This week I’ll be taking a look at “Building A Chicken Coop” by Bill Keane.

Building chicken coops can be an easy and enjoyable process with the right chicken house plans. ‘Building A Chicken Coop’ by Bill Keane is the most popular and comprehensive eBook on the net. In the eBook he uses his many years of experience in building chicken coops to provide a guide that is an excellent resource for complete novices and master carpenters alike!

Building a Chicken Coop provides well illustrated and accurately detailed plans for all kinds of coops, big or small and for big or small budgets!

With the novice in mind Bill Keane has created his plans in such a way that you don’t need specialist industrial tools to build the coops, all you need is basic carpenters tools like hammer, saw, drill etc.

The build plans are easy to follow with precise cross-sectional diagrams which include exact measurements and detailed advice on building materials.

The eBook format is perfect for working outside as you can print off multiple copies of plans as you wish and use them on site without worrying about getting them dirty.

>>Click Here to Visit Bill’s Site Now!<<

Here’s a selection of some of the things inside the eBook:

• The eBook includes full colour step-by-step scale plans.
• Designs to build midsize coops that will hold up to four chickens for a fraction of the cost of a pre-built coop
• Designs for portable chicken arks that make cleaning up a doddle
• Plans for his double story Hampton coop that fits around ten chickens
• His beautiful double story unique design is easy to clean, automatically collects eggs and houses up to 50 birds!
• Detailed step-by-step plans including tips on how to set up your workspace and how to select the right materials so that building chicken coops is made quick and easy!
• Ideas for extending coops into free-range enclosures with optional runs.
• How to pick the right breed of chicken for your environment, space and breeding/egg requirements.
• A brief  guide on how to sustain your flock with essential breeding techniques such as how to take care of the baby chicks.

There are many more features included in his eBook that go beyond the scope of this short post.

>>Click Here to Visit Bill’s Site Now!<<

To sum up, I will go through some pros and cons:

Pros

1. Good range of pen sizes, he has written it with all kinds of builders in mind
2. Easy to follow instructions
3. Excellent tips on tool choice
4. If you order now he also includes a free ebook which includes where to buy the best materials
5. Very low price compared with similar products

Cons

1. Bill uses ‘Clickbank’ to sell his product, although Clickbank is secure (I frequently buy eBooks through Clickbank) many first time buyers may be put off by the unfamiliar checkout format.
2. Experienced woodworkers might get frustrated by the amount of detail he goes into, Bill explains every step in great detail so things that seem second nature to skilled carpenters may be reapeated for clarity.
3. Bill doesn’t talk much about keeping chickens as much as he details building the enclosures for the hens.

Conclusion

If you’re new to woodworking, or have experience but need design guidance “Building A Chicken Coop” by Bill Keane is a must buy, at just $29.95 it is the best value I have seen to date!

Bill Keane Offers a 60 day Risk-Free Guarantee So click the link below and head over to his site!

UPDATE: A few people have been asking me about the checkout system Bill uses – don’t worry it’s totally secure and a well known delivery platform for digital products, powered by ‘Clickbank’.

The checkout should look like this:

>>Click Here to Visit Bill’s Site Now!<<

When I am asked to build a chicken coop for someone one of my first questions is the purpose of the chicken coop. There is a difference, in case you did not know. There is a chicken coop for the layers, and the breeders, and then there is the grow-out coop.

The second question I ask is what kind of chickens I am building the coop for. There are some breeds, and there are a lot, that are great egg layers so I like to design the coop around the needs and behaviour of the chicken.

Now, my clients will sometimes ask what breed they should choose and I always tell them that it really depends on the purpose of the chickens. There are about sixty breeds of chickens to choose from and they are different from one another.

The excellent egg layers are the Ancona, Australorp, Rhode Island, and the Star breeds. If you like to have a business in selling eggs and making profits, then these are the choice breeds.

There are others who like to breed fascinating chickens. They are fascinating for they are very beautiful and could make children ooh and ahh. They are not only good for their feathers. In fact, a lot of people who breed this chicken find that they make a good business out of it for they never fail to fascinate.

These chickens are too beautiful to describe but their purpose is not only for aesthetics. Examples of these breeds are the Japanese Phoenix, the Silkie, the Polish, Sebright, and the Dominique to name a few. Fortunately, they are also good egg layers so you can sell your chicks for those who get fascinated with their beauty.

I like a breed that is not only pretty to look at but also give me the eggs that I want. However, that is just my personal preference and that should really be the key to whatever choice of breed of chicken you should choose.

I have seen many people with chickens in their garden, and I had always wondered how they could keep their chickens inside without having to run around all over the place to keep them in. looking at them tend their really tame chickens has made me wonder what they do to make their chickens so ‘good’ and not ‘naughty.’ Well, I decided to read and research and I found some of the most amazing answers for keeping these birds at bay.

Tip #1 – build a chicken coop. there are some DIY chicken coops which can be bought online and all you need to do is to assemble the coops by following the simple instructions. They are easy enough to follow and all you need is a hammer and some screw drivers. Also, you need to be able to follow simple diagrams.

Tip #2 – if you don’t like them cooped up for you feel sorry for them, you can build them a chicken run attached to the coop. The chickens could go run along that run and have the time of their lives and get back into the coop for shelter.

Tip #3 – buy chicks and put them in the coop. if you buy them young they can get used to the area much easier and will grow up in the back yard. They won’t run.

Tips #4 – if you buy them older, then you need to make sure they can’t get around much. Some use a bird tie where one end is tied off and the other is looped to the leg of the chicken. They will get used to the place after a few weeks and the tie could be removed afterwards.

Tip #5– clip the wings of the chickens. The chickens could fly, they are birds and if they want to fly they will. Clipping their wings means you cut the feathers at edge of the wings. I once talked to a city girl and she was so mad when I mentioned clipping the wings. She actually thought that the clipping meant to cut off the wings. No, it is only the feathers that are cut. The chickens are safe and sound. You will need to do these often until the chickens trust the area and won’t wander and fly off.

Tip #6 – feed them well and within a time schedule. Chickens may be bird brained but they can be trained and once they know your feeding schedule they will come to rely on that so they won’t go anywhere else for feed. They will simply wait and peck around the backyard until you come around.

Tip #7 – if you can feed them, you have to water them as well. Do you know that chickens love to bathe? Some people think that all they need to do is to put a watering container off on one side and place vitamins in it. What some don’t know is that if there were a basin of water the chickens like to flutter their feathers in it and bathe themselves.

Tip #8 – do you know that chickens will answer to their names and your call. Okay, so you may think that they are not dogs, but that is where you are wrong. Chickens can be given names and they will answer if called, they are even better at it than cats. You don’t have to give them names, all they need is to hear your voice. So talk to them and they will learn to trust you and once they trust, you don’t even have to clip their wings anymore.

Tip #9- If you have new chickens, make sure the chicks are cooped and separated from the older ones until they are big enough to fend for themselves. Then you can slowly introduce them to the rest and they will just ‘follow the leader.’

Tip #10 – Make sure there are no predators. If these come into the back yard easily the chickens will learn to distrust and run away, or fly off. And they can fly, maybe not great distances, but enough.

How big should my chicken house plans be?

If you let the chickens out to exercise you should allow at least one square foot per bird. So for example a four by four foot coop would keep sixteen chickens. This is only a rule of thumb so bear in mind that larger birds will need more space. More detail can be found in this guide.

How much room do the chickens need to exercise?

Commercially the regulations state ten square metres per bird, but studies have shown that free range hens don’t stray too far from their house. Personally I think twenty square feet is enough for four birds, but there is no set rule.

Can chickens damage my backyard?

As we all know chickens love scratching around and unfortunately this means that any plants or vegetables they come across may be uprooted and any seeds devoured. However, this will also count for weeds and pests that get in their way. The simple solution is when building chicken coops use fencing to contain the chickens to areas of your garden where they can happily scratch around without disturbing your cultivated areas. Remember anything they do eat will be turned into nutritious fertilizer!

I have a dog and a cat, can I still keep chickens?

The size of the chicken will at first spook your cat, in fact most cats will be petrified of them at first, but there will soon be a mutual realization that they are not going to harm each other and will generally ignore one another. The exception is feral cats who may attempt to kill the chickens.

With dogs being larger than cats they pose a grater threat to the chicken. The only person who knows if your dog will be OK with the chickens is you, you know your dog, if it is an aggressive and disobedient dog you may have a problem (regardless of size, small terriers are just as bad). Most dogs however will realise the chickens are part of the family and leave well alone.

Do I need a rooster to produce eggs?

Only if you want to breed chickens, hens will still produce eggs everyday without a cockerel around but obviously they will be infertile without his assistance. Remember that roosters can be very loud at early hours of the morning so take this into consideration and think about your neighbours!

How many eggs will I get per chicken?

Chickens usually produce 250 to 280 a year but it is reliant on a number of factors. The chickens health and age will affect the amount of eggs as older birds tend to lay less, also, different breeds of chickens can produce varying amounts of eggs.

Here I wil discuss why you are on the right path……..

How can building chicken coops benefit you?

• Save over 50% of the cost of pre-built coops! ..(that are usually self-assembly!)
• Have your own self sustained mini-farm producing fresh eggs daily!
• Recycle your food scraps and turn them into fertilizer
• Take pride in doing your bit for the environment with something you made by hand!
• With an easy to follow guide you could build your coop in one day!

Planning

OK, so you’ve decided to build your own chicken coop. Why not just head off down the hardware store, grab some old timber and knock something up? Bad idea! There are so many details that need to be considered when building chicken coops that if you go at it without decent plans it could end up costing you more than buying one. Rebuilding, repairing and alterations can be costly so make sure you have clear-cut, well illustrated plans with precise measurements.
When building chicken coops there are many important factors that need to be incorporated into the design to make life as comfortable as possible for the birds.
Chickens, as Humans, need oxygen so fresh air is highly important, so when building chicken coops the plans need to allow for draft free air circulation which will allow the chickens to breath and help prevent the build up of ammonia and dampness.
The feeding system depends on the amount of chickens that will be kept in the coops but an important factor is the height of the feeders. Chickens by nature like to scratch around their food so the feeders need to be high enough so that they cannot get their feet into the feeder. This will keep the chicken coops clean.
When building chicken coops you need to take into account the climate that you live in. There is no point in building chicken coops in a snowy climate without integrating proper protection from the snow. The position needs to be thought out as well, the sun for example, can aid you with drying the coop and the soil after rainy days.
You may need to use electrics when building chicken coops, heating may be needed in colder climates and artificial lighting will help the chickens produce great eggs all year round!
All this may seem complicated but with an easy to follow step-by-step guide building chicken coops can be a simple and enjoyable task for you and your whole family regardless of your carpentry experience!