If you would like to know to build a chicken pen, you may be pleased to learn that this is a relatively simple procedure but one of the critical things, as with many things in life, is having a plan. When looking at plans for your chicken coop, it’s important to realize the “must-have” items that should be included, regardless of the size of your chicken house. If your chickens are likely to be stored inside the house most of the time, size becomes a primary consideration. Chickens need enough room to move around comfortably, to perch, and sleep as well as lay eggs. Any good chicken house plan should clearly indicate the appropriate design that is suitable for the number of hens intended to be housed.
In general, you must allow the indoor area of 3-5 square fee up to 15 square feet, depending on a the size of your flock, the number of hens you have, etc. Optimally, you should be flexible enough to allow your chickens free range for at least part of the time, but most importantly they must be able to sleep comfortably and safely.
Another important element of your chicken pen is cleanliness — keeping your chicken house facility clean is vitally important to the health of the chickens. It is no use at all to have a coop full of chickens that looks nice if you can not keep it properly clean. This is vital for a couple of reasons. First, the chickens are susceptible to disease, which can lead to feather loss and extreme discomfort for the hens. Your chicken coop must be easy to clean, especially if some folks full-time or part-time livelihood depends on it. You must remove the dust from the interior of the chicken house. Cleaning should be done regularly, and spray occasionally the interior with a disinfectant. (See the book we used for the disinfectants we used.)
Another essential element is the access for the chicken house. When considering your chicken house plans, you should incorporate a dual access system in the nesting area. A great location for the nesting with dual access would be near the rear of the chicken house. This makes it easier to keep that area clean, and it allows better access for collecting your fresh eggs. This area can be particularly dirty, so the dual access is the better plan.
Protection against predators is another essential consideration for your chicken house. Your chickens must be protected from natural predators, even if you are in the city raising chickens. There are many animals that would prey on your flock if not adequately protected. Those in city areas may not be worried about attacks by foxes or raccoons, but you still have to worry about domestic cats and dogs too! Look for chicken house plans that have any means to prevent the predators from reaching your hens.
When you are ready to build your chicken house, you must have some solid building plans that take these essential items and more into consideration. Your plans will include ideas on location, ventilation, building materials, and much, much more. How about illumination and Ventilation? You should consider the “lighting” if you are keeping chickens for the production of eggs. During the winter months, the production of eggs naturally decreases as the hen’s hormones are controlled by the mere numbers or hours of daylight. It is possible to incorporate artificial lighting in your chicken house to allow for better egg production in those winter months, so make sure your plans include for that option.
When it comes to ventilation, you need ample, adequate holes on the sides of you chicken house. This provides adequate circulation and minimizes and in some cases prevents the accumulation of moisture.
As a responsible pet and chicken owner, you should be looking for these ideas and more to incorporate into your own design, and I strongly recommend a book of Bill Keene, an all-inclusive book detailing numerous chicken house plans. Their designs are so simple, and you’ll be able to build your own chicken house with easy , step-by-step instructions. Since we have built hour chicken house, I have highly recommended this book to customers for DIY construction and they all have been delighted by the simplicity and quality of designs. To get more information, click on the link below. You could download the book and read it tonight and start building your chicken house tomorrow!
what a great blog - and lots of fantastic chicken house and pen plans. I will recommend you
Not sure if i can say this here….but i need help with my chicken house, they are getting wet everytime it rains and i need something to cover them as i can not rely on the coop i built even though i believe i done a pretty good job of it. I need a great idea for a nesting box thing and a idea for them to get off the ground….I will continue to search for ideas on the internet as i need help today….or rather the chickens do…
Kind regards
Louise Amos.
Hi Louise,
What type of roof did you build for your coop? Did you put any type of roofing material? You know there’s a basic roofing compound that comes in rolls that you can roll out on your chicken house.
Many folks use the same material as a sub-base for their own home’s roofing. It’s like a tar paper, and it is easily cut and stapled or nailed to a basic chicken house roof.
Syd