Hen House Plans - My Tips

My boyfriend and I just recently decided we were going to build our own hen house

. I did quite a bit of research before embarking on this. I compared prices of just going out and buying chicken coups that are already made compared to making my own, and constructing your own is way way cheaper, and of course a lot more fun! We both have no experience at all with any sort of construction other than a wood working class I took when I was in grade school. We decided to make a hen house for up to five chickens, but there are of course bigger sizes you can make.

Our next step was to go to the hardware store. Mostly we just needed a couple tools, some 2 by 4 studs and 3/4 inch plywood. It ended up being way cheaper than we had calculated which made me smile. Then we got to work!

Because both of us have full time jobs as well as raising our one year old daughter it took us longer to build than it probably should have, but in the end we had a waterproof, draft and predator resistant hen house.

My daughter loves looking at the chickens, and we just started gathering the eggs which are so much tastier than the ones from the grocery store. I suggest to everyone if you have even the smallest backyard that you jump on the chicken wagon, and build your own chicken coups.

Predators: All sorts of predators can try to get into your coop. Even humans can try to steal your chickens or eggs. Rats are very good at digging under the ground and making their way inside as well. To make your coop predator safe simply build a floor, build it up on peers or bury a fence 12 inches deep so rats can't dig into it.

Number of Chickens: Deciding how many chickens you want to raise can sometimes be out of your control. It is a good idea to look into your local laws to see if there are any limiting the amount of birds you are aloud to raise. This is a great site to check for chicken laws: Chicken Laws

Weather: Depending on where you live you will need to construct your coop accordingly. If it is a colder climate you need more insulation, and if it is hotter you will need more ventilation.

Size: After deciding how many chickens you are going to have, you can now decide on the size of your coop. Give about 3 square feet per bird. You will need your feeder and water dispenser to hang 7-8" above the ground. Roosting poles should always be 2" wide with round edges with 8-10" between every bird. I suggest installing nest boxes if you are raising the birds for eggs as they encourage egg laying. One nest box will usually hold 3-4 birds, and these should not touch the ground.

Convenience: I have found that it is best to build your coop so that it is only accessible to the owner. That will cut down on predators attempting to get to your chickens. Make it easy to clean, feed, water, and collect eggs.

What Type of Chicken?: There are lots of breeds out there to choose from. If you are wanting the chickens just for eggs then three great breeds are white leghorns, red sex links, and golden cornets. If you want white eggs look for chickens with white earlobes, and if you want brown eggs get chickens with red earlobes. If you just want the chickens for their meat then cornish cross are the best breed. Within 6 weeks they can weigh up to 4-5lbs and within 8-12 weeks they will weigh over 6lbs. Lastly, if you want chickens for both meet and eggs plymouth rocks, wyandottes and sussex are all wonderful breeds.

by: Mariah Mills

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