Cheap Chicken Coops For Sale in Ithaca, NE

Chicken Coops for Sale in Ithaca, Nebraska

Hot Tips in Designing Chicken Coop Plans A hen house, also called a chicken coop, is a great project that you and your family can take on. On the Internet, there are hundreds of chicken coop plans that you can choose from. It makes things easy but nothing replaces the joy of designing your own. One benefit of modeling your own coop is the reduced cost. Although buying structural plans saves you time, designing your own allows you to exercise flexibility; you can customize your chicken coop to your heart's desire. Below we will show you the key focus areas that need your attention when drafting your own designs. The first thing you need to do is to decide what type of chickens you will raise because different breeds have different needs. For example, layers will give you a large number of eggs so this means you need nesting boxes. They are also clean-legged and this means they can withstand wet conditions. On the other hand, the table breeds, the ones you raise for meat, are not as active as the layer breed and this means they can live in smaller spaces. The size of the fowl will also play a critical role in your design. Your plan will take shape once you are decided on your intent. The feeding habit and the number of chickens you want to raise will also affect the overall design since movement is imperative for chickens. Lastly, if your purpose for raising chickens is to have a steady supply of eggs, you need to have a provision or space for nesting boxes. If you are raising poultry for business, consider future business expansion. Usually, hobbyists build chicken coops in their backyards. A common pitfall when designing one is not considering the location where the structure will be situated. The terrain is also a factor to look at. A mobile coop will not work in hilly or rugged farmlands. Eliminate fancy designs that will not work in your space. If your backyard lot is even, a mobile coop, one that has wheels, will work perfectly and you can move it about easily. Maintenance and materials are also important components of your chicken coop plans. Cleaning up chicken manure will be one of your daily responsibilities so ease of cleaning should be kept in mind when designing your hen house. Sloping the flooring will give you leverage in cleaning. In terms of location, it is best to have the chicken coop at the top of a slope facing south. This will let the sun dry and warm the coop. The materials you should use should have good insulating properties. Again, the type of chicken will be a deciding factor for this. Mongolian chickens need 10 to 30 degrees of temperature while the others don't. During winter, you will definitely need extra heating sources. In a nutshell, you should consider every aspects before designing the coop for your chickens comfort.