Build a Chicken Coop -- Design Considerations

by: Stuvart harish

The first thing you should think about when building a chicken coop is the appearance and design. How many chickens do you have? Will you need a small, mid or large size coop? Please remember that if you have neighbors they will probably be able to see your chicken coop. It doesn't cost any extra to make a pretty chicken coop, but your neighbors will thank you for it.

When building your chicken coop plans. remember that you're going to have to clean it out. The easiest way to clean it out is put the chickens in the fenced area and hose it down. It's much easier to clean if the water flows back down near the door so a sloped floor towards the door is a must. The first chicken coop I built had a completely flat floor and when I cleaned it out the water would puddle and my chickens had some health problems because it started to mold. I was quick to add a couple shims so the water flowed out the door.

Your chickens are also going to need somewhere to stay in bad weather. You can face problems if water gets in during a rain storm so your coop will need to be weather proof. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use shingles for the roof and seal everything up tight with silicone. The door can be sealed using weather stripping.Of course if you live in a cold climate you're going to need to insulate your chicken coop so it stays warm in the winter. Chickens can handle cold quite well so insulating is good enough.

Even if you don't need to insulate your easy chicken coop plans. you are going to need to ensure that it gets proper ventilation. The easiest way to do this is to install some windows in the coop that you can open. At the very top of the coop install some vents so in the summer the hot air can escape easily. In the winter you can cover these up to preserve heat.You're also going to need to protect your chickens from predators as well. Your outside run isn't flush with the ground. What you need to do is bury some chicken wire and attach it to your run so that even persisten animals can't get in. I learned my lesson the first time one of my chickens went missing.If one of your goals is to have chickens that lay great eggs all year round than you are going to need to install a light source. There are new warm white compact fluorescent lights that don't use much power, but provide the right spectrum of light.

Lastly, you're going to want to place your waterers and feeders off the floor. Trust me from experience that having them on the floor creates a huge mess. All you need to do is build a little platform that they can reach (about 6 inches high) where you place the food and water. They can still eat, but they can't scratch it and make a big mess.As long as you take these design considerations into account when building your chicken coop designs. you'll have healthy happy chickens who lay great eggs all year long. I'm a firm believer that they taste a lot better than store bought eggs.