Hen House Plans

Want Eggs?

With the economy being what it is these days, people are looking to cut corners any way they can. Chicken coops are popping up in peoples backyards everywhere. Hen House Plans are eagerly searched for. There are some good plans and there are some bad ones. For maximum productivity, your newly found feathered egg producer must be kept happy.

For successful egg production, your Chickens have some pretty basic, but specific needs you should be learn about. Your hen house plans should be built to meet and fulfill your chickens housing requirements.

So let’s cut to the quick of it and look at what you will need to be able to successfully keep you hens happy and productive.

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The ideal chicken coop should:

• Protect you little friends from the weather elements,
• Provide a place for them to nest,
• Keep them from wandering into the neighbor’s yard
• And keep them out of the bellies of predators.

Most hen house plans will do all of these things. When looking at the design of your new chicken coop and run, it’s a good idea to take several factors into account.

Space

How much space does your chicken need? This really depends on the type of chicken you have. In a typical hen house, mature chickens need less room than baby chicks. Figure about 2 -3’ per hen or rooster.

If you have too many chichens in a confined area, they tend to peck at one another. An agressive dominant chicken can do serious damage, even cause death to a weaker hen. You must give your chickens adequate room to exercise.

On the other hand, Chicks are a lot like your 3 year old niece. They need much more room to run and grow. Typically 3-8 square feet for the first 6 weeks. This is for the hen house mind you, not for your chicken yard.

Raised Hen Houses

Your hen house plans should show the house raised off the ground. This is important. While we might like a nice indoor swimming pool, chickens do not.

Keeping your hen house off the ground not only prevents flooding, but makes it much easier for you to clean out.

Most hen house plans call for a litter board on the backside of the house. This door will make it easier for you to clean your chicken coop. Frequent cleaning is important as it will help prevent disease and help you keep your chickens healthy. In the summer you can easily hose your hen house out.  This small “door” can be removed or hinged to fold down and let you sweep and hose out all of the waste from the house. Your hen will thank you and so will your nose.

Chicken litter is a great fertilizer to add to your garden or lawn.

The Perch

Make sure there is are several perches included in your hen house plans. Both inside and outside in the run. These are important. Chickens are birds. Birds like to feel safe as well as important and so they require a perch. Again, though adult hens require less exercise than chicks, they still need to get up and move around, a perch encourages them to do so.

Chickens also like to sleep up on their perches at night. If you need to catch your feathered friends, wait until after dark if possible. Then just pluck them off the perch. It's much easier than chasing them around the yard.

Windows & Doors

Windows and doors are important and each should have a latch. Make sure that you don’t use any window or door seals. Chickens are like children, they tend to pick at everything. The last thing you want is to have to perform a Heimlich maneuver on a rooster!

Adding a few hooks over the outside of your doors and windows will allow you to use tarps if needed in extremely cold and inclement weather without having to tack them up.

Storage

Storage is an important issue to consider. Some hen house plans include a storage bin for feed and other important supplies.  The is often positioned off the gound, on the side of the chicken house and looks like a box, with a locking lid.  Your storate area can be a small closet style room attached to the side of the chicken coop.

If you opt for a smaller chicken coop, a garbage can will do nicely.  Make sure you use a metal garbage can which is placed off the ground.  It is amazing how quickly some of your wildlife visitors can make a nice hole right through any plastic container.  After building your cool hen house, a garbage can next to it would be like putting fuzzy dice on the rearview of a Lamborghinis.  So take some a little extra time to add a small storage bin to your hen house.

You’ve got a basic idea of design and functionality for your hen house plans, but what about the interior? Your hens will need a chicken nest box for laying their eggs in. I suggest you read the second part of this captivating and exciting two part series: The Chicken Nest Box!

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