Just a quick anouncement to let you know that the chicken coop plans Discussion forums are now live. You can access them by clicking the “Chicken Coop Forum” link up the top or simply follow this link and sign up (for free of course):

Chicken Coop Plans Forum

Now, please remember, I’m not a real tech head and I did install the forum software myself so f there are any problems I do apologise in advance!  If you notice anything not working or strange then can you please let me know in the comments of this blog post (comments).

Also, I’ve put the following initial forum topics in:

• Chicken Coop Plans
  Discussion on various chicken coop plans that you have designed yourself or found on the net. Share these here for everyone to use and learn from.
• Chicken Breeds
  Discussion on various Chicken Breeds
• Introduce Yourself
  Introduce yourself to the forums and its members.
• Chicken Coop Eqiuipment
  Discussion on Other chicken coop equipment such as feeders & lighting etc.
• Chicken Coop Gallery
  This is where you can show off your own chicken coop. Tell us how you went about building/buying, post photos, plans etc.

If there are any other discussion topics you would like me to add then please let me know.

To get started, head over to Introduce Yourself and click the “New Topic” button to create a new post (See diagram below).  This is where you can tell us a bit about yourself and why you are in to keeping chickens.

There hardly any post on the forums at the moment but we have to start somewhere right?  Hope to see you on the forums soon!

Clance.

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One of the best things about this product is that on top of the 3 very detailed step by step plans, there is about 70 pages of information containing everything you need to know before you actually get started.  There is plenty of information about various chicken breeds and what would be best for various environments and climates.  It has information on how to successfully raise chicks, and how to care for adult chickens and very importantly it goes into some detail about the various predators your coop is likely to encounter.  It comes with a bunch of bonuses too including

• How to best position your chicken coop
• How to easily build nesting boxes out of common material
• Best material for Chicken coop floor
• The Cheapest materials to build your coop out of.

I went and bought this product and have done a video review of it for you where I go through and show each of the chicken coop plans, I go over the table of contents of the 57 page eBook called “Building a Chicken Coop” and I touch on each of the bonus eBooks too.  Please forgive me, the video has lots of umms and aarrs in it and is a bit rough overall but I recorded it all in one go and its the first time I’ve ever recorded a product review like this so hopefully I’ll get better as I do a few more.  So go ahead and click the play button below.

Let me know what you think of the video and also let me if there is anything you think I could do to improve them for the future.

Bottom line, I can very happily recommend these chicken coop plans to all aspiring chicken keepers from beginner to expert.  If you agree, check it out for yourself over at Building a Chicken Coop.

Technorati Tags: Chicken Coop Plans, how to build a chicken coop

I’ve had a lot of emails from folks in the UK, in particular London, asking me for a recommendation for chicken coop plans to suit UK and its chilly climate.  See it’s coming into spring in the UK so there is a real spike in interest which is great.  The thing to remember is that while the weather is becoming nice now, there is always the next winter ahead and so you should always plan your chicken coop for the most extreme conditions you are likely to experience.  To be honest, its no big deal.  Chickens are very resilient animals, particularly the heavy feathered and large breeds (Orpingtons, Australorps, Barred Rocks, Comets etc..) as long as the chicken coop they live in gives them good protection from the elements. You can get away with having an open style coop as pictured below but I would not recommend it.

The chickens won’t have much interest in leaving the coop if it is snowing or extremely cold but they will of course come out when the weather is nicer.  I’d recommend a fully enclosed chicken coop for a cold UK winter.

The chicken coop above (left) is ideal for the UK climate.  It is completely enclosed so your chickens will be protected from the cold and it has an optional run (above right) that can build around the chicken coop.  It’s basically just an enclosure that your chickens can wander around and scratch in in the finer months of the year.  This is also a very secure chicken coop which is very important as there are many foxes in London that prey on back yard chickens.

If you really are serious about building a chicken coop in the UK then I really think you should take a look at Building a Chicken Coop by Bill Keene.  It has 3 sets of detailed chicken coop plans as well as a massive swag of information on raising and keeping happy and healthy chickens.

Here is what one hobby chicken keeper from the UK said about Building a Chicken Coop by Bill Keene.

“…If you are considering keeping chickens in your back yard, you must read this book. Whether you have a tiny courtyard or acres to play with, Keene’s advice will stand you in good stead and help you build the right chicken coop. The focus of the book is on being well-prepared for your flock before they even arrive. Keene ensures that you consider every issue before you spend a cent on birds, feed or equipment. He discusses which species is appropriate for your garden, what they should eat and, as the title suggests, how you should house them. Anyone with basic do-it-yourself tools and a patch of land could follow his instructions. The drawings and diagrams are easy to interpret and the lists of materials and tools needed are very helpful. Keene also appreciates that the value of using recycled materials in your chicken coop – cheap and environmentally friendly. Keene encourages responsible husbandry – his reminder of tasks to be completed weekly, monthly and sixth monthly should be replicated onto the calendar of any careful poultry keeper. The level of detail is just right, from a list of the color of the egg you might expect from you hen to a description of healthy hen’s poop! If you follow his tips, your happy hens will be very productive. Next we need a cookbook for ideas to use up all the spare eggs…” Tracyann – Amateur Chicken Farmer – Devon, United Kingdom

If you have any extra advice for those looking at building a chicken coop in the UK or if you are keeping chickens in london then please feel free to share it with everyone here by adding a comment below.

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You know what I find really hard at my age, coming up with new Christmas presents for my family every year. Each year it gets harder and harder because you have bought for that family member year after year so eventually ideas dry up. Well why not give a service this year rather that a produce. The gift could easily be a set of chicken coop plans packaged elegantly in an envelope with a promise to build it for them in their very own backyard. It won’t cost you hat much other than a bit of time and a bit of sweat. Especially if you utilize some recycled materials for the build.
A word of advice, when you present the chicken coop plans along with the promise to build them, plan ahead and specify the weekend that you intend to build the chicken coop and then stick to it. That way the person who receives the gift knows that it is for real. If you wanted to spend a bit more money and add to the gift, then throw in a book on keeping chickens or an egg recipe book. There are some examples below.

Building a Chicken Coop

Technorati Tags: Chicken Coop, Chicken Coop Designs, Chicken Coop Plans, chicken coops plans, chicken house plans, how to build a chicken coop

• Easy To Construct With Common Hand Tools So Those With Little Prior Carpentry Experience Can Accomplish
• Easy Step-by-Step Instructions So That Anyone Can Easily Follow
• Raised From Ground Level So The Chickens Would Be Safe From Predators and Cold Damp Soil
• Make Egg Collection and Cleaning Easy So Everyday Tasks Would Not Be Back-Breaking
• Attractive Appearance So You Will Not Offend Neighbors
• Clever Design and Simple Construction So Techniques Are Not Complex
• Plans Can Be Scaled So You Can Accommodate More Hens If So Desired
• 60 Days 100% Refund Policy  - No Questions Asked

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This video gives you tips on what you really need to think about when preparing to build a chicken coop.  Some of the tips are common sense but there are some things that you just might not have thought about.

If you like Bill’s work then head over to his site and pick up some of his chicken coop plans.  They are the pick of the bunch in my opinion.

Building a Chicken Coop

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I have recently changed the site layout of the Chicken Coop Plans blog.  I am going to be writing a lot more articles in the weeks to come and will be writing many more chicken coop plans reviews.  I have not had a whole lot of time over the past few months but my circumstances have changed and I will now have a lot more free time to dedicate to this website. Please let me know what you think of the new site design.  I think it looks a bit cleaner.  If you have an opinion, hit me up in the comments below.  You can even leave a video message right on any blog post with just a couple of clicks if you have a webcam!

Another thing I would like to do is post articles written my my readers.  I know you guys have built chicken coops and have been raising chickens for years and many of you have more experience than me.  I’d love for you to share some tips and advice for our readers that are new to keeping chickens or are looking to get started.  If you would like to write an article to post here, please email me at clance@chickencoopplansblog.com You will be given full credit for the article and you will be helping out your fellow readers.

I am also now offering a FREE 14 part Guide to Keeping Chickens.  I strongly encourage you to sign up to this.  It is fantastic material (if I say so myself).  Its as easy as sticking your name and email address in here:

If you have anything you want me to write about in the future or have any chicken coop plans you have seen that you want a review on then please let me know by commenting below or fling me an email.  I’ll make sure I answer it within a day or two.
clance@chickencoopplansblog.com

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With the purchase of the Brougham plans from www.CatawbaCoop.com, I’m going to throw in an additional piece of info FREE OF CHARGE. I’m going to GIVE you the 3D file that I used to create the illustrations in the book. Of course, without a program to view the file, it’s worthless. That’s why I’m going to include Sketchup Viewer as well in your packet. In Sketchup Viewer, you can review all the steps required to built a Brougham coop just by clicking on the tabs at the top of the screen. You can also fly around the coop and zoom in on parts that you really want to see… all in Real Time on your computer.

Duration : 0:1:1

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These plans look great. To be honest, I have not built from these plans but from what I understand they were designed for people who don’t nessessarily have a lot of experience or fancy tools. They are for everybody.

If you are still deciding on which chicken coop plans to use, check these ones out.

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