Hen House Plans That Will Save You Money
Anyone with good hen house plans can build their own structure right in their own backyard. If this is your first time raising chickens, you will need to decide whether to buy or build your own hen house. Buying your own chicken coop involves less work but will cost much more than building your own. You can expect to pay at least $500 for a hen house. If have good hen house plans, you can build your coop for only the cost of the materials which you should be able to find at any home improvement store.
Having step by step hen house plans is strongly recommended if you decide to take on this project. It will save you a lot of frustration and remind you of things you need to take into consideration. A good plan will address the following areas.
First you need to plan the aesthetics of your coop. This is how your hen house will look from the outside. You need to plan the color and design. If you live in an area where hen houses are not prominent, you may need to ensure the design and color is pleasing to your neighborhood.
Good hen house plans need to address functional aspects of your chicken coop. Size is in an important factor. The more chickens you plan to raise, the larger the structure needs to be. Small houses accommodate 5-7 chickens, medium 8-12, and large 16-24.
Climate control is another issue your hen house plans need to address. You need to keep you chickens warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and dry in the rain. A well built chicken coop will protect against all these elements.
You also need to build protection for your chickens. Animals such as skunks, raccoons, and other rodent may try to harm your animals. The best protection is to surround your hen house with chicken wire buried about a foot deep to prevent animals from digging underneath.