Searching for chicken coop plans online will give you hundreds if not thousands of options for ways to build your chicken coop. To help you choose wisely, I’ve outlined below some things you need to know to help you pick the best chicken coop plans for you.

Size – Make sure it’s big enough. Generally speaking, each chicken should be given about 4 square feet. So if you’re planning on keeping 5 chickens than you need your chicken coop to be around 20 square feet or more to keep those chickens happy and laying. Anything smaller will lead to problems you just don’t want…excessive pecking, disease and cannibalism being the more obvious ones.

Warm and Dry – It’s essential to keep your chickens warm and dry in the cold wet weather. Seal up draughts, insulate the walls and ceiling, close most but not all of the vents. Checks for leaks on a regular basis until you’ve sealed them all. Dampness is a breeding ground for disease in hen houses so the drier the better. It will prevent mould and fungus too.Replace the dry grass or straw on the floor about once a week.

Easy to Keep Clean – Make sure you can access the coop easily. I make the whole front of the coop a door on hinges so I can open it up and clean out with ease. Obviously, I keep this closed at all times and have a cut out door for the chickens to use. Have the floor gently slope towards the door so you can sweep out with ease and hose down with the water draining straight out the front of the coop.

Incorporating these simple tips into your chicken coop plans will save you a lot of time trouble and money in this otherwise enjoyable and worthwhile hobby.

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