Regardless, though, there are some aspects of chicken coop designs that are identical no matter the circumstances.

* Make sure your birds have enough living space. Inside the coop, you’ll want to give them at least 4 square feet each in total area. This means if you have 5 chickens, you need to have at least 20 square feet for them to live comfortably in the coop.

* Make sure you leave room in the plan to attach a chicken run outside the coop itself. Chickens need 10 square feet each to walk around in, otherwise they will feel cramped.

Other than these space concerns, much of what you look for in your chicken coop designs is up to you. You can design the exterior of the coop to look like anything you want, from a victorian house or a greek temple to a functional and minimalist wooden box. One thing you should make sure to keep in mind, though, is that your coop will need to be big enough for you to get inside for cleaning purposes. If you can’t get into it, your job of keeping your chickens healthy and happy will be that much more difficult.

A few other things you want to include, regardless of your chicken coop designs are adequate ventilation and predator protection. There are many animals which prey on poultry, from foxes and hawks to wolves, wild dogs, and even wild cats. With all this to worry about, your birds will feel much safer”and thus, will be much more productive and healthy”if you ensure that their home is solid and hard for wild animals to get into. Use solid wooden walls instead of a wire frame mesh. Of course, you shouldn’t use wood to frame your chicken run; for that job, wire frame mesh is just fine.

Ventilation is important because chickens do not like extremes in temperature regardless of whether it’s too hot or too cold. They prefer cool weather, but if it’s too cold they will get just as unhappy as if it’s too hot. Make sure you include some windows when planning out your chicken coop designs to account for this preference of your birds. A window towards the top is a good idea, because the hot, stale air will go out of it naturally, and you won’t have to worry about installing some kind of mechanical system to circulate air.

Other ideas include adding nesting boxes for your hens to lay eggs in, roosts for them to sleep on, and easy-to-clean bedding boxes for the chicken droppings to fall into. Roosts are especially important, because chickens do not like sleeping on the ground. Regardless of how you make your chicken coop designs, just make sure your chickens have enough room and stay comfortable. They’ll thank you for it.

If you enjoyed reading my article on chicken coop, visit http://www.chickencoopadvice.com for more great info.

Next, do some research on plans for chicken coops and shortlist a few that you prefer. You can find a multitude of options online, at the local library as well as the local bookstore. After this, try to get the plans for the chicken coops you like. Choose one and you can use this as the base for your coop plan.

Now go out in your backyard and decide where you will place your coop. Keep in mind the dimensions of the plan and ensure that it will fit. Each chicken needs 4 square feet of space to itself, and if you don’t plan to add a run, then make that 10 square feet.

Also consider the following factors:

1. Is there enough natural sunlight available for the coop? 2. The ground should be well drained and must not be damp or wet. 3. Check for the nearest water outlet for cleaning. 4. Will the coop be exposed to any drafts? 5. Check if the boundary or fence will be strong enough to withstand predators. 6. Are hawks and owls a problem? You many need a net on the coop for security. 7. The ground should slope so that water doesn’t collect in puddles. 8. The coop must not be too close to the neighbor’s house. 9. The coop should not stick out like a sore thumb in the surrounding area.

The next step is to sketch out the coop to figure out the technicalities of the plan. This must include:

Windows for sunlight

1. Vents 2. Feeders 3. Perches 4. Lights 5. Flooring 6. Nesting boxes

The placement of these must avoid:

7. Dampness 8. Lack of light 9. Moisture 10. Smell caused by the buildup of carbon monoxide 11. Feeder height should be appropriate, and 12. Safety

Now that these have been sorted out, you can now start with the coop plan. You might want to work out an estimated cost of the materials and construction. Once everything is sorted out, it is most likely that you will not face any problems with your coop.

Visit http://www.chickencoopadvice.com for more great tips and advice on chicken coop building plans.