Showing posts with label Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Project. Show all posts

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Small Chicken Coop Plans and Designs Ideal For a Simple Construction Project

Small chicken coop plans are mostly easy to build and require a minimum amount of money and time to finish. Here, we present some design ideas based on simple construction plans.
Plan 1
You're going to need chicken wire or wire mesh, wood and a tarp. The size of the wire mesh would depend on how small or big you want your coup to be. Old wire fences and scrap wood can be used if you don't want to spend too much money on materials.
Create a framing using wood. Your shape can be square or you can make it igloo-like. If it's the former, create a wood foundation and cover the open spaces with the wire mesh.
If it's to be an igloo-shaped coop, bend the wire mesh in the shape of an inverted letter U and anchor it on the ground with wood. Use a tarp to cover part of the coup, but with enough space to let the air in and out. Tarp covering allows for flexibility; you can cover a bigger area when it rains or remove it during good weather.
Plan 2
If you want a mobile coup, use a wagon-based construction design. You can use an old wagon or build one yourself. Wooden wagon with a handle and one wheel in front and two wheels at the back would be best.
The wood wagon would serve as the flooring. Use wire mesh to cover all four sides. You can also use it on the roof and just use tarp as top covering or install an aluminum or wooden roof.
Anchor the wagon on the ground so that it doesn't wobble or you can create locks for the three wheels. Anytime you want to move the coop from one place of the backyard to another, you just grab the handle and drag it to where you want it to go.
Plan 3
Some of the simplest coup designs make use of pre-built dog houses. They are either attached to a wire mesh to create duplex-like coops or are used as stand alone structures.
Inside the dog house, put perches, nests, water and feed containers and other necessities for the chickens. Use a wooden plank to provide a catwalk so that chickens can climb up to the elevated house or climb down to the ground.
These small chicken coop plans have simple designs and are quite easy to build. Construction details are not too complicated to follow and money would not be a problem since they do not require you to spend much.
You will find more Chicken Coop Ideas and consumer reports on the best chicken building guides available at http://www.diybuildchickencoop.com

Weekend DIY Project - Build a Small Chicken Coop

Whether you have a large flock of chickens or plan to keep only a few birds, it is always best to build them a chicken house. Even if you decide to keep only a few birds, you will still have to build a small chicken coop. The coop will provide shelter to your birds and keep them safe from predators. Building a small chicken house can be a do-it-yourself project for the weekend.
Chickens need 3-5 square feet of space each. If they get too crowded, they could easily get sick. Determine how big your chicken house should be, based on the number of birds you are going to raise. Decide on the design of your coop and make a drawing of the plan. You can also look for a simple chicken coop design on the internet.
Go over the plan and make sure it is easy enough to follow and has all the necessary elements that a chicken pen should have. Even if you are only planning to build a small chicken coop, there are essential elements that must be present.
Make sure your chicken house design includes a nesting area with boxes. Four to five birds can share one box. Provide a roosting pole where the birds can perch while they sleep. You should be able to clean out the coop easily, and it should also be easy to collect the eggs.
Assemble all the materials you need to make the chicken coop before you start building. Visit secondhand shops and see if they have materials that you can use for your coop. Make sure your materials are sturdy enough to keep predators out.
Don't forget to have all the tools you will need to build the chicken pen at hand. By having all your materials and tools ready, you will be able to finish your work quickly. A small chicken coop is something you can build over the weekend and is a very cheap alternative to buying a pre-made hen house.
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