I Have Plans For a Chicken Coop to Build in My Backyard
Article by Michelle Rudge
I have plans for a chicken coop; it’s going to be big enough for my 5 soon-to-arrive hens, it will be well-built and functional, but it’s going to look good too! I’m so excited to get started on it. I’ve already put in a vegetable patch, and a compost. I’ve had solar panels put on the roof and we’ve planted lots of fruit trees. I’m going green, and it’s not with envy!
Anyway, so getting back to my chicken coop. I have decided to build my own chicken coop as I didn’t like the designs of the pre-made one’s you can readily buy, and I wasn’t too eager on spending that much money either. So I’ve hunted high and low on the internet and in the process I’ve learnt so much about what makes a good chicken house and what is going to be best for my girls.
Here’s the crucial things you need to remember when building a chicken coop.
1. Think about how big your coop needs to be – I am only starting with 5 hens but I think I might like to eventually have about 10, so I will build a coop with that in mind. 2. A place to roost and a place to scratch – hens need to have an enclosed space with a perch on which they can roost. It needs to be warm and protected and easily within reach to them. But they also need a place to scratch around looking for bugs and vegetation, so the outside area needs to be big enough for them to to this. 3. Ventilation and sunlight – with all the chicken poop you’ll need to ensure your coop is well ventilated as the smell can otherwise turn out to be quite overwhelming. By the same token, your hens also need to have access to natural sunlight. 4. Access – don’t forget you’ll need to get in to clean the coop, gather eggs and provide feed, so think about how you’ll have easy access. 5. Protection from predators – consider what measures you need to take to ensure your birds are safe from predators. This will of course depend on where you live, but could include such things as foxes, possums, the neighbours kids or your own dog!
These 5 things needed to be taken into consideration when designing my chicken coop, however I’m no designer so I decided to CHEAT and get the plans for a chicken coop off the net. It included plenty of different plans with a step by step manual on how to build, and the best equipment to use. And these were no eye-sore plans either, they all look great and it took me a while to settle on the final design.
But I got there in the end, and my chicken coop looks great in my backyard. I’ve got my own little farm yard now (I have a LARGE backyard) with my oversize chicken coop, ready for when I decide to increase the size of the flock. You can find more information about plans for a chicken coop here. Enjoy!
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You can find more information about plans for a chicken coop here.