Poultry House Plans

4 Steps You Must Follow

Have you decided to keep chickens in your own backyard? Having the right poultry house plans will make a huge difference in your success in this project. Many people overlook small steps that can affect the building structure and the chicken’s health.

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Get off to the right start by using a proven poultry house plan. Chicken farmers depend on good building techniques, precise dimensions and quality materials to make sure the poultry house stands the test of time.

Here are the four major steps to follow.

Structure size and style

• First, choosing the size and type of poultry house is important in making sure you get the most success out of your project.
  
• Decide how many chickens you want to keep, and how much building you want to do.
  
• Whether you build a simple hutch for 1-2 chickens, or a multi-level space with an outdoor run, you need a good building guide for dimensions and directives.

The style you choose is based on your personal choice and the amount of maintenance you have time for. A poultry house consists of floor space, nesting boxes, feed and water equipment, possible electrical wiring and insulation and ventilation. Decide by looking at plans which style appeals to you.

Find a good spot of land

• Choosing the location for you poultry house is so important because the foundation will help the structure last over time.
  
• Choose a spot that is already level so you don’t have to do much landscaping or flattening.

Get this plan for a poultry house

• If possible, find the highest elevation to build on so the rain water drains away from the poultry house. You can easily avoid flooding by this one simple step. Chicken farmers know that choosing the right location is a critical step in building a poultry house!

Window placement

• Third, determine how you want to use windows in the poultry house. Natural daylight is critical to chickens health and egg production.
  
• Also, windows allow for ventilation to cool the poultry house. Windows should definitely be a part of any good building plan.
  
• Most chicken farmers build one to two windows. However, decide on the best number based on your poultry house design and your individual needs.

Build a Chicken Run

• Lastly, build a chicken run with a fence. Unless your chickens will have access to a free-range area of the entire yard, you will need to build a chicken run with a fence. Chickens need exercise to maintain good health.
  
• Also, they are natural Foragers so they peck the ground constantly, eating grass, bugs, worms, grit and so forth. Allow about 10 feet per chicken for the outdoor run. Build a strong fence to keep predators out and to keep the chickens from escaping. You will find your chickens produce eggs better when they have access to fresh air and exercise.

By applying these four critical steps you will have the most success with your poultry house project. Many problems can be avoided by applying these simple and common-sense tips to your plans. Use them along with the guide you choose to help you build the project. You will be confident in undertaking the building project and will avoid problems in the future!

These are the plans I settled on:

They really worked for me and I got the chicken coop I wanted within my budget and my building skills. I highly recommend you check out Building a Chicken Coop. 

This is the ultimate guide to planning and building your own coop in your backyard. In includes drafts of plans, dimensions, materials lists and sources to everything you need to build a sustainable chicken coop.