If you have done some research into buying yourself a ready made chicken coop then you probably would have noticed that the outlay for these coops is quite high. By getting yourself some plans for chicken coops you can proceed to build yourself a chicken den at a fraction of the price. You may think that you will need to be a qualified carpenter to pull this job off but think again - building a coop is much easier than you think. You can get started with the most simplest of materials and a few basic tools from your fathers tool box.

There are many different sets of plans out there so make sure you have thought things out before hand. Remember, a piece of paper and a pen go a long way. Once you have decided on the amount of chickens you plan to keep and raise you can then decide on the size of the chicken coop you want to build. If you cannot find a coop that fits your needs then buy plans that will be a little bit bigger than what you need - you can always expand your idea at a later date.

So you've chosen the plans for your chicken coop and next it would be a good idea to decide where on your property you will build the chicken coop. It is a good idea not to build the coop to close to any hedged areas. There are many different types of predators and pests that can hide out in hedges and wait for the moment to get at your chickens. Another thing you can do for extra security is to put some chicken roll underneath the chicken coop and run to avoid animals burrowing up into the coop ( the chicken wire is very inexpensive ).

The next thing to consider when choosing the location of your chicken coop is to make sure you place it in an area where it will receive a large amount of natural daylight. Chickens sleep at night and are up every morning in their life cycle and lack of daylight will effect their overall health and egg production. Chickens health will also be effected by lack of ventilation in their coop - try to choose a chicken coop design that include windows to aid ventilation.

Building a chicken coop does not have to be difficult and there is a large selection out there so finding what you want should not be difficult. Look for a respectable plan for a chicken coop and start your project with a good deal of enthusiasm, good luck.