Ready made hens house can cost up to thousands of dollars depending on their design and size. But for someone like me, I find it very difficult to throw my hard-earned for something I can build myself. Although, I am not much of a handyman, I am confident that with a good guidebook, I can build any hens coop from beginning to finish.
If you are one of those people who prefers to build his own hens coop, then you not only save a lot of money, but also enjoy the fruits of your labor by building your own. You can add in your creative juice and improvise to make your hens coop more functional. You will be the envy of family members and friends.
All the same, before you embark on a backyard project to build chickens houses for yourself, it is important that you consider these five tips.
Tip #1 – Appearance of the Hens House
The look of the hens house must be pleasant-looking and appeal to the surroundings. This is to encourage the neighbors to feel at ease with your hens house and not give them reason to complain.
Tip #2 - Design and Usability
The design of the hens coop should cater for easy cleaning and disinfecting works. The floor of the hens coop should slant towards the door for easy hosing down and prevent puddling in the coop. The doors and windows can be opened or closed as needed.
Tip #3 – Protection for the Hens
Beside the elements of weather, the hens should be safe from attacks of predators like foxes, badgers, raccoons and even dogs. Thus chickens houses should be built on a slightly higher ground to prevent sudden flooding. The whole designated area should we bounded by chicken wire which is buried a foot deep into the soil to prevent the predators digging to get in.
Tip #4 - Coop Ventilation, Light and Heat Source
At times of bad weather, the hens will be locked up in the hens coop. There must be adequate airflow throughout the coop for good ventilation. For chickens houses in colder regions, the wall of the hens house must be insulated.
For the chickens to be good layers, they should not encounter stressful environment. The hens coop should remain warm and airy so that the hens can lay lots of eggs throughout the year.
Tip #5 – Waterers and Feeders
Waterers and feeders should be placed appropriately to give easy access to your flock. A happy chickens are those that are well fed, well housed and well protected.
Given all the tips for a successful rearing of chickens, you would now have to consider what would your chickens houses be like. Whether you want to spend lots of money on ready-made coops, or buy a reasonably priced guidebook with hen house plans and build it yourself.
I planted myself in front of the computer one night to search for a good guidebook that can give simple step-by-step instructions on how to build a hens coop. After making comparisons among several guidebooks, I chose one which had good graphics and provide very simple written instructions, plus some videos.
I am proud to say that building the hens house is very rewarding for me. I learn a new skill and the children look at me with a heightened respect. This guidebook with plans to build functional hens house is worth much more then its price, plus it is also very user friendly. Click here http://www.squidoo.com/plans-to-build-chicken-coop for more detailed information.
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