Chicken House Coop Plans

When it comes to Chicken House Coop Plans, one size does not fit all. Just as every house and family is different, so are the coops people decide to use to house their poultry. There are also many styles and amenities to choose to customize the area you wish to provide for your birds. However, there are a few basics each chicken coop must have.

Air Flow and Lighting

Typically, you will want to provide a coop that will make your birds comfortable so they can be safe and healthy. Just like people, they need room to grow and move, along with access to fresh air. Windows and wire can provide much needed air and light for the chickens. Fresh air must be able to circulate throughout the coop. The more light that is allowed into the chicken coop, the better egg production you will get from the chickens. The optimal amount that helps chickens produce a steady supply all year is approximately 14 hours of light. This can be impossible to provide all year naturally, therefore you can have artificial light available. You can find Chicken house plans that allow you to add electricity and also provide adequate air flow.

Building Materials

You can build your own chicken house using readily available plans and materials. Local hardware stores and surplus stores will often have all of the materials you need.

If your chicken house plans call for wood, be sure to buy treated wood. If it is not treated, it will quickly rot and deteriorate. You will also want to stain the wood to further protect it from the elements.

Along with wood, you can also use siding to build the body of the coop. When building a roof, be sure to properly slant it. A slanted roof will allow for rain run-off. Having a roof that allows for water to sit will only lead to leaking eventually. Common roof materials include wood, asphalt shingles, and metal.

You will want it elevated to protect it from vermin, predators, and weather. If it is a modest chicken house, the chicken house plans you choose may call for cement blocks as being adequate enough to keep it safely off the ground. However, if your plans are for a larger chicken house, you may want to put in a foundation for added support for the house. When it comes to paint, remember it will be outdoors all year long. You may also want to choose colors that are complimentary to your home if the chicken coop will be visible to others.

Design

When you look for chicken house plans, you may be pleasantly surprised at how elaborate some are.  They no longer have to look like crudely assembled boxes with wire haphazardly wrapped around it. There are many chicken house plans out there that compliment the style and design of your home. You can have your basic arc style chicken coop, yet paint it to match your home and add a fence that is decorative and functional for penning up your poultry. There are also plans that look like miniature Victorian homes with scalloped edging and multi-colored exteriors. Chalet style chicken house plans can have shutters that compliment your house also.

When looking to customize your chicken coop, you can basically go in any aesthetic direction you wish. Once you have the basic elements of function, such as elevation, air flow and lighting, the rest only depends on what you want it to look like from the outside.