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.
Tags: Chicken Coop Plans, chicken coops plans, chicken house plans
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.
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So often people just head to the mall to purchase a DVD or a bracelet for a gift for a loved one but if you put some real effort in and actually make something (like a chicken coop) for a loved one, they will be even more grateful because it took thought and creativity and effort which is what gift giving is all about. Even if you decide not to make a chicken coop for them, think about making something else. As I said before, a gift that you made yourself is much better than a gift that you bought. If you do decide to build a chicken coop, then here are some chicken coop plans to buy, instantly download then print:
Tags: Chicken Coop, Chicken Coop Designs, Chicken Coop Plans, chicken coops plans, chicken house plans, how to build a chicken coop
In building a chicken coop, there are several things that folk don’t take under consideration, and they are generally things that will finish up injuring their chickens in the long run. Agree with it or not, there’s much more to creating a chicken coop than just building it and inserting your chickens, so let’s look at the potential hazards in your chicken coop plans!
Low Ceiling : you will not think about this, but chickens are birds, and simply because they don’t fly well, does not imply they do not give it their best shot. Consequently, if you’ve a low ceiling, the chickens are probably going to harm themselves when they try and fly in the coop. If it is strangely low, there’s a chance the chicken will manage to break its neck. This actually isn’t something you would like to see when you come out to feed your chickens in the morning, so remember, if you’ve got to duck while basically walking around in your coop, the ceiling is too low, that’s something to consider in your Chicken Coop Plans.
Exposed Wires : Chickens need lighting fourteen hours per day to lay correctly, and for you need a heat lamp in your Chicken Coop Designs. This doesn’t mean you need to run an extension twine across your ceiling and let it sag. When you install the heat lamp, ensure that you either wire it into the ceiling, or at least fasten the core soundly to the ceiling so that your chickens don’t start running into the hanging wire. This may also bring about a problem for you when you are going in and out of the coop, so ensure you do it the right way!
Poisons : You may necessarily have some rodents rambling your coop, and while they can get exasperating, you mustn’t set out poisons, and this is for 2 reasons.
One reason is that your chickens will eat the poison and you may find them dead the following morning. There’s one other reason, and that’s even if you are smart, and put the poison out of the reach of your loved birds, the rodent that eats the poison won’t always be that far away. In truth, your chickens will probably attempt to attack declared rodent, and likely soak up the poison that way, ending with the same result.
Bad Fence Design : if you do not design your fence correctly, your chickens will finish up dead one way or another. Ensure that you build the fence from chicken wire, or run some plastic chicken wire around the base of the fence so the chickens don’t poke their head thru it and finish up getting hurt when a predator is near.
Poor Lighting : Some folks forget that chickens do need light, and have a tendency to leave the poor birds in the dark all day. This is not just negative to their health ; it also meddles with their laying habits. Ensure that you add in decent lighting when you are doing your chicken shack Designs, or you could meet with catastrophic results.
Those are a few of the major flaws in Chicken Coop Plans, and hopefully by reading this article, you’ve learned to avoid them altogether, and your chickens will live a long and productive life.
- 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
Tags: Chicken Coop Plans
Bill Beene has released a chicken coop plans video so here it is. It is a bit rough and Bill is aware of that and he intends to make improvements on the next videos. He tells me he has 25 more videos to come so if you think they are worth watching let me know in the comments and I’ll contiune to post them as I receive them.
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.
Tags: Chicken Coop Plans, chicken house plans, how to build a chicken coop
