Chook farming is a great way to get farm fresh eggs to the table! For some it is really relaxing, for others it is a great way for the family to bond together over a project. But it can quickly turn into a nightmare if your chickencoop is not built correctly and your hens get upset. So when choosing a plan to build a chook house you will need to consider many things – here are the top 5 essential elements to ensure that you have happy, healthy and laying chickens!
1. The size of your shed
When choosing to build a chicken house, the size of the shed that you build will be one of the biggest factors in whether your project is a dream or a complete nightmare. This depends entirely on the number of chooks that you want to house, whether you want a run and how much ‘other stuff’ – like feeders, nests and water troughs – you will be trying to get into the shed.
A quick point to note, each bird needs around 4 square feet as well as for the accessories. So for a medium sized flock – about 10 birds – you will need to build a chicken house that is roughly 40 square feet – are you OK with that?
2.Light
Chickens need light to lay, so when you build a chook house choose chicken coop plans that feature plenty of windows on the sunny side of the building. This will will give your hens natural light and warmth. Be careful that the windows aren’t going to train the sunlight directly onto the hens though – it is really hard to lay an egg with the sun in your eyes!
3. Ventilation
Hens also need fresh air, but hate a draft. So be aware of this when looking at chicken coop plans and assigning them to your site and climate.
4. Security
Stoats, foxes, hawks, owls, dogs, cats, raccoons, snakes, opossums, weasels – it seems like all the local critters love fresh hens and eggs just as much as you do, so when you build a chicken coop make sure that you factor in the right security measures for the predators in your area. This will save you a whole heap of heartache later on.
5. Practicality
There is no point going to all the trouble of choosing a hen house plans to build a chicken coop that is state of the art, architecturally designed, awesome to look at and super comfortable for the chickens if it is completely awful for you to use. Having a egg collection door that is too heavy, too low or just plain awkward will not make the experience a fantastic one for you or your kids.
The same applies for your access door to the house for cleaning and maintenance. If you are not comfortable as a result of this flaw, you will be less likely to want to maintain the coop properly – which will lead to unhappy hens, no eggs and an unhappy family! So make sure that your chicken coop plans allow for your comfort as well as the chickens!
Grab practical information in the sphere of quick and easy recipes – make sure to read the web site. The times have come when concise info is really only one click of your mouse, use this chance.
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The blog was exactly fantastic! Lots of good information and afflatus, both of which we all need!
You’re welcome!