Chicken Coop Plans Review

Jul 062011

The Best Chicken Coop Plans Today

Chicken Coop Plans My family and I had been raising chickens for at least a few years and really enjoyed it as a hobby. It is fun to watch the hens run around when you give them table scraps as they love vegetables to eat. It has also been very entertaining just watching them walk around in their hen house eating different kinds of bugs that venture in. For a long time we thought we were taking the best care of our chickens that we could. Every day we make sure they have fresh cool water on those hot days, we also make sure they have plenty of food so they stay healthy and productive. We had kept our chickens in an old shed that wasn’t in very good shape anymore. We decided our chickens had been very good to use giving us fresh eggs so we should reward them with a new Chicken Coop in much better shape.

The Right Size Chicken Coop Plans

We started shopping around trying to find some plans for chicken coops as we live on a farm and are pretty handy. We also wanted to make sure that the new chicken coop for our hens was the right size for the amount of chickens we had. We did some research and decided since we have 9 chickens that the new chicken coop size should be at least medium so the hens have plenty of room to be comfortable in. There was a lot of information available in stores about raising chickens, chicken feed, different kinds of chickens, but it was hard to find plans to build a Chicken Coop. After looking in stores we decided to go online and get plans from someone else that already had success with a good Chicken Coop design plan. After a few hours of searching we found the perfect place to buy our Chicken Coop Plans from.

Better Chicken Coop Plans Mean Happier Chickens

After we ordered the chicken coop plans they were sent to us right away so that we could get started immediately! Looking through all the information we now had it was a somewhat difficult task to choose which plans to go with because there were so many great ideas. We knew we had to have a medium size Chicken Coop so we looked through all those and finally decided to build a Chicken Tractor. Buying all the materials at the store was nice because there were low cost materials available so it was a cheaper investment than we thought it would be. It took about two days and the new Chicken Coop was ready for our hens to move in. The very next day we checked on the chickens and we couldn’t believe what we say. They were all running around eating bugs from the grass in our yard. They were so happy with their new home, I am glad we decided to build them a new hen house. The chickens were definitely happy with their new house because the egg production actually went up. Are you ready to get your own Chicken Coop Plans to make your chickens happier too, if so then click the link below.

The Absolute Best Chicken Coop Plans!

Build Hen House, Chicken Coop Plans Comments Off

Jul 042011

Why are people raising their own chickens?

Everyday more and more people are seeing the wisdom in raising their own chickens. There are several reasons to raising chickens, the first being you would cut out the cost of eggs and the knowledge where your eggs are coming from. Another great reason is the opportunity to make some extra money. Many people will pay for farm fresh eggs at any number of local farmer’s markets. Raising chickens is an easy job because they are very low maintenance animals and will supplement their diet with any number of things such as bugs, grass, or weeds. With your own hen house you would give you family a steady supply of fresh eggs as well as a possible second income.

How To Keep Your Backyard Chickens Healthy?

Make Sure Your Chickens Have Adequate Room

When buying or designing a chicken house it is important to be sure your chickens have a very well-ventilated but not too haughty chicken coop or chicken house in which to shelter. In summer chickens in the poorly ventilated chicken house can succumb to the heat. You can find chicken coops available on the market with removable weather shields to allow for good ventilation in summer and then cozy housing sections for winter. For the colder and wetter months, chickens also need to have appropriate shelter through the rain and wind. It’s also essential to make sure that the chickens’ bedding materials, for example straw or sawdust usually are not wet on an extended time frame. A wet soggy, bedding area inside the housing area of your chicken run can cause ammonia and other noxious gases forming, resulted in lung infections inside your chickens.

Keep An everyday Feed And Water Schedule

Chickens have to have a regular amount of Chicken Food and water and will almost predictably stop laying eggs whenever they go per day or so without these essentials. Chickens often stress without difficulty and can even ‘go over lay’ for several weeks if they have been stressed by inadequate water and food. If you’re able to, offer your chickens with kitchen scraps or weeds from the garden. This will improve the health of the chickens along with the quality of the eggs they lay.

Maintain Chickens Stress Free

Chickens will likely stop laying eggs for any period of time if they’ve been frightened by a fox or dog and also require tried to enter in the chicken coop. It’s obviously imperative that you make sure your chicken house is fox proof for the safety of your respective flock, there is however sometimes not very much you can do to prevent the fright your chickens may get when a would-be-predator attempts to enter. Over crowding can also be stressful for chickens when they constantly ought to fight to get at the chicken feeder each time. Make sure you offer an appropriate quantity of chickens is bigger of your hen house and an adequate number of feeders and drinkers for that chickens to talk about.

What Kinds Of Pests Bother Chickens

Unfortunately perhaps the most common issue for owners of backyard chickens will be the occurrence of parasites this kind of lice or mites of their chicken coop. Mites will be found to live in the cracks and crevices in the walls of a timber chicken coop for quite some time, being released usually at night to feed for the chickens perching inside the coop. Mites may be red in color (following a blood feeding) or black and will most be easily found on the chickens at night using a torch, although they are very small, almost invisible without magnification. Lice are white and greater than mites and they are more ‘host’ specific, meaning they will more likely stick to the one bird in contrast to mites who may parasite many chickens in a period of time. To treat the chickens you will find there’s range of anti-mite or anti-lice powders that you could dust your chickens with, to discourage the parasites. If mites would be the problem, your chicken house must be cleaned using a high-pressure spray, to get into the small cracks for an extended period of time to really combat this problem. Mites essentially love surviving in wood so ideally remove as much wood as you possibly can from your pens. In the event you haven’t already purchased or developed a chicken coop, it is wise to chose one produced from steel or aluminum. While mites can continue to appear in these coops, it is not as common and perhaps they are much easier to scrub to remove these pests.

In terms of pets go, chickens can be a very low maintenance pet. While a few range of other health issues that can arise in chickens, the important thing areas summarized in this article are the most common problems faced by owners of backyard chickens. As a way to have a regular supply of eggs from your backyard flock, be sure you provide them with adequate housing (not made from timber); make certain they have a constant supply of feed and water that is clean; don’t have a lot of chickens in a single coop (reduce their stress levels) and occasionally check their feathers for parasites.

Want a Variety of Chicken Coop Plans?

1. A variety of Chicken Coop sizes from 5 – 24 Chickens
2. Very easy to follow steps so that anyone can build a Chicken Coop
3. Different types of plans start small and expand later on
4. Make collecting eggs easy so it is easier on your back

Why buy plans instead of making your own Hen House?

These plans have been created by people that know about chicken requirements

If you have several chickens they require more space to be comfortable and productive

Using the perfect size of Chicken Coop Plans can raise your egg production

Exact materials list for plans so you don’t have extra waste

Ready to start building your own Chicken Coop to raise some chickens and get free organic eggs? Then head on over to the Chicken Coop Plans and get started today!

What are you waiting for?

What Should I Be Feeding My Chickens?

Chicken Feed Comments Off

Jul 012011

Different types of Chicken Feed

When choosing chicken feed types for your hens, it really depends on if you currently have baby chicks or full grown hens. You’ll need to make use of different feed for hens which will be full time egg layers than you will for those meant for the other method of chicken meat production. Start out your girls on 10 to 22% necessary protein for chicken hens or higher yet even around 24 percent for animal meat chickens. Work with chick basic feed until the age of six to eight weeks old. After chickens reach full maturity, the give should be switched to “chicken finisher” types of food until they’re ready and big enough to butcher. A lot of people that choose to grow chickens at home for meat give their chickens medicine to prevent diseases but this doesn’t guarantee that they won’t get diseases so if you want full organic don’t use any medicine. Sometimes egg laying hens too will selected to have these antibiotics administered unless of course they are raised because free range as well as organic. Lots of folks are choosing to raise their own meat chickens so they don’t have to eat growth hormones that commercial chicken operations give their stock. When your chickens do get to their full size do not forget to switch from baby chick feed to adult chicken feed or they will not be getting as many nutrients as they should be and their health could suffer because of this. One thing that is okay for meat raised chickens is for you to make sure that they get an extra supply of calcium so their meat has less fat in it. You can get mature chicken feed in different types such as pellets, mash, crumbles, or you can give them some table scraps such as fruits or vegetables but not meat . The best way to be getting the balanced eating plan for your hens for you to blend some the chick feed in with pellets and also crumbles, and dietary supplement with fruit and vegetables and lime scale. There is a great way to get your chickens their extra calcium for the diet, crushed egg shells in with their other feed could supplement for your hens. Hens can tell if they are short of some type of nutrient so again you should give them a selection of food so they can pick what they would like to eat. Left over table scraps such as veggies similar to spinach, Romain, carrot peels, and cereals such as oatmeal, barley, and small quantities of fruit will allow your own chickens to be more healthy and more content. These are nutritional supplements, however, not replacements intended for the specially designed adult hen food. Your chickens should have this protein as well as other nutrients that’s provided by a fantastic chicken supply unless they can have a free assortment in a healthy environment. Lots of different kinds of foods can be given to chickens as long as it is clean and again is not a meat product so try different things and see what your chickens enjoy as a treat. The Chicken Tractor has the ability of a moving pen for your chickens so that you are able to switch your flock from place to place in your yard so they have more bugs to eat. This also helps your chickens have better health because they will exercise more running around getting those fresh worms and other types of bugs. This is one of the favorite methods for raising chickens in a backyard during the daytime but during the night put them somewhere safe so that enemies don’t eat your entire flock. The chicken tractors movement will help keep your back yard from getting brown spots that the hen chickens have been because of natural fertilizer. Stay away from using store bought commercial types of fertilizers or pesticides or herbicides in locations where the hen chickens will be moving on. Chickens can attempt to eat just about anything, so they are known to peck at manure granules. Another harmful thing for your chickens is spraying weeds in your lawn or any other type of chemical that isn’t natural so be careful. Whatever your current hens try to eat, you’ll find that you will be eating also through their produced eggs. Keeping these dangerous chemicals away from your chickens will make them happy and healthy and in turn will do the same for you so treat them like your family. When raised properly, your flock of hens can be fantastic family entertainment and a way to start eating in a healthier manor. Well brought up chickens may greatly increase your amount of breakfast and also dinner. I hope you enjoyed this brief explanation of chickens and what you should feed them, take care and start

How To Build A Chicken Coop

Chicken Coop Plans Comments Off

Jul 182011

How To Build A Chicken Coop

Baby Chicks And How To Care For Them

Baby Chicks Comments Off

Jul 052011

What Your Baby Chicks Need To Be Healthy

Baby chicks can be a ton of fun to raise for you and your children. They are cute, cuddly, and a lot of fun to watch run around and talk to each other. When your chickens are small it is the perfect time to hold them or spend time close to them so when they are older they will be much more tame. As your baby chicks grow and you spend more time with you they will get to know you and you will see what type of personality they will have. There are several things that baby chicks need to be healthy and grow well though. You need to always make sure that they have fresh baby chick food and constant water until they are five to seven weeks old. You should understand that baby chicks have a lot more predators than full grown chickens do so it is recommended that you check on them several times through the day. Make sure that your baby chicks have plenty of space to run around in, it is healthy for a few feet of space per chick. Some people use cardboard boxes or storage bins for their baby chicks. Do not cover up the top of the boxes that you have your baby chicks in because they breathe air just as we do, you should perhaps have a heat lamp above your baby chicks as they do need to stay warm. The right environment for them to grow properly in would be between 94 – 97 degrees in temperature. When your chickens get bigger they won’t need as high of heat you can bring the temperature down by a few degrees every week. You should also make sure the baby chicks have fresh clean bedding to sleep on so they have less chance of catching diseases or having health issues. The most desirable material for chicken bedding material would be wood shavings as they can absorb quite a bit of liquid. Some people use different materials though such as newspaper, straw, or old cloth rags, these are not as good as wood shavings though. Every day check on your baby chickens food supply and if it is getting low give them some more so they can grow at the maximum rate. Do note let your Hen House run out of food or water this can cause serious problems for your baby chicks or egg laying hens. If you want to make your baby chicks extra happy you can reward them with some fresh worms, small pieces of plants such as vegetables, or even bugs. Take good care of your baby chickens and they will be happy and healthy and reward you when they get older by laying fresh eggs for you to eat!

Backyard Chickens and what you should be feeding them

Backyard Chickens Comments Off

Jul 052011

Are chickens able to eat leftover meat scraps?

Chickens have been widely known to eat both meat and plants, it just depends on what food is available and also what they are hungry for or need for nutrients. It is okay to sometimes give chickens different types of meat but I would recommend letting them find their own meat source. Not everyone thinks about it but even though you give your chickens adult Chicken Feed they sometimes decide to eat instead some kinds of bugs, worms or on rare occasions maybe even a mouse. The amount of protein they get from these meats out in your backyard should be plenty of nutrients for them to be healthy.

Should I give my birds citrus or maybe banana peels?

There are a lot of different poultry owners that would likely tell you that hen chickens should simply avoid these. They actually do contain a lot of nutrients as well though, and chickens enjoy them for a treat. What you can do in this specific case is sometimes use them for compost and then once in awhile give them to your chickens.

Can flock eat carrots or spud peelings?

Hen chickens will happily decide to eat remaining chips or maybe mashed spud or even potato peelings, however some egg laying chickens are found to be fussier as opposed to chickens raised for meat production. The part of your potato that should not be given to your flock is the potato skin when it has gone to start sprouting. The green peels or shoots tell you that the starch has already begun being broken down into a type of toxin. With this in mind feed the potatoes to your chickens before they sit around too long. This has been known to happen with some other foods as well, such as carrots as well as garlic too. There you have it, make sure the leftover food you are giving your chickens has not started to grow on its own or it could cause problems for your flock.

Best way to get my chickens some calcium?

Calcium is an essential part of a chicken’s diet plan as it helps in producing ovum with a wonderful strong layer. The birds can easily crack eggs which has a thin layer, which can and then result in the birds eating his or her eggs. Presenting your chickens well-crushed eggshells is a good, economical way of delivering your chickens with a way to obtain calcium. A different is shell-grit which supplies a slow-release supply of calcium for ones chickens.

Why not consider weeds through the garden?

Some people give their chickens a variety of plants to eat other than vegetables. This can be dangerous though because there are certain kinds of weeds out there that can be poisonous to small size animals such as your chickens. I would recommend just sticking to giving your flock food that you grow in your own garden that way you are sure there are no harmful substances in them. It is also okay for your chickens to eat grass from your lawn and bugs that are on the grass as long as you haven’t been spraying chemicals in the area. If you choose to give your chickens fresh cut grass from your lawn make sure that the grass clippings are short in length otherwise it can cause digestive tract problems for your hens.

What kind of grain is okay?

A balanced diet program for your hen chickens is very important and can generally not obtained from simply kitchen waste or yard weeds. For really healthy raised chickens, you should definitely not decide to restrict the number of layer pellets or grain blend that you flock eat each day. Interestingly, chickens have a hard time overeating and cannot overindulge so they need an everyday supply of nutrients to satisfy his or her nutritional requirements. Some people actually decide to get an automatic chicken feeder so there is always plenty to eat, this is not a bad choice. Many laying hens eat over 100 grams layer pellets or even grain mixture per day or it could be about 900 grams per week, but depends upon the quantity of different scraps or maybe grasses they are also provided with.

How much water do my new chickens drink?

Chickens always need a constant source of water not just food, especially in much warmer climates. Egg laying hens are able to through 200 ml to 550 ml of water each day, with an increased average on the hotter days. It is highly important that your sure there is a regular availability of fresh water as part of your Hen House requirements as too little water results in lack of fluids, excessive stress, much, much lower egg production. Chickens who have gone without any water for 24 hours have been shown to take 24 more hours develop an egg for you to eat.

Common Chicken Coop Mistakes

Chicken Coop Plans Comments Off

Jul 052011

What not to do when you are building any Chicken Coop

Common Mistake #1: Starting before you have a plan.

The worst error made is not planning ahead of energy. It is very important to consider how many hens will live in your chicken coop? The size of the particular chickens can also be very important. Additionally you need to consider how many nests you would like to have within your coop and the way big they will be. How will the actual chickens be fed? Where will you determine their food and water? Where will your coop be placed? If it is any shady location be sure to help to make room to get more windows to let in light from the sun. Do you have sufficient room to get a chicken set you back allow easy accessibility into and also out of the house? So there are a lot of questions to answer even before you begin to purchase materials a great draw up programs. You need to not simply build a secure structure but in addition keep your hen chickens happy and also safe. Planning properly may prevent a lot of troubles in the future.

Common Mistake #2: Draw out your complete design before you build.

It is a major mistake to easily go with a vision you have in mind. Quite closely linked to the planning element is making sure you have a obvious design for your Hen House. Bring plans for both the inside and the outside. No matter if you are not an expert, it is just crucial that you have direction when you are constructing. Be sure to furthermore sketch and plan various angles of the coop. The sides, bottom and top. An advanced novice contractor and it is your own first time building a backyard chicken coop, keep it simple. As your flock regarding chickens develops and you find out about how chicken behave and also what works to your space, you can always go back and redesign as well as improve your house.

Common Mistake #3: Make sure you use quality materials.

Stay structured. Before you begin development on your chicken house, gather all of the materials you will require. this will save you time, power and the disappointment. Of course the amount of materials you’ll need will vary together with your design. Nevertheless, most coops will require: timber, chicken insert or fence wire, padding, nails, anchoring screws, saws, various resources and a sludge hammer.

Common Mistake #4 : Choosing the proper area to raise your chickens.

Selecting the wrong spot to build your chicken coop is a big error that people help to make. Chickens will need space in fact it is essential that you put the coop in the area which is spacious along with where there is enough space around the particular coop to suit your needs chickens to operate and wander freely. Remember that the hen chickens need a lot regarding space to perform but you also have to be able to have sufficient room to change position the hen house to clean the idea and care for the chickens. It’s not at all a good idea to make a coop that you do not have easy access around its perimeter. Also, it is important your chickens have adequate sun light along with enough color. Most importantly, construct your chicken coop faraway from bushes and brush wherever rodents or snakes may live or look for shelter. You don’t wish any unpredicted guests inside your coop.

Common Mistake #5: Take your time and build it right.

Like anything else, developing Chicken Coop Plans could be quite a challenge. Usually do not become discouraged or impatient. You have planned correctly, drew a design and style, gathered the proper materials and chosen a perfect spot to make your chicken coop. It will take time to build the chicken coop and you may encounter little concerns along the way. Don’t trouble yourself just get pleasure from building a property for your go of buddies.

There you have it relevant and ideas on how to create your chicken coop. There are plenty of free of charge resources around where you can find plans as well as tips on constructing your chicken house and how to maintain your chickens content and keep all of them producing several healthy offspring for you. My spouse and i often submit to this website and get a great deal of great tips beyond this concept. It offers great tips along with tricks on the way to Build a Chicken Coop. You can even get plans along with experienced garden and non-urban chicken producers share his or her expertise.

Want to learn more?

Older Entries