Many people decide to face the task of planning their own chicken house. However, their lack of experience and knowledge quickly shows that this task is not as easy as most of them think. There are many variables and important problems you have to address before drawing the first line.
I like no other person understand that. Even though, my first chicken house was built using ready made plans, since then I’ve gained a lot of information and experience in this topic. That is why I’ve decided to write this article, which will be a guide for people who are just starting out.
Location, location, location…
If you want your chicken house plan to be accepted and liked by your chickens, you have to choose the right place to build it. This is very important as even the pretties and well thought through coop won’t be worth a red cent, unless he is located on a safe and even piece of land.
You have to consider things like the kind of soil and climate you have at your disposal. If it rains a lot throughout the year in your area, it is a good idea to elevate your chicken house from the ground a bit. This will prevent flooding. Furthermore, if the soil in your backyard is too soft, house may be sinking into the ground with time under the weight of the chickens and the coop.
You should always pay attention to things like this, in order to avoid unpleasant surprises after a short period of time.
Choose the right size
Size is another very important factor when it comes to building a comfortable chicken house. The last thing you want is a chicken house plan that is too small to hold all of your chickens. That is why you have to create a very detailed blueprint that will allow you to insure everyone of your chickens has enough space to live.
Another thing you need to remember is that you will have to include many accessories like waterers etc. Always make sure they fit your chicken house or else, you will be forced to make many last minute changes and that is the sure fire way to make mistakes.
Build great windows
Light is a very important thing for chickens as their entire day depends on it. Failing to locate windows of appropriate size, will cause your chickens to feel weird and lay eggs during wrong hours.
You should also remember that windows are responsible for ventilation in your chicken house, so placing them wrong may cause drafts or lack of fresh air. Both are wrong, and you have to make sure they aren’t present in your chicken house plan.
Add the chicken run and fence
Your chickens require regular exercise, this need can be easily met by building a chicken run. It doesn’t have to be anything special, just make sure it is large enough, and you protect it with a fence.
Fence is critical to protect your chickens from predators. Don’t get fooled by thinking that natural enemies of chicken are absent in your neighborhood. You simple haven’t seen them yet.
As you can see there are a lot of things you have to remember about while planning your chicken house. That is the exact reason why, I’ve decided to acquire professionally designed chicken house building plans during my first construction. This way I’ve avoided many hassles and made sure my chickens were living in the right environment.
