Airfare Watcher - ) Build Your Own, forget Farmville! Chicken Coop Plans - Basic Principles (AKA What the Cluck?

Cleanable and convenient, comfortable, but the best chicken coops tick the boxes of the '4 Cs': closeable. Chicken coop designs can vary a good deal.

Rats and other predators can't attack the chickens or their eggs, closeable: the coop must shut securely at night so foxes.

Of course 'comfort' includes a sloping ladder for them to enter and exit the coop! Mud etc, ) The coop must be open during the day so that the chickens can shelter from bad weather. (One nesting box for every three hens usually suffices. Fairly dark nesting boxes which open off the main perching area and which are lined with fresh straw or wood shavings, you will also need to include well ventilated. During the night their digestions continue to work and so they need ventilation and straw or chicken-wire which droppings can fall into or through! So either a wooden perch or a sturdy chicken-wire floor in a coop with stilts is suitable to keep them content, comfortable: chickens like perching above ground.

This can also make it easier to access the eggs and to move the coop around. You may wish to build a model with easily removable sides or hinged sections, ) For this reason. (This prevents many of the common diseases from becoming a problem. And thoroughly, cleanable: it is important to disinfect the chicken coop regularly.

It may be helpful to think of whether it will attach to the 'main dwelling' and perhaps include attachment points in your chicken coop design, if you plan to have a chicken run too. You should make sure it is easy to get at the inside of the coop to clean it thoroughly, as noted above. If it is made of lightweight materials or easily dismantled you can shift it in sections, it will be more difficult if it is very heavy; when you do move the coop. Convenient: think of what you and your chickens need and what you may need in the future.

Shape and levels in your desired chicken-dwelling, take measurements if possible and make drawings showing the size. Get ideas for good chicken coop designs by looking at existing ready-made coops.

Disinfect it properly before use to kill off any mites etc, if you got it from an old chicken coop, make sure everything you use is clean and. Old furniture can often be dismantled for useful parts; salvaged timber is very good value. Look for bargains on materials.

And your chickens will benefit from the care you take, you are more likely to make a good job of it and enjoy the process, if you give yourself plenty of time. ) Don't expect to get it all done in a few hours! (Rough guide. It's wise to allow around a week of reasonably hard work for building a chicken coop.