in a sheltered area as soon as they begin to lose their “fluff,” as chicks and start growing feathers.
If you raise chickens on a farm or in your own backyard, it is important to know how to build a chicken coop so that your hens have somewhere to go. When deciding on a plan for your coop, be sure that it will have an entrance hole and proper ventilation for the hens to get air. This also helps to keep moisture at a minimum, preventing mold and certain smells from spreading.
Easy access for yourself is also important, since someone needs to be able to get in and clean the coop and check on the chickens and eggs inside. The floor of the chicken coop should allow for enough flooring, or litter, to cover it well. Pine chips or shavings tend to work well, and provide a way to absorb extra moisture.
When coming up with a location for the coop, be sure it is somewhere at a higher elevation, and make sure that water can drain out of it easily. Determine the size of your chicken coop, as well as the floor plan.
When looking into how to build a chicken coop, you can designate separate rooms if you like, but one central place for the hens to dwell should work just fine. Measure the coop, and determine where it will be placed on your property. The walls can be wood, but insulate them if possible so the chickens can stay warm during the winter months.
Simple house insulation should work fine, as long as the walls are built well enough that the chickens do not peck at them so they can get to the insulation inside. Blueprints and plans for chicken coops can be found online, or in the local library.
Some chicken coops have a little ladder inside that extends out of the roof. This allows the hens to simply climb the ladder to the top and then fly out. It works well as long as the hole where the ladder is located remains sheltered from the elements.
Mesh wire works well as a substitute for some of the solid walls. There are many great resources that can fill you in on how to build a chicken coop, so do a bit of research, and then decide which plan and materials will work best for you and your chickens’ needs.
If you desire, you can also paint the coop red to give it a nice farm like look. An overhang roof is a great idea since it provides shelter for hens who may be outside and need a place of shade or refuge. The possibilities are endless and can provide hours of fun during the building process, and many years of shelter and a home for your chickens to enjoy.
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Hi, my name is Howie Kingsly. I'm an accountant from Sydney and welcome to my blog on Keeping Chickens. I recently embarked on a project to a build a chicken coop for my backyard and this is my collection of pictures and articles that I have collected over time that I hope you will find useful. I got started by reading a manual which had numerous chicken coop plans and step by step building instructions which was very useful. Thanks for stopping by.