Hen House (Chicken Coop) Plans and Raising Chickens Successfully
Building hen houses does not have to be a difficult project. With a good set of hen house plans construction can be fairly straightforward and will make owning chickens easier in the long run. Building a chicken coop without hassles or spending too much money isn't that hard if you follow a good plan.
Hen houses are a traditional first project for people who don't know anything about carpentry, so if you don't know what you're doing poultry housing is a good place to start. Building a chicken coop at home is a manageable project; you simply need to follow guidelines that will help you form suitable hen house plans.
Building chicken coops properly is going to depend on several factors. The most important factor is choosing the right size for the coop. Overcrowding can result in them pecking each other to death. Give them enough space and they will usually get along well. About 3 or 4 square feed of space per bird is a minimum, but more space will be beneficial.
Chicken hobbyists building hen houses often have different pictures in their mind when thinking about hen house plans and hen house designs. Some envision large permanent structures housing hundreds or thousands of birds while others are happy with just enough to provide meat and eggs for their small family. Depending on your needs you can find some top quality plans in the Building a Chicken Coop guide.
It is not mandatory that you purchase a set of hen house plans; you can simply build a small box frame with 2x4s and add some chicken wire to it. But if you want to build a hen house using techniques that will make it a more cost-effective design, easier to clean, easier to maintain, easier to collect eggs, cheaper to feed, and help you eliminate costly beginner mistakes, a good set of chicken coop plans is the way to go.
A properly constructed hen house will serve other useful purposes. Chickens can be reared in different climatic conditions provided there are adequate arrangements to let the chickens feel comfortable. Chickens are much more susceptible to heat than to cold once they are past brooding age, and areas with hot summers require houses that allow plenty of shade and air flow. Chickens do not like to leave the shade during hot weather, and if water fountains are not provided in the shady areas, the problems of heat stress will be increased.
Many backyard chicken hobbyists also construct coops with additional features such as windows and connected wire chicken runs so that their birds may gain access to sunshine and fresh air. Regardless of the type of chicken coop you plan to construct, it is important to take the needs of your birds into consideration when building chicken coops.
Building a chicken coop can be costly and time wasting if things aren’t done right the first time. This is why it is important to start with a good set of hen house plans. Building a good chicken coop is more than merely hammering a few pieces of wood together, it's coming up with a total plan and following through with that plan. Chickens given a clean, dry coop with ample space will usually be healthier, happier, and perform more positively than their small-cage counterparts.
