Presumably, as you are reading this article, you are looking how to build chicken pens, well, the good news is that it is a comparatively easy process; however it must be said, that, as with a lot of things, planning is important. I've always subscribed to the saying that, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail", and I feel this is definitely true of building chicken pens. When you are perusing over chicken pens plans you need to bear in mind that for any chicken pen of any style or size, there are certain things that must always be given due consideration.
Perfect sizing If the chickens you keep or are planning to keep are likely to be kept within their coop most of the time, then size is of major importance. Chickens, just like us humans, need space enough to be able to move and nest. The best blueprints for how to build chicken pens are the ones that will make note of approximately how many chickens the particular design is intended for. As a general rule, if you are keeping what you would term as "indoor" chickens, then they should have about 3-5 square foot of floor space in their sleeping and nesting area. Within the run they should have about 15 square footage each. This is to be considered only as a guideline, you personally may wish to allow your chickens to be free range some of the time. Whatever you personally decide in regards to your chickens, always make sure they have places and the capabilities to be able to sleep with comfort.
Make sure that cleaning is a relatively easy thing to do Your chicken pen may look absolutely fantastic but if you are not able to clean it efficiently it fast becomes useless. Cleanliness is an important thing to think about for a few reasons. Chickens are susceptible to red mites especially, but other lice and mites as well. Red mites are a particularly nasty parasite that can cause your chickens to lose their feathers and it also causes them discomfort in other areas. This is one of many reasons as to why you should always ensure the cleanliness of your chicken pen. The main way to tackle these irritating creatures is with a special powder that is designed specifically for their eradication. Additionally you may want to spray the inside of your chicken pens with a low-strength disinfectant. In regards to access, you should ensure that there is dual access to the sleeping/nesting area. To achieve this I mean that there should be access to this area from both the run and the rear of the pen. This should allow you easier access to clean and should help you avoid having to use the run to get to clean, which is a bonus as this can be a rather messy area itself!
Protection from Predators Though it is probably something you do not want to give much thought to, when you are looking into chicken pens, and their plans, you must fully consider the dangers that your chickens can face from their many predators, such as the fox, and ways in which you can combat these wily predators. The fox is a cunning predator and as such will try and get its hands on your chickens in anyway it can. To tackle this and many other predators, I recommend you using a heavy gauge wire mesh. Always make sure the doors and openings of your chicken pens can be locked securely when they need to be. If you are looking for blueprints to use, then I suggest you use ones that can protect your chickens against foxes tunnelling in your chicken pen. There are two main methods that can be employed to tackle this issue. The first method is to attach wire mesh to the bottom of the chicken pen. Alternatively you can use a wire mesh that goes below the bottom of your chicken pen, this mesh can be dug in, and thus allows chickens more protection, as a fox will not be able to get into the pen by going under.
Lighting and Ventilation for Chicken Pens Lighting is an especially important thing to think about if the main reason you are keeping hens is for them producing eggs. In the colder months hen's naturally lay less eggs. This is due to the fact that a hen's hormones are directly connected to the amount of sunlight they receive. It is not an uncommon occurrence for hens to stop producing eggs altogether during winter. They may not even start up again until there's at least twelve hours of sunlight a day. There are of course ways to give your chickens artificial light. In any circumstance it would be cruel to keep your hens lit 24 hours a day 7 days a week anyway, especially during winter, so during the winter months, I recommend just increasing light for your chickens just by a few hours so that they can keep laying eggs. For ventilation there should be large bore-holes that are drilled into the sleeping/nesting area, as this will give your chickens air circulation and as such will help to prevent moisture build up and works to diffuse harmful gasses that are inevitably formed from chicken waste.
Whether you decide to make a chicken pen yourself or to use someone else's blueprints, if this is all kept in mind then you should have no problems making sure you have everything you need for your chicken pen.
Perfect sizing If the chickens you keep or are planning to keep are likely to be kept within their coop most of the time, then size is of major importance. Chickens, just like us humans, need space enough to be able to move and nest. The best blueprints for how to build chicken pens are the ones that will make note of approximately how many chickens the particular design is intended for. As a general rule, if you are keeping what you would term as "indoor" chickens, then they should have about 3-5 square foot of floor space in their sleeping and nesting area. Within the run they should have about 15 square footage each. This is to be considered only as a guideline, you personally may wish to allow your chickens to be free range some of the time. Whatever you personally decide in regards to your chickens, always make sure they have places and the capabilities to be able to sleep with comfort.
Make sure that cleaning is a relatively easy thing to do Your chicken pen may look absolutely fantastic but if you are not able to clean it efficiently it fast becomes useless. Cleanliness is an important thing to think about for a few reasons. Chickens are susceptible to red mites especially, but other lice and mites as well. Red mites are a particularly nasty parasite that can cause your chickens to lose their feathers and it also causes them discomfort in other areas. This is one of many reasons as to why you should always ensure the cleanliness of your chicken pen. The main way to tackle these irritating creatures is with a special powder that is designed specifically for their eradication. Additionally you may want to spray the inside of your chicken pens with a low-strength disinfectant. In regards to access, you should ensure that there is dual access to the sleeping/nesting area. To achieve this I mean that there should be access to this area from both the run and the rear of the pen. This should allow you easier access to clean and should help you avoid having to use the run to get to clean, which is a bonus as this can be a rather messy area itself!
Protection from Predators Though it is probably something you do not want to give much thought to, when you are looking into chicken pens, and their plans, you must fully consider the dangers that your chickens can face from their many predators, such as the fox, and ways in which you can combat these wily predators. The fox is a cunning predator and as such will try and get its hands on your chickens in anyway it can. To tackle this and many other predators, I recommend you using a heavy gauge wire mesh. Always make sure the doors and openings of your chicken pens can be locked securely when they need to be. If you are looking for blueprints to use, then I suggest you use ones that can protect your chickens against foxes tunnelling in your chicken pen. There are two main methods that can be employed to tackle this issue. The first method is to attach wire mesh to the bottom of the chicken pen. Alternatively you can use a wire mesh that goes below the bottom of your chicken pen, this mesh can be dug in, and thus allows chickens more protection, as a fox will not be able to get into the pen by going under.
Lighting and Ventilation for Chicken Pens Lighting is an especially important thing to think about if the main reason you are keeping hens is for them producing eggs. In the colder months hen's naturally lay less eggs. This is due to the fact that a hen's hormones are directly connected to the amount of sunlight they receive. It is not an uncommon occurrence for hens to stop producing eggs altogether during winter. They may not even start up again until there's at least twelve hours of sunlight a day. There are of course ways to give your chickens artificial light. In any circumstance it would be cruel to keep your hens lit 24 hours a day 7 days a week anyway, especially during winter, so during the winter months, I recommend just increasing light for your chickens just by a few hours so that they can keep laying eggs. For ventilation there should be large bore-holes that are drilled into the sleeping/nesting area, as this will give your chickens air circulation and as such will help to prevent moisture build up and works to diffuse harmful gasses that are inevitably formed from chicken waste.
Whether you decide to make a chicken pen yourself or to use someone else's blueprints, if this is all kept in mind then you should have no problems making sure you have everything you need for your chicken pen.
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