My Step by Step Chicken Coop Manual ,
Where To Buy , How to Get Started.
My Step by Step Chicken Coop Manual , Where To Buy , How to Get Started.
Chicken Coop Plans and Best Practices
Before getting started on your
chicken coop, no matter the size or amount of chickens you wish to attend to
you will need a blueprint or plan to layout the building points. You
may design your own coop if you are an expert but if you are reading this most likely you are not. Assuming you’re a beginner, your best option is to pick up a full detailed
manual. I have reviewed and purchased several over the years and found this to be the easiest to follow and by far the most affordable if you would like to go the easy route.
Includes what tools and parts you will need and the cheapest ways to get everything to build the coops and full outlines from start to finish step by step. They are running a
discount right now at the following link if you would like to check it out (you can get them here). Advanced and larger chicken coops can get very overwhelming and can cost
significant amounts of money on material if you are not educated on what best to do. It is best to preferably start out small and lay the ground work and then work your way
up. Here are a few basics to be considered for your coop:
Perches
Many chicken coop plans and manuals that I have bought on ‘how to build a
chicken coop’ forget the
importance of perches. Perches are very important and
are the best place for your chickens to sleep
which is pivotal for the health
of the chicken and your future eggs. Along with the importance of
having enough space for your chickens to move around in the coop, perches are on top of the list.
Also, In most chicken coops, there is a light that puts out heat for the
chickens to gather round which
imitates sunlight for the chicken. Seasons when
days are shorter can take effect on the chickens
and effect their ability to lay the normal amount of eggs . The lights help to avoid this.
Insulation, Food and Nesting
The more controlled the environment of the chickens coop is the more eggs the chickens will yield. After
following one of the plans from this manual (you may view it
by clicking here) most of my chickens were able to lay about 1 egg every 2 days
on average. This can very
depending on if you have a light in your coop, the time of the year, age of the chickens and the breed.
I live in Florida and my chickens lived relatively stress free in a very controlled environment so I was able to yield a good amount of eggs year round.
This brings me to a very important point. If you are trying to build a chicken coop yourself, many important components can be left out. The environment in which your
chickens are going to be living should reflect the kind of materials you use for the building of your chicken coop. This is an important factor that initially drove me to look for
ready-made chicken coop plans when I started out in which I found a chicken coop manual containing materials for different climates and conditions.
Your chickens will be exposed to certain elements depending on where you live, preparing the proper insulation and materials for your coop so your chickens are
comfortable year round is paramount. Without this your chickens will either die, or not produce a desirable amount of eggs due to stress.
Separating Food and Litter
Make sure when designing and building your chicken coop that the litter is
ALWAYS furthest away from the
chickens food and water. If not, you risk contamination in the coop in which all the animals will surely be
affected by
being in close quarters. If purchasing your own ready made chicken coop plans be sure that
this is included in the blueprint. To the left is an example of a litter separation and easy clean up method that
was built using one of the blueprints in the manual stated at the top of this page.
Providing Fresh Air for The Chicken Coop
Obviously the litter will be as far away from the food and water as possible
but this is not all that should be done to prevent disease and contamination.
Providing a chicken
coop with proper ventilation and fresh air is a must., proper air flow through out the coop is required to keep the place refreshing. To do this your best bet is to cut out small
openings throughout the coop reinforced by chicken wire to stop predators from getting in.
How To Clean Your Chicken Coop
One of the most undesirable parts of owning a chicken coop is cleaning out
the litter. Most chicken coop plans have built in access doors for easy entry
to clean out the coop.
If not it will be very difficult and time consuming to clean, along with the unbearable smell you will have to endure. The ideal manual on how to build a chicken coop will have
a droppings tray that you pull out built in, making the process pain free.
Required Tools And Materials
Hammers, saws, nails, measuring tape, gloves, wood, chicken wire. Some people
have these essentials laying around while others may need to go to the local
hardware
store. There is a chance you will need much more than this so be prepared. Check your chicken coop plans or (click here) for for greater details on this.
Build Your Chicken Coop- Chicken Coop Designs
It is best to not build your chicken coop on instinct alone. You must have a
direct plan and blueprint from start to finish. Follow the instructions from
your coop plans exactly or
consult an expert to get started on your chicken coop designs. You will begin by building the foundation of your coop and slowly working your way up.. The roof, doors and
windows are best to be left last in my experience. I like to have my chicken coop somewhat ascetically pleasing. By this I mean I paint or decorate it in a reasonable manner.
This process is usually done by my wife haha. I would recommend the woman of the household take this role they are usually much more mannered in that aspect as you
might already know. This adds a nice finishing touch and also helps to protect a little more against the environment.
All in all chicken coops are an excellent choice! When it comes to saving
money and having a supply of organic food to your household . Make sure to keep
your chickens in
a controlled and comfortable environment and your chickens will be sure to supply you with an endless source of eggs all year round.