Tag Archives: Hens


Chicken Coop Designs

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You’ve had the good idea to rear chooks and are looking at the different hutch plans for them. There are just so many around how are you supposed to know whether you want an ark or a tractor?. All you want is something that will house a few hens safely so which chicken coop designs do you decide on?

Here’s a quick break down on the specifics of each;

This may seem basic but a chicken coop, hen house, chook house are all the same thing. A small building that is intended to keep chickens in – and predators out. But there are a couple of terms that you may have come across and thought “what the hang is that?”

Chicken Hutch; Have you heard of a rabbit hutch? Same thing, only for chickens. A light, portable – usually rectangle – cube that has a covered end and a run end. These are perfect for people that only want to keep one or two girls.

The Ark or Tractor; These are moveable houses which have the feature of not having a floor. This allows your hens to be free-ranging while also being sheltered from predators. They do come in all shapes, but the most common one is an A-Frame.

An Ark is terrific because the chickens can eat the bugs and worms in the soil so they will need less feeding by you. Their manure is also great as a fertiliser.

How Big Does Your Coop Need To Be?
The size of your enclosure directly corresponds to the number of birds that you want to rear.

Up to 5 Chickens?
Go for a small chicken coop design. Look at an ark or tractor design. These are trouble-free to construct, give plenty of light and protection, take up less room and the chickens also spruce up your lawn for you!

Raising 5-10 Chooks?
A medium sized chicken coop design will suit you. These are a more lasting building and will incorporate a area for nesting. They are much larger (around 30-40 square feet) so take this into account when choosing your plans and location. You will also need to allow room for feeders, water troughs and access.

More than 10?
Whoa, you are getting into the full-size stuff now! This chicken house design is rather big, will need more of all of the above and will probably involve a run. All of which makes the large pen more dear so be certain that the plans that you are going to work from are the best for your spot and circumstances. This size coop is ideal if you wanted to trade the eggs.

For a great selection of chicken coop designs that are cheap and easy to build no matter how many chooks you want to farm head to www.HenHousePlansOnline.com

Simple Ways To Build Chicken Coop Accessories

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You’ve got your coop plans but have you thought about how you are going to build chicken coop accessories?

As you know, when you want to build a chicken coop there are many things to be aware of. Most of your time and energy over the last few days will have been taken up with the necessary questions about light, air and protection for your flock.

But now you’ve done your homework, your coop is secure, sturdy and easy to work in, you’ve cleaned everything up and are rearing to get your girls in. I’ll also bet that one of the last things that you want to be thinking about is having to build chicken coop accessories right?

I know that this is completely frustrating, just when you thought that the hard work was done, now you have to accessorize the blimming thing? I recollect thinking “how dreadful would it be if we didn’t bring in a nesting box or two?” and “what the jeepers is a roost?”. “Why should they have a water trough or feeder? Can’t they just eat off the floor and doze on the floor? They are just chickens after all, why should we bother with trying to build chicken coop accessories”. And then I thought about it a bit more.

Yes they are chickens which is exactly the reason why we have to respect their needs. Because chickens are just animals their needs are very basic. Their whole system is designed so that they will eat, sleep and lay where they feel safe and comfortable.. That is it. If you want their eggs, then you need to make them contented so that they will gladly give you those eggs with as little performance as possible.

So when you build chicken coop accessories seek to envisage that you are a insignificant, almost flightless animal and ask yourself where you would feel the most safe. I reckon that ‘off the ground’ should figure quite highly! With that in mind, here is a quick run-down on the common accessories for your coop

Nesting Boxes;
Nesting boxes are for your hens to lay their eggs in – If you thought that they were for sleeping in, you are just like I was when I first started! These can be made out of pretty well anything. Ensure that if it is made out of material that will absorb moisture or that will break down over time that you replace it on a regular basis. They can be lined with straw, paper, shavings or hay, but this also should to be changed on a very frequent basis.

I realize that we mutter about birds wanting their space, but when it comes to the nesting box they definitely like it close, so allocate for 4 or 5 chickens per box rather than building single nests.

The Roost;
The roost is where the sleeping is done.
The roost is the ‘domestic’ version of a high branch in a tree, so it really only wants to be a well-built shaft. So long as it will hold the weight of the chooks and they can get their talons around it firmly most anything will do. An important note when you build chicken coop roosts is that just as in the wild, hens will brawl over the uppermost branch, so make all the roosts the equal height. This is one area that your hens will enjoy their legroom, so make sure that there is enough area on the roosts for all your chooks. This will avoid major arguments and help promote a serene atmosphere.

A big tip here; Do not situate your nesting boxes or any other accessories beneath your roosts! Birds do the majority of their defacating while they sleep – now I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be that keen on laying an egg in a soiled nesting box!

Feeders and Waterers;
These are pretty self explanatory there are a fantastic array of automatic systems around that will ensure that your girls have a set supply of fresh food and water.

Sand Baths;
Sand Baths are pretty much the only ‘luxury item’ in the house. Most people put sand in the bottom when they build chicken coop runs – which acts as flooring as well.

Heaters;
If you reside in very chilly climates then these may be installed in your pen with relative ease. There are various heaters to be had, but many also present a huge fire danger so installing a heater in your hutch should really only be done if totally necessary.

For a great selection of hen house plans – including accessories that will save you time and money head to www.HenHousePlansOnline.com

Building A Portable Chicken Coop

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For many people with smaller backyards or that are only looking to rear a couple of chickens a portable chicken coop is a wonderful option.

The hens go for it because they get a uncontaminated environment and a steady stream of fresh grass, and feed mixture. You will get an easy coop to maintain, you’ll spend less on feed, compost for your garden and building supplies, while still having those fantastic fresh eggs. If you are really lucky your hens will also help to maintain your grass.

This may sound inane and utterly obvious but don’t ignore the benefit that having a coop that you can move nearer to the house, under the shade, or into a temporary shelter at a moments notice brings. Envision a freak snow storm or flash flood, or a day where the mercury shoots through the lid of your thermometer, (don’t snort, they happen more and more frequently now days). If you had a immobile poultry coop odds are that you may well lose the total flock, but with a portable chicken coop you can move your chickens into safety quickly and effortlessly.

Plus you also get the extra advantage of not having to deal with a big coop that you have to work around or think about every time that you need to reorganize the garden or mow the grass.

Making a portable chicken coop is easy but you will need to shift it every couple of days so there are a couple of things that you should work out to make certain that your enclosure is easy to build and painless to use.

Weight and Size:
Have a peek at the plan that you are working from and check the materials that you will be using. From the plan you should be able to make a rough guesstimate about the weight of the coop and how easy it will be to move. It is feasible to exchange some materials for lighter ones – in some cases even PVC piping makes great framing that is also light and durable.

As a guide, a portable chicken coop that is around 3ft x 8ft will probably be okay for most people to move about easily. Any bigger than this and possibly you could look at either attaching wheels on it or searching for a plan where the pen detaches from the run so you can move both segments individually.

Wheels:
Putting wheels on your portable chicken coop is a terrific idea and may solve a whole lot of aggravation! Make sure that the wheels that you use are durable and easily replaced. (Psst – skateboard wheels are great – just don’t let on to your kids where their much loved sporting accessory has vanished to – I bet that they never think to look under the coop!)

Push or Pull?
A good number of plans for a portable chicken coop want you to shove the pen around but in certain cases this might not be the most realistic option. For example, those with a slight knoll in their backyard will be grateful for the ability to tow the house uphill or push it back down again!

Cleaning and Collecting.
One thing that you may not grasp is that chickens poo alot. This is one of the reasons that it is especially critical to reposition them regularly. Be aware of this and picture how you will collect the eggs, scoop up the poo for your garden and relocate the coop without having to walk through the poop!

Happily there are a great collection of plans available for when you want to build a portable chicken coop that contains all the essentials with easy peasy step by step instructions. Go to www.HenHousePLansOnline.com for the best advice on how to build a portable chicken coop that really works.

Building Cheap Chicken Coops

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What a fantastic decision! Farming chickens for their eggs is a great choice. Hens make great pets, they are certainly user friendly, painless to raise, the kids love ‘em and the birds also have quirky personalities.

Many of those that rear hens do not want to spend too much money on the job either, but luckily most chicken coops are able to be built without spending a large amount.

Local newspapers, online sites, internet auction sites are all full of cheap chicken coops. The trick is to get hold of inexpensive chicken coops that also meet the needs of everyone while being good quality and efficient.

Some new off the shelf chicken coops are relatively inexpensive, but bare in mind that you may end up paying far more if you choose a house that does not suit your needs.

So where do you go?

Build one yourself.

Seriously. If you can utilize a hammer and a tape measure, if you know what a right angle is and have a high-quality set of plans then constructing your chicken coops will be a fun, easy and inexpensive proiject for the whole family.

By building it yourself you can also put as much personality as you like into your coop – go on, let the kids decorate it, the chickens won’t mind!

I know that this will seem a pretty frightening idea to some of you who aren’t very practiced at construction or doing DIY projects. But it is alright! There are three simple steps that you can take that will make constructing your own low-cost chicken coops a breeze!

Step 1. Get a plan!
This simple act could be the difference between a fun project or a nightmare. There are hundreds of terrific plans for hen coops available, some will be free on certain internet sites, some will have a small charge. Getting information that will show you through the process step by step is a terrific way to take the stress out of the job

Step 2. Replace materials.
Most chicken coops will be made from a simple wooden frame. This is where it is especially simple to save some money as you can use used lumber and hardware. There are often cut-offs or recycled timber available from local businesses or I bet that you have cast off pieces left over from old projects that you have completed!

Step 3. Decide on the right plan.
There are so many chicken coops and hen hutch plans available but not all of them will be suitable for your job, climate or birds. One of the best ways to save money on your coop is to make sure that you get the right plan and build the right home for your hens first time. Take it from me, life is a lot easier and stress-free if you build a hen house that meets all of your wants straight away!

By using a good plan, making sure that it meets all your needs and recycling materials it is straightforward to make chicken coops cheaply yourself. Go to www.HenHousePlansOnline.com for a great selection of plans that are cheap and easy to build.