Finding a good quality chicken coop plan on the internet is surprisingly difficult. However, if you’re willing to dig through all the advertising and marketing lingo, there are some pretty good plans out there. this article outlines some chicken coop pre-construction essentials.

Before You Start

Right, this may be a bit boring, but it’s important Still, if you already know how many chickens you need to keep it will be pretty easy. You need to decide on 3 main things:

As far as size goes, it’s basically a choice out of small, medium or large. Small coops are great for just a few birds, and are easy to move around and to clean. Medium coops are generally box-shaped and provide adequate running space for 5-9 birds. Large, premium sized coops are for when you’re serious about raising chickens, and want to maximise egg yields.

When it comes to chicken coop styles, you really need to take in to account the climate. You might want to include a hen house to enclose the nests if you live in a particularly wet area. also, if you are a fan of free range breeding, a large chicken run is always a good investment. High quality building plans will show you all about this.

The position of your coop is also extremely important. Chickens are particularly sensitive to subtle changes in light, and will lay differently from season to season. It’s important that the birds get adequate sunlight in the morning. Position the coop to take advantage of this. Again, if you don’t get much sun in your area, install a small light inside the nesting area.