Chicken coops plans

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Your chicks are on order and the brooder tub is all set up and ready for them. Now you just need a place to put them when they’re ready to move outdoors. You need a chicken coop, a henhouse, a chicken tractor — but which one? And how big should it be? Can you convert an old shed to a chicken coop?

Decide on Management Method

The type of coop you choose depends on whether the chickens will live full-time in it, have access to an outside run or all of the great outdoors, or whether it will be a movable coop that can be relocated frequently for fresh ground.

Decide on Square Footage

You will then need to determine the amount of space you need for the number of chickens you have. One especially important consideration is how many chickens you plan to keep on an ongoing basis. You might want to build on the large side, allowing for new baby chicks either bred or bought, or for future flock expansion.

If your birds will have access to an outdoor run, you’ll want to allow for a minimum of 2-3 square feet per bird inside the coop, and aim for about 4 square feet per bird in the run. The higher you can go, the better, though. If your birds will be cooped all winter (chickens don’t like to go out onto snowy surfaces), allow for 5-10 square feet per chicken. For birds that will be completely confined in a chicken tractor without an outdoor pen, give a minimum of 5 square feet per bird. These are just general guidelines. The bigger the chicken, the more space it needs – so meat birds in general require more space than laying hens, and full-grown pullets need more space than baby chicks. Most annoying chicken problems like pecking and aggressiveness can be cured with more space, so plan for as generously-sized a coop as you can fit or afford.

Consider Which Features You Need

Chicken coops vary from a very simple floorless wooden box with chicken wire surrounding it and a piece of roofing on it, to some digs that are more spacious than some human habitats! There are so many options, and it can seem daunting to choose a design.

If you are an urban or suburban homesteader, you may need to consider aesthetics and security of the flock (from escaping into neighbors’ gardens) more highly than those in a rural setting. There are many plans for chicken coops that look attractive. Sometimes they have a whimsical design aesthetic.

If you have laying hens, they will need one nest box or one square foot of community nesting space per 4-5 hens. Most laying chickens like to roost. A good rule of thumb is 6-10 inches of roosting space per bird. Roosts should be at least 2 feet off the ground, as should nest boxes. Nest boxes should be about 1 foot square, or “community” nests should have at least one 9 by 12 inch opening every 20 square feet of nest space.

Roosts can be as simple as a ladder fastened to the wall at an angle, or twigs attached to the walls of the coop. Milk crates or plastic tubs lined with shavings or straw make fine nest boxes; just attach them to a shelf or to the wall directly.

Coops and tractors must have ventilation, so that gases from birds’ respiration and poop don’t build up inside. Chickens love shade, so a coop and run should include shady spots. Areas where hens can dust bathe is a nice addition. This can be as simple as a box filled with dirt or sand if there isn’t a spot on the floor of the coop. Hens with access to outdoors will find places for their dust baths. In winter, my hens just pick a clean spot somewhere in the coop, usually a corner.

Decide Whether to Reuse, Build or Buy

Do you have a doghouse or shed that can be repurposed into a coop? Don’t build a new structure if you don’t have to. If you’re not a builder, you can search craigslist or other classifieds for potential coop buildings small enough to be moved to your property. A new coat of paint, some ventilation put in (cut holes and cover with chicken wire or install windows), and some nest boxes and roosts inside, and you’re in business. One thing to consider is the floor system – a wood floor can rot if you use the deep litter method, so expect more frequent cleanouts. A building without a floor can be put on the earth for the deep litter method, or on a concrete slab.

If you can’t find an already-built structure to reuse, consider whether you want to build the coop yourself or buy one premade. For urban homesteaders and hobby farmers with small flocks and aesthetic considerations, buying a premade coop might make sense. For small farmers with a few dozen hens, building a coop is probably a better economic choice.

Find Plans and Ideas

You now know: what size coop you need, what basic type of coop or tractor you need, whether you need roosts and/or nest boxes, and whether you’re renovating, building or buying your chicken coop. Here are some resources to look at for inspiration, plans, and premade coops.

• How to Build a Movable Chicken Coop or Chicken Tractor

• Backyard Chickens Coop Designs Page

• Prebuilt Coops at MyPetChicken.com

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Cheap Chicken Coops And What You Should Consider

If you are thinking about having chickens, then that is a very good idea. However, have you thought about what those critters will need? Of course, they will need food and water, but where will they be staying? Some people have a tendency to think they can get chickens and just release them in the yard. Where will they sleep? Your chickens will need to have a coop to rest in. Why would you want to spend so much on a hen house when you could build some cheap chicken coops? In all actuality, one that is self made with some extras can cost you under half the price of a brand new one. It won’t take long to build either. If you work on it every day, it will only take one day or two to build it. Below, we are going to give you some coop options that you should look into. The coop you choose is all going to have to do with how big your backyard or farm is. It is also going to do with how many chickens you plan on housing and how much energy and time you are willing to invest in it. Now, let’s go over the three options with you. Option number one: Your first option involves a small coop. This type of coop is great, especially if you are not looking to house many chickens. If you are renting a home or you plan on moving in the future, then you may want to go with the small one. This is because you can move it around without busting it. To be exact, you can hold anywhere from one to three chickens in it. If you do not think this option is for you, because you want to house more than this, then take a look at option number two. Option number two: This next option will involve a medium one. It will be a box-shaped coop. If you do not plan on moving around, then this will be great. However, moving it can be done, but since it is a bit bigger, it will be more difficult to do. To be exact, this one will house anywhere from four to nine critters. If you plan on having more critters than this, then you may want to look at our last option, which is option number three. Option number three: This is a large sized one. It is a premium chicken coop. Of course, since it is large in size, it can hold ten or more chickens. Is this what you are looking for? This is every chicken lover’s dream. It probably goes without saying that you will find it extremely difficult to move this one, because it is so big in size. Are you new to keeping chicken, yet you would like to have a decent amount to produce enough eggs? If so, then we recommend you going for the medium one. Later on, when you are used to it and your flock starts to grow, you can expand the medium one. Personally, we don’t recommend the small one as being a permanent home for the birds, because it’s unethical and is going to reduce the overall egg output. So, which one are you going to choose?

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Chapter 14: Legal Aspects by Christine Heinrichs Christine’s website, blog

“As with any agricultural enterprise in our complex world, raising chickens is subject to a variety of laws and regulations. Finding out what they are and abiding by them will save you many headaches.

Raising chickens is generally governed by local zoning and land-use laws and ordinances. With the advent of the NAIS and individual state systems, you may also have to register your premises with the state and identify every chicken you own.

Local law may not be the only standard you have to meet. Some planned-unit developments place restrictions on the deeds that prohibit livestock, which is generally understood, if not specified, to include chickens.

Keeping land in agricultural use provides green space. Small farms, under pressure from development as cities expand, may be able to present economic value if they are producing eggs and meat for local markets. Planners are learning the value of green space and may be amenable to persuasion of the importance of small farms.

Local Poultry Ordinances The laws regulating chickens will be part of the municipal or community laws that govern your property. That could be a city ordinance or, if you live in a rural area, it could be the county policy. Your local health department may also have a role in regulating the raising of poultry. In addition, your deed may have restrictive covenants that include chickens. Laws generally regulate the number of chickens permitted, crowing roosters, waste, smell, housing, and backyard butchering.

Chickens are usually classified as livestock or barnyard animals. That makes some people think of them as unsuited to urban and suburban life. Negative attitudes about the status and connotations of keeping chickens in the backyard have resulted in restrictions on them and outright bans.

Locate accurate information from your local government. Most local governments have online resources for those who have Internet access. All local governments are required to provide information to the citizens who live within their boundaries. In some states, municipal authority to control livestock and poultry may extend beyond the municipal boundary. Start with the information desk in the municipal building. Keep asking questions until you find a local government employee who is knowledgeable. As a general rule, erroneous information provided by a local government official is not a defense for violation of a local ordinance.

Where a restrictive covenant in a deed regulates poultry, local government officials will not have any information about this. You should read your deed and consult an attorney if the language that it contains is difficult to understand. If your neighborhood has a homeowners’ association, it may have adopted rules governing the raising of livestock and poultry.

Extension agents, 4-H leaders, and high-school agriculture teachers are good resources for getting started, but they may not know exactly what applies to your property. Check the original documents to make sure you know what you have to do to comply with the law.

If the law is unclear or confusing, ask for help. If no one knows for sure about chickens, pursue the question further. The animal control officer may know how the community deals with chickens and chicken coops, or be able to direct you to someone who does.

If no one, including your elected representatives, can determine what is meant by the law, you may be the person to lead a movement to change it. This happened in Madison, Wisconsin, where, up to 2004, no laws prohibited chickens, but building a coop for them was not allowed. Chicken-lovers kept chickens in their yards, a sort of open secret. So long as no one complained, there was no problem. Occasionally differences arose among neighbors and a city inspector would come out and talk to the chicken owners, sometimes even telling them they would have to get rid of their chickens.

Sometimes they did, and sometimes they simply moved them down the street to a friend’s yard for a few months and then quietly moved them back. They considered themselves the Poultry Underground.

In 2003, Alicia Rheal and Bryan Whiting decided to get the law changed to make chickens legal in Madison. Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, already had ordinances on their books, giving them models from which to work. Alderperson Matt Sloan was sympathetic.

After six months of publicity to inform the public, backed with experiences of other communities and the endorsement of Mark Cook, a professor in the Poultry Science Department at the University of Wisconsin, the city Common Council adopted an ordinance specifying the conditions for keeping chickens inside city limits in May 2004.

Being a good neighbor is one of the most important ways to avoid complaints about your chickens. In addition to meeting the basics of local laws, always keep your chickens clean and avoid smells. Replace litter frequently and compost or dispose of manure properly. It is a valuable fertilizer, but make sure you don’t create a situation that will offend your neighbors. Information about composting can usually be obtained through your local cooperative extension office. Landscaping can camouflage the chicken house and yard, making it more palatable to neighbors.

Giving neighbors fresh eggs occasionally can win over doubtful neighbors. You can also invite them over to meet the chickens and explain your interest to them. Enthusiastic advocates can influence detractors. They may never want chickens for themselves, but at least they can be convinced to tolerate them in your yard.

Some communities have tightened laws about chickens since the avian influenza scare of 2005. You may need to prepare information to reassure neighbors and local officials that your birds represent no danger to anyone.

A restaurant owner in Long Island has kept half a dozen chickens, including a rooster, since he moved to the area in the 1970s. He prefers the fresh eggs for the eggs Benedict he serves his customers. A new law forbidding farm animals in town was not immediately enforced. Existing businesses are usually protected from new laws by a grandfather clause, allowing the business to continue operating as it has in the past.

A homeowner in New Jersey had been keeping chickens for a year before someone complained to the city. The Board of Health investigated and found them in violation of local ordinance. After consulting with a lawyer, the family decided to apply for a zoning variance that would make their chickens legal.

These situations reflect the legal confusion that exists in many places. Chickens trigger strong feelings in some situations. Stay calm, research your options, and be pleasant and polite. Nothing is gained from a shouting contest.

Ultimately, you are going to be part of a community. With tact and goodwill, you can convince the community to include your chickens.

Voluntary Agricultural Districts A recent strategy to keep land in agricultural use is the voluntary agricultural district. On the county level, land already in agricultural use can be shielded from nuisance lawsuits and protected from nonfarm development.

Owners of land currently in agricultural use can agree to be included in a voluntary agricultural district, exempting them from sewer and water assessments that are required for residential and commercial development. They usually have some protection from being sued by new neighbors who don’t want to hear the rooster crowing.

The agricultural district can work with insurers to provide coverage for agritourism activities. The district offers a structure through which landowners can advance public education about agriculture. Forming a district can attract supportive infrastructure such as feed stores, processing facilities, and marketing opportunities for your eggs and meat.

In an era of mini-estates encroaching on agricultural land, voluntary agricultural districts can maintain land near urban and suburban areas in agricultural uses that enhance the open green space. They are a tool to support agricultural uses against the pressure of development. If your state has an agricultural district program, information is usually available from your state department of agriculture or your local cooperative extension office.

State and Federal Regulations The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a system to identify every livestock animal in the country. Individual states, such as Wisconsin and Indiana, have also passed laws requiring all properties that have livestock to register with that state. Find out what laws apply in your state in order to comply with them. These programs have aroused a lot of controversy and resistance, so implementation varies across the nation.

The USDA’s National Animal Identification System suggests giving every farm animal a seven-digit number and tracking its every move off the premises on which it lives throughout its life. Animal Identification Number is being used as the proper name for this requirement, often seen as AIN. The goal is for animal health officials to be able to trace back to the source of any disease within 48 hours of its discovery.

Radio-frequency technology in the form of implanted microchips is one possible means of tagging animals. Chickens and other poultry may be allowed to be identified by numbered leg or wing bands. Animals that leave their premises for any reason, such as to go to a show, will be required to have an identification number. Even chickens that never leave their premises are encouraged to be identified.

Databases of identified animals will be kept either through breed organizations, commercial producers, state premises registration, or any other databases the USDA needs to track every animal.

Organizations supporting sustainable agriculture, rare-breeds conservation, and individual rights have rallied their members to oppose NAIS. You can join them by contacting any organizations of which you are already a member to find out what you can do to oppose NAIS. ”

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Chicken arks, hen houses, chicken coops, chicken houses of all sorts and sizes: wooden kits, plastic ready-made, delightful mini houses, mobile arks and tractors,

We’re here to help. We found it bewildering when we started to keep chickens, and our friends did too, so we’ve collected information and reviews about what’s available – the good, the bad, the beautiful, and and the ugly too!

We’ve looked at ready made chicken houses and found some good plans for chicken houses too.

It could help you avoid expensive mistakes, and your chickens will be happier too.

What chicken house options are there?

To simplify, we found there are broadly three main types:

Chicken Arks or Chicken Tractors

These are made from wood or metal, with either a roosting and nesting area in one end and a run at the other, or a run underneath the roosting area. They are usually triangular in section. The key thing is that they have handles or wheels, so you can move them around your backyard/garden, so your chickens get new ground to graze and peck (and you get your weeds kept down).

This can be a good first type of chicken house to take three to four chickens.

Simple Fixed Chicken Houses

With a simple sloping roof and basically rectangular shape, a roosting area at one end (often raised) and usually with nest boxes accessible from the outside, these chicken houses are fixed with an integral run. Sometimes they are larger versions of a chicken ark – which is an attractive shape.

If you want your chickens to have space to range free, you let them out.

Large Chicken Houses

We’ve grouped all the pitched roof type of chicken houses under this heading as they are usually for larger flocks. The design usually has externally accessed nest boxes and a run attached at on end – or the chicken house sits in the middle of a run, although this can be left off if the chickens are left to range free and they can wander in and out.

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CHICKEN COOPS GENERAL INFORMATION
So you’re thinking about building a chicken coop but don’t want to spend a fortune on
coop plans and building materials? This was my thought when I built my own coop a
few years ago. I’ve read that the average person spends $300.00 to build their coop
and I didn’t want to spend that much – I scoured the internet to find free (or cheap)
but well made chicken coop designs that I could either build myself or buy.

I’ve included the links to FREE coop designs on the left side of the page.
the links contain plans to big or small chicken coops, depending on your needs. I’ve
also added some ideas for cheap or free chicken coop supplies i.e. building
materials, chicken feeders, chicken water containers, chicken nest boxes, chicken
roosts, and a few recommended books on how to care for chickens. I’ll be adding more information to each of these topics as time goes on. For now, I wanted to give you the basics and show you some pictures of the coop that I use and some of the supplies that have worked for me.

CHICKEN COOP DESIGNS
There are hundreds of different designs available for your coop. A picture of my coop is posted here – It’s made of scrap lumber and left over house paint. If you’re looking to build a coop with the links to free plans below, you’ll be limited to only those designs…but at least they’re free, functional, and actually quite lovely! And you can always add your own design twists too.

How you design your coop will, of course, depend on your needs. If you are planning to have a small flock and want to build a smaller coop, you may want to consider a portable chicken coop. These are also called “chicken tractors.” They often do not have floors and can be moved every few days or weeks from one part of your lawn to another so the grass does not get trampled down. This is ideal for raising chickens in urban areas where there may be limited space for them to run around. It’s also beneficial for both your chickens and your lawn. The chicken droppings provide great fertilizer for your lawn and, by moving the coop often, the chickens get access to new bugs and fresh grass. Plus, you don’t have to worry about cleaning up the droppings!

You can use any design you want, or create your own – the chickens won’t likely care. But do keep in mind your skill level when building it. I used a design of my own creation – now this worked just fine in the end, and I had fun building it. But I didn’t have a lot of experience in wood working or construction so it took me a lot longer to come up with a blueprint, to figure out how much wood it would take etc. I also encountered problems while constructing it since my blueprint wasn’t perfectly polished and ready to go – so the construction process didn’t always go smoothly either.

In hindsight, I wish I would have simply used an already available design that I found online since it would have saved me a ton of time and energy. But like I said – I do take great pride in my little 4′x8′ creation and the chickens seem perfectly happy in it! You’ll figure out what will work best for you.

CHICKEN COOP MATERIALS
Chicken coops can be made from almost anything – revamping an old shed or camping trailer, using scrap lumber, PVC pipes, 50 gallon barrels, tarps, kits, and the list goes on. Wood is the most commonly used material for coop building. Depending on the size of your coop, buying new lumber can get expensive.

I was able to find a couple of businesses which sell used or scrap lumber and this worked nicely for my 4′x 8′ coop. I even found some used windows and a couple sets of unused shingle there. If you decide to build your coop with used lumber, be prepared to pull out some nails, cut out some broken pieces, and to be creative with what you find. It takes extra time and TLC to build a coop using “recycled” or used wood – but I found the extra time well worth it in how much money I saved!

Another view of my coop above – I lucked out in finding a few stacks of new shingles to use! I also saved extra space inside the coop by building the nest boxes on the outside – you can see the row of nest boxes in the picture, jutting out on the right side (which is actually the back of the coop). There are 8 total boxes for them to choose from.

CHICKEN NEST BOXES
The suggested size for chicken nest boxes is 15″ wide, 15″ high and 11 1/8″ (see picture for example). This can vary to a certain extent. My nest boxes are about 2″ smaller than this and work just fine. You can fill your boxes with straw or place some type of padding down on the bottom so the eggs won’t crack when they lay. I noticed that they tend to kick and scratch a lot of straw out of the boxes so I stapled a piece of padding onto the bottom.

I started off with 8 chickens and made a nest box for each chicken. It turns out they all used the same 2 nest boxes for laying eggs! I’ve even seen 3 chickens in the same nest box at the same time – therefore, you don’t need to make too many boxes. They tend to gravitate toward the same box. If you have a big flock – you’ll need to make more. In some of the links I’ve provided, there are some excellent pictures of nest boxes, diagrams, and “how-to” instructions for building nest boxes. A view of a couple of my nest boxes is pictured above.

CHICKEN ROOSTS
A 2″ by 4″ or 2″ by 2″ board works nicely as a roost. You can also use a tree branch measuring between 3″ to 6.” I used a 2 x 4 and rounded off the edges with a circular saw, and these are working like a champ. This step is not necessary, but I’ve found that they are able to grip onto the roost better when it’s slightly rounded. A view of my roost and walkway leading to the roost is pictured above.

I made sure to place the roosts where the droppings are not in my way when I enter the coop so I don’t have to clean it off my shoes after being inside. Depending on the type of coop you build, you may also want to consider positioning the roosts where you can easily clean up the droppings.

Chickens seem to like roosting higher in the coop at night, so I positioned mine about 4 feet off the ground. I then constructed a walkway leading up to the roost since we clipped their wings (more on this in a bit). It’s basically an 8″ wide board which angles up from the floor to the roost with some make shift “steps” nailed on and spaced every 6″ or so – something they can use to “grip” onto as they walk up.

Back to wing clipping, just briefly – we clipped the outer part of the wings – on one side only. Don’t worry – this does not involve pain for the chickens in any way, and it prevents them from taking flight. When the wings are clipped, it’s done toward the outer part of the wing where there is no blood supply. We didn’t clip their wings at first because we thought it would hurt them. They kept flying over the fence, however, and and we lost one to a neighborhood dog. Thus, the wing clipping, and consequent ramp from the floor to the roost inside the coop. There is a great illustration on wing clipping at www.backyardchickens.com.

CHICKEN FEEDER
The farm stores all carry a nice selection of chicken feeders and water containers but they can be rather expensive. I made a 5 gallon feeder and waterer using two 5 gallon buckets I got for free at our local grocery store – usually the bakery or deli section – and two 20 inch plastic planter bases. The plastic planter bases cost around $5.00 – I purchased mine from a garage sale. Of course, any local retailer such as Walmart, Target, or your local hardware store or nursery would carry them as well. The 5 gallon feeder I’m currently using is pictured above – after filling it with feed, it will last about 3 weeks for 13 chickens.

How it’s done: To make the Chicken feeder – drill several holes about 1 1/2″ in diameter around the bottom of the bucket. Make sure the bottom edge of the holes are no higher up than 1/2″ from the very bottom of the bucket. Next – place the bucket in the bottom of the plant base so the top of the bucket is still up. Don’t throw away the lid – you’ll still need it. Make sure the bucket is centered as best as possible in the plant bottom and then screw it in place using 3 or 4 screws until it is secure. That’s it! just pour in the feed and put the lid on and you’ve got 5 gallons worth of feed. I’m guessing this would be roughly 20 lbs of feed since it holds just under half of a 50lb bag of chicken feed in my feeder. I place my feeder on top of 2 concrete blocks – chickens are sloppy eaters and this helps prevent feed spillage. I’ve seen other people hang their feeders a few inches off the ground with rope. The suggested distance off the ground is about the height of the chickens back.

CHICKEN WATER CONTAINER
For the waterer, it’s the same method except you only need to drill one or two small holes (1/4″ or so) near the base of the bucket – and drill them around 1″ up from bottom of the bucket. You can vary the height or distance from the bottom of the bucket a little, but make sure the hole does not lie above the rim of the planter base – If you do, all the water will overflow out of the trough.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUILDING A CHICKEN COOP
Dimensions: Each chicken requires 3 to 4 square feet of space – this will need to be taken into account when designing your coop so you don’t make it too small. I would suggest making it a little bigger than you need since, if you’re like me, you’ll want to purchase more chickens each year.

Climate: Build your coop to suit the climate of your area. If you live in a warm climate, you will need to make sure there is plenty of ventilation to keep your chickens cool. In cold climates, it’s important to keep out the draft and to make sure it’s warm enough so that the drinking water doesn’t freeze. An insulated coop will ensure the coop isn’t drafty either. But you’ll still want good ventilation, however, to ensure that fresh air can move in and out of the coop – minimizing the likelihood of your chickens getting sick.

Elevated Coop: An optional part of the design is elevating your coop. Having it elevated can help with the flooding rains and keep it cooler in the summer heat. It also gives the chickens a shady place to go during the day. I elevated my coop and noticed I’ve never had any rodents in it either – I’m not sure it’s a way to fool proof your coop from rodents or predators, but it probably helps to some degree.

Location: If you live in the city, check your city regulations. Sometimes, they require you to be at least 5 ft from the property line. Also, try to make a coop that won’t be offensive to your neighbors. It doesn’t have to be as pretty as the home you live in, but not too unsightly so as to reduce property values. Keeping on top of the smell is also key, since you don’t want to damage relationships with your neighbors.

It’s beneficial for the chickens to have adequate sunlight as well – for staying warmer in cold climates and for maximum egg production. Putting a window on the south side would allow for the light to enter the coop all day.

Deep Litter Method
You’ll also have to consider if you’re going to clean out the droppings on a regular basis or if you want to use the “deep litter” method, which is less maintenance. This is important to consider for designing the floor of your coop. Some people prefer to use a chicken wire floor so the droppings fall into a container under the coop for easier cleaning, less odor in the coop, and a way to regularly stay on top of the cleaning.

With the deep litter method, you essentially have around 4-8 inches of wood pellets, wood (pine) shavings, or other bedding on the floor of the coop. Every few days you’ll want to use a rake or shovel to stir the droppings on the top into the bedding underneath. The chickens do this on their own, but you’ll want to rake it in a bit deeper and more evenly across the whole floor.

The bedding/droppings will begin to decompose underneath. As this happens, the amount or level of bedding starts to shrink down. As this happens, you’ll simply add another inch (or more) of bedding so you’ll always have about 4-8 inches. By using this method, the odor is minimal. You really only need to clean the entire coop out once or twice a year.

I use the deep litter method and highly recommend it – it saves me a lot of time, and I can use that rich compost for our garden once it’s done! I buy 40 lb bags of wood pellets for my coop – most large retailers i.e. Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes will carry some. It may be that they only stock up on wood pellets during the winter so it may help to call the store in advance. Another great place to get pellets is at farm stores, and they usually carry them all year long. However, the price may be a bit higher.

I start off pouring a few bags on the floor until I get about 5 inches of pellets, spread evenly across the floor. I occasionally (once a week) rake the droppings on top, into the pellets underneath. Then I periodically add another bag of pellets – about every 3 monts on average.

I usually know when it’s time to add another bag of bedding – when the coop starts to smell a little and just raking the droppings into the bedding underneath is not working to eliminate this odor anymore. After a year, I simply clean it all out and start the process over again. You can find more information on this process at www.backyardchickens.com which, by the way, is an excellent overall resource for all things related to chicken care.

Predator Control
If you live in an area near dogs, coyotes, racoons, skunks, mountain lions, fisher cats, red tailed hawks, or bears (the most common predators), you’ll want to make sure to make your coop is predator proof. For an outpen made of chicken wire or bird netting, you should embed the material 8″-12″ below the ground around the perimeter of the pen to prevent the would-be predator from digging in.

If your coop is fenced in with woven wire farm fencing (or any other type of farm fencing), it is a good idea to place either a strand of electric wire or barbed wire around the perimeter a few inches off the ground on the outside of the fence. Again, this will deter predators from entering.

RECOMMENDED LINKS TO NEW CHICKEN COOPS AND SUPPLIES
If, after reading all of this, you don’t feel up to the task or decide you DO have the money for a coop after all or don’t want to go through the work of building a coop – there are dozens of good chicken coops for sale. Here are a few links to some excellent coops and chicken coop supplies!

http://www.henspa.com
http://www.mypetchicken.com

I hope this information was helpful. I’ll be adding more as time allows. Good luck with your coop building adventures!

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Chicken broiler and egg production are the most progressive animal enterprises in the Philippines today. The poultry industry in fact began as a backyard enterprise but has shifted to the formation of very large integrated contract farming operations. The growth of tile poultry industry in the Philippines has indeed been impressive but its problems including inefficient management and the prevalence of many destructive poultry diseases and parasites cannot be ignored. This manual provides technology and management know-how for poultry raising which we hope present poultry raisers and prospective poultry producers may find useful in effectively managing their poultry farms and also help them realize substantial financial returns from their enterprises in this period of high production cost inputs.

Chicken Breeds/Stock to Raise

The following Call be used as a guide in selecting the foundation stock to

* Stock should only be purchased from a reliable hatchery or franchised dealer where the parent stocks are well-housed and well-managed.
* The kind of stock to buy depends upon the purpose for which it is going to be raised.
* Chicks should be tree from diseases and deformities.
* Chicks should have uniform size and color and in the case of broiler chicks should not be less than 33 grams at day-old.
* For a start, a popular strain raised in the community can be selected as it is an indication of the bird’s good performance under existing farm conditions.
* For broilers, choose those that have high livability and are fast growers.
* For layers, choose those that have good egg size, high egg production and long productive

Download here for the complete instruction manual.

More Tips in Caring for Chicks, Chickens and Layers

Care of birds and fowl in hot weather – Birds and fowls are more suited to cold than to hot weather. They lay more eggs in cold weather because they are not stressed. Fowls do not perspire but they pant for breath and need much drinking water in hot weather..

Care of chicks – The first week in newly hatched chicks is important. It is here that the health of the fowl depends, to give it good price. These first seven days is 15% of the growth and life of a growing chick. In the natural way, the mother hen teaches the chicks, as they go about together…

Chicken – Instead of providing more ventilation or cooling devices in chicken coops during hot weather, give more fat in their meals instead of pure corn so as to cool their bodies. Chicken given fat gain weight more quickly than those given pure carbohydrates (corn) only…

Ammonia – toxic for chicks – Like children, growing chicks easily get infected with disease. In coops where they are reared, respiratory sicknesses are common when they are crowded and ventilation is poor. This is because of ammonia, a gas that is emitted by the decaying feces of the chicks…

Good layers – Layers will lay eggs regularly if they are kept away from noise and disturbances. The effect of noise and disturbances on 4,000 layers was studied by four scientists from the University of Zagreb, Yugoslavia. When a strong electric bell was sounded, the number of eggs laid was decreased…

Poor layers – Poor layers cost food and space, and so should be removed. The marks of a poor layer are: The comb is pale, dry and withdrawn at the top and below the throat. the eyes are dim. The hen is thin and inactive…

Gathering of eggs – Gather the eggs 3 times a day or more in hot weather. Eggs easily spoil in a warm surrounding. Put the eggs in a basket or container. Sort the eggs according to size…

Salt: increases egg laying – The sodium content of salt is necessary for egg laying. But this element is not provided in commercial feeds because it will increase the cost. To enable the hen to produce well, mix 200 gms of salt for every 2 sacks of feed…

Light for good egg laying – Light is important in the setting up of a coop for layers. It has much to do in the maturation of the growing layers and their capability to lay plenty…

Strong egg shells – According to studies in the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, a laying hen given Vitamin D when feed bears stronger egg shells than those not given Vitamin D. Several groups of layers were given different doses of Vitamin D3 (calciferol, derived from the fish liver oil)…

Uses of egg shells – According to researchers from Brent School, Baguio City, egg shells have certain uses that are not benefited from, such as: Fertilizer – egg shells contain calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur…

Feed for chicken – Watermelon rind. Researchers at UP Los Baños fed watermelon rind to chickens for 6 months. These were compared to chicken given ordinary commercial feed. They observed that commercial feeds can be replaced with watermelon rind up to 20%…

Soap powder for chicken – According to farmers with long experience in chicken raising, mixing powder soap with the feed increases the weight of the chicken more than does the adding of feed. This is because detergent aids in the process of digestion in the chicken, reduces fat, and suppresses some parasites in the intestinal tract…

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Chick: A hatchling
Capon: A castrated male used for meat. (How much could that yield?)
Pullet: A female chicken under one year old.
Hen: A female chicken over one year of age
Rooster: A male chicken over one year of age.

Raising Chickens for the first time can be intimidating. When I first called the Feed Shop, I was trying to sound like a pro. I asked, “Do you sell pullets?” “Yes”, the man replied. “Are they all females?” It’s been an uphill battle ever since.

Pullet parenthood is an much of an adventure as child rearing, only with more feces per pound of body weight. However, I’ve been reading quite a bit on poultry matters. (Yes, my coolness just turned over in its grave.) So if I am correct and I am quite certain I am not, here is how chicken rearin’ goes.

Go to your local feed store and purchase $10.00 worth of chicks and $50 worth of food and supplies. Don’t forget the water dispensers. Buying the metal ones, never plastic is always advised. I have yet to see a metal one.

Next, place the chicks somewhere sheltered, like a bedroom closet. Toss in some highly flammable straw or wood shavings and promptly dangle a glowing heat lamp just above them. Note to self: Update homeowner’s policy.

For the next several weeks feed them 3 lbs of food per day and remove 4 lbs of sh*t per day from the closet. Despite all logic the birds get bigger. As the adult feathers grow in be sure to clip one of their wings. That is one per bird, not just one wing total. If clipping is done late chicks will nest in your toilet. This is a bad thing.

Clipping can be accomplished by tossing your scissors and your body into the heaping mound of chicks, poop and straw. Grab a wiggling screeching bird from the bile pile. Restrain it with one hand. Stretch the wing out with your second hand. Clip off 50% of the wings outer ten feathers with your third hand.

As the birds grow adjust the heat light temperature down by one degree per day. No, this is not actually possible. That’s not my point. You start at 100 degrees for hatchlings then continue down by one degree per day until your bedroom is a minimum of 3 degrees cooler than the spring blizzard outside your window.

Once you have frozen your ear to your semi-cannibalistic down pillow and the chicks have grown their adult feathers, they can be moved outside to the coop. I estimate the initial closet rearing stage to have taken five years.

Before the move, experience the Joy of Wing Clipping one more time. Feather clipping never works the first time. No one knows why. Still, after all the hassle you probably don’t want them to fly the coop in under sixty seconds. Of course, if you’re like me, by this time you may be inclined to pack them each a lunch and leave a stack of Greyhound tickets by the open coop gate.

Regarding habitat construction: Hen houses and chicken coops are a competitive art form. There are a myriad of web sites showing off architectural designs from Chicken Chateaus to Bird Bordellos. The meticulous craftsmanship makes my own home look like – well – like a chicken coop.

Always fashionable, I went with a shabby chic motif for my coop. The nesting boxes are an eclectic mix of stolen milk crates affixed to the wall by anything in arms reach. As for the coop itself, there is a gift for tight chicken wire, which eludes me. Quite frankly, my first attempt at a coop looks like Dr. Seuss dropped a hit of acid, blasted some Jefferson Starship and rolled around on the wire with every Who in Whoville. I think I’ll keep it.

Inferior design aside, I ultimately learned a thing or two. The nesting boxes are supposed to be up off the ground. That is correct. For those of you keeping score you just spent two weeks cutting back the birds flight feathers only to hang their houses in the sky. It’s just sick.

Higher than the nest boxes, you are to build a roost. This is where the birds crap at night so they do not crap on your breakfast eggs. Of course the roost is usually OVER the nesting boxes, so whatever you do, don’t use those perforated plastic milk crates.

For young birds maintain a heat light in the hen house. Then on cooler nights an animal with a brain the size of an bulimic toe nail clipping will make the conscious decision to forgo your nest boxes, bypass the instinctual roost and leap into a tanning bed.

And finally there is the feed regime. I asked several experts and read up on feeding as well. Make sure to give your chickens, starter formula, mash, growth formula, start & grow, brood formula, grit, no grit, scraps, no scraps, goat placenta, nothing suggested on the internet, tetramyaicn, no antibiotics, medicated starter, non-medicated starter and never ever switch in-between.

I may not be Queen of the Coop yet, but I’m working on it. Though I am still a zoologist and I still know Birds 101. Here are two myths I can help with. First, you do not need a rooster to get eggs. Most folk, especially those who have never owned chickens, will advise you on chickens. Each will insist you need a rooster for a while to do his manly duties, then you can slip him in the pot. As appealing as this concept is, your pot is a separate issue.

Roosters are only needed to make fertile eggs. Hens are all that is needed to make breakfast eggs. Fertile eggs are just peachy if raising chicks was such a joy the first time you want to repeat the whole freakin’ process. In addition there is always the risk of breaking a fertilized egg open and finding a 50% formed chick fetus hitting your hot skillet. Yum! Years of therapy will follow.

To keep it straight in your mind consider this: You are going about your life. Suddenly massive balls of calcium start stacking up inside your abdomen. Are you going to hold on to them just because you have not had sex lately?

The second bird myth is totally unrelated so I thought I would mention it. Penguins occur in nature from the Equator on Southward. That is down to the Antarctica, not the Arctic! No, they do not hang out with Polar Bears who live in the Arctic. No, you did not see them when you worked in Alaska, in the Arctic. Those were puffins.

No, I am not sorry you look stupid to all those folks you told penguin tales to.
Yes, some penguin species even reside on the Galapagos Islands at the equator (Cold weather would kill them), not floating around on icebergs – and not in the Arctic! Yes, I realize my eggs are not all in one basket. Delusional, close-minded people who insist you need a rooster to fertilize your penguin eggs so polar bears won’t loose their food supply drove me crazy!

by: Nola L. Kelsey

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Chick: A hatchling

Capon: A castrated male used for meat. (How much could that yield?)

Pullet: A female chicken under one year old.

Hen: A female chicken over one year of age

Rooster: A male chicken over one year of age.

Raising Chickens for the first time can be intimidating. When I first called the Feed Shop, I was trying to sound like a pro. I asked, “Do you sell pullets?” “Yes”, the man replied. “Are they all females?” Its been an uphill battle ever since.

Pullet parenthood is an much of an adventure as child rearing, only with more feces per pound of body weight. However, Ive been reading quite a bit on poultry matters. (Yes, my coolness just turned over in its grave.) So if I am correct and I am quite certain I am not, here is how chicken rearin goes.

Go to your local feed store and purchase $10.00 worth of chicks and $50 worth of food and supplies. Dont forget the water dispensers. Buying the metal ones, never plastic is always advised. I have yet to see a metal one.

Next, place the chicks somewhere sheltered, like a bedroom closet. Toss in some highly flammable straw or wood shavings and promptly dangle a glowing heat lamp just above them. Note to self: Update homeowners policy.

For the next several weeks feed them 3 lbs of food per day and remove 4 lbs of sh*t per day from the closet. Despite all logic the birds get bigger. As the adult feathers grow in be sure to clip one of their wings. That is one per bird, not just one wing total. If clipping is done late chicks will nest in your toilet. This is a bad thing.

Clipping can be accomplished by tossing your scissors and your body into the heaping mound of chicks, poop and straw. Grab a wiggling screeching bird from the bile pile. Restrain it with one hand. Stretch the wing out with your second hand. Clip off 50% of the wings outer ten feathers with your third hand.

As the birds grow adjust the heat light temperature down by one degree per day. No, this is not actually possible. Thats not my point. You start at 100 degrees for hatchlings then continue down by one degree per day until your bedroom is a minimum of 3 degrees cooler than the spring blizzard outside your window.

Once you have frozen your ear to your semi-cannibalistic down pillow and the chicks have grown their adult feathers, they can be moved outside to the coop. I estimate the initial closet rearing stage to have taken five years.

Before the move, experience the Joy of Wing Clipping one more time. Feather clipping never works the first time. No one knows why. Still, after all the hassle you probably dont want them to fly the coop in under sixty seconds. Of course, if youre like me, by this time you may be inclined to pack them each a lunch and leave a stack of Greyhound tickets by the open coop gate.

Regarding habitat construction: Hen houses and chicken coops are a competitive art form. There are a myriad of web sites showing off architectural designs from Chicken Chateaus to Bird Bordellos. The meticulous craftsmanship makes my own home look like well like a chicken coop.

Always fashionable, I went with a shabby chic motif for my coop. The nesting boxes are an eclectic mix of stolen milk crates affixed to the wall by anything in arms reach. As for the coop itself, there is a gift for tight chicken wire, which eludes me. Quite frankly, my first attempt at a coop looks like Dr. Seuss dropped a hit of acid, blasted some Jefferson Starship and rolled around on the wire with every Who in Whoville. I think Ill keep it.

Inferior design aside, I ultimately learned a thing or two. The nesting boxes are supposed to be up off the ground. That is correct. For those of you keeping score you just spent two weeks cutting back the birds flight feathers only to hang their houses in the sky. Its just sick.

Higher than the nest boxes, you are to build a roost. This is where the birds crap at night so they do not crap on your breakfast eggs. Of course the roost is usually OVER the nesting boxes, so whatever you do, dont use those perforated plastic milk crates.

For young birds maintain a heat light in the hen house. Then on cooler nights an animal with a brain the size of an bulimic toe nail clipping will make the conscious decision to forgo your nest boxes, bypass the instinctual roost and leap into a tanning bed.

And finally there is the feed regime. I asked several experts and read up on feeding as well. Make sure to give your chickens, starter formula, mash, growth formula, start & grow, brood formula, grit, no grit, scraps, no scraps, goat placenta, nothing suggested on the internet, tetramyaicn, no antibiotics, medicated starter, non-medicated starter and never ever switch in-between.

I may not be Queen of the Coop yet, but Im working on it. Though I am still a zoologist and I still know Birds 101. Here are two myths I can help with. First, you do not need a rooster to get eggs. Most folk, especially those who have never owned chickens, will advise you on chickens. Each will insist you need a rooster for a while to do his manly duties, then you can slip him in the pot. As appealing as this concept is, your pot is a separate issue.

Roosters are only needed to make fertile eggs. Hens are all that is needed to make breakfast eggs. Fertile eggs are just peachy if raising chicks was such a joy the first time you want to repeat the whole freakin process. In addition there is always the risk of breaking a fertilized egg open and finding a 50% formed chick fetus hitting your hot skillet. Yum! Years of therapy will follow.

To keep it straight in your mind consider this: You are going about your life. Suddenly massive balls of calcium start stacking up inside your abdomen. Are you going to hold on to them just because you have not had sex lately?

The second bird myth is totally unrelated so I thought I would mention it. Penguins occur in nature from the Equator on Southward. That is down to the Antarctica, not the Arctic! No, they do not hang out with Polar Bears who live in the Arctic. No, you did not see them when you worked in Alaska, in the Arctic. Those were puffins. No, I am not sorry you look stupid to all those folks you told penguin tales to.

Yes, some penguin species even reside on the Galapagos Islands at the equator (Cold weather would kill them), not floating around on icebergs – and not in the Arctic! Yes, I realize my eggs are not all in one basket. Delusional, close-minded people who insist you need a rooster to fertilize your penguin eggs so polar bears wont loose their food supply drove me crazy!

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We all learn to coddle day-old baby chicks: we keep them warm and protect them from floor drafts that might chill them. It’s easy to carrythis too far when the chickens get older. Chickens have sensitive lungs and need good air quality to thrive. If we shut up our chicken housestoo tightly, the houses will be dark, dank, and smelly, and the chickens will do poorly.

Since adult chickens are insulated by a heavy coat of feathers, trying to keep them warm is a waste of time, yet I get emails from people in Florida asking me if they need to use heat lamps on their adult hens in the wintertime! No, you don’t. And leave the windows openall winter, too, while you’re at it, even if you live in Canada.

I use open-front houses, and these work great. They’re airy and stay dry. A less-open house that I built doesn’t have the same kind of airflow andstays wet and nasty, even though I took its door off its hinges. Enclosed spaces are bad for chickens. Lots and lots of open window space is the key,even in winter.

I feel so strongly about this (and have been so appalled by the dark, airless chicken coop plans that are floating around), that I’ve republishedthe classic guide to open-front chicken houses, Fresh-Air Poultry Housesby Dr. Prince T. Woods. This is an oldie but a goodie. Read the sample chapter: it will convince you.

Paradoxically, while the issue of poultry housing is fairly complex, chicken coops themselves are quite simple.

My focus is always on chicken coops that are inexpensive and easy to build. I don’t like spending more than $200 on a coop for 50 chickens. These coops are extremely plain, and are often several years old before I get around to painting them. The price difference between such an unpretentious coop and one that’s a little fancier can be shocking.

People who feel they have an image to maintain will often spend ten to twenty times as muchper hen as I do, and only end up with a coop that looks like a toolshed. Heaven knows what it would cost to make a chicken coopthat looks like an English country cottage! “It’s a coop, but it costs like a sedan.” It’s amazing how a little trim, the use of siding instead of plywood, and other simple changes balloon the cost.

Because of the immense cost difference, it’s important to have things straight in your mind before you pick up a hammer.A lot of people have vague hopes of turning a profit someday, and use these as an excuse for spending lots of money onchicken coops. Thisnever works out. Either you’re in this for the money or you aren’t. If you’re not in it for the money, assume that every dollaryou spent is one you’ll never see again, and you’ll stay out of trouble.

Read this article on chicken coops that I wrote for ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas). It talks aboutall kinds of chicken coops, including “chicken tractors” (portable pasture pens).

“Hoop coops” are cattle-panel hoophouses,which are much better than pasture pens (also called “chicken tractors”).

Back to the Poultry FAQ Page.

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Do you want to build your own chicken coop? Well, you may think that such a thing is quite easy, but you’d be surprised to learn that chicken coops aren’t as easy to build as one might think. If you’re considering building a chicken coop, you may want to find some chicken coop plans. These plans can be found online or ordered from other sources. The best chicken coop plans will guide you step-by-step through the entire process of building your chicken coop.

Get professional Chicken Coop Plans and Manuals

Why can’t you design your own chicken coop? Well, that’s certainly a possibility if you’ve studied how chicken coops should be put together and if you’re an experienced carpenter. Since most people are not, however, designing their own coop is not a good idea. This is because chicken coops are actually much more complex than most people realize. Chicken coops have to be properly ventilated, for example. If they aren’t, it can be quite a shock to the nose upon entering one. Chickens will leave feathers, excrement, and more all over the floor of your chicken coop. Rotten eggs may also occur if you don’t collect them often enough. This can all combine to make a very rank smell. Keeping your coop ventilated will help cut down on these smells and can keep your chickens healthier. You’ll also want to know how to build your coop so that it’s easy to clean out all the waste that accumulates.

You also need to learn how to properly situate your chicken coop. You will want to be sure that it’s not exposed to the elements and has some sort of protection from the rain and snow. The chicken coop will need to have windows to allow light and ventilation, but you’ll also need some way of closing these windows if it starts to storm. Properly written chicken coop plans will instruct you in how to do this.

Your chicken coop plans should cover more than just constructing the chicken coop, however. They should also talk about creating the yard surrounding it. Your chicken coop yard may need to include a watering system, a place to store your chicken feed, and more. It’s also very important to build a fence around your chicken coop to keep out animals that may attack your chicken. This fence has to be partially buried to keep animals from digging under it. All of this information should be included in any plans you purchase. If it’s not, you may want to look for other plans.

If you are serious about building a chicken coop, you should start looking for chicken coop plans before you begin. The plans and the step-by-step guide that comes with them will tell you everything you need to purchase to build your chicken coop. This is the absolute best way of building your chicken coop. Make certain the plans were constructed by an experienced carpenter. If you’re looking for plans like this, check out the information presented at the link below.

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