Is this your first time to raise chickens? If this is, there are a lot of things that you must know to succeed.
One of which is where and how you will house your chickens.
Chickens are housed in a structure called chicken coop.
It is a closed structure that is built not just to provide chickens with a place to live in but to protect them from extreme weather and from predators as well.
Because of these, building one requires some good amount of planning.
There are several important things that you have to consider.
You need to create a blueprint or layout to guide you during the building process.
If you are not skilled in drawing, you should not be discouraged because there are free chicken coop plans that you can use on the internet or in books.
How do you select from these free chicken coop plans.
Here are the things that you should look at.
1.
Consider the number of chickens you will raise.
If you will be having just a few chickens then select a small chicken coop plan.
If you will have a lot, you should of course go for the bigger ones.
Chickens need space where they can run around without getting into each other's way.
2.
Ask yourself what your intentions are in raising chickens.
If you will have them for pet or as a hobby, you do not need big ones with many accessories.
But if you will have them to collect eggs, you will need nest boxes.
Choose a coop layout that has provisions for these boxes.
3.
Examine the type of weather in your place.
If weather changes frequently, choose the plan that has provisions for weather protection.
You could also choose the layout that allows easy movements or transfers since you will need to move your coop to a safer place during adverse weather conditions.
4.
Cleaning a coop is very important.
You need to choose a layout that allows easy cleaning of the inside of the coop.
If not, you will have a foul smelling coop.
Study these guide to help you select the best from among the many free chicken coop plans available.