While looking for suitable chicken coop plans online, there are several basic things that you must consider before you make your choice. As there are many plans available, choosing a plan that suits your situation and needs is can be difficult, but is the most important step to getting the most out of your chickens new home.

First and foremost, you have to decide about the total number of chickens that you intend to keep. The chicken coop plan you choose should reflect this. A small coop can accommodate up to five chickens and a larger one can house six or more. Opting for medium or large sized plans can make chickens more comfortable, leading to higher egg yield and quality.

Another thing to consider is the light source for your coop. Good chicken coop plans will keep the coop at the correct angle, facing the sunlight. If the coop does not have access to sunlight, you can consider non-natural sources of light to keep the chickens happy.

Proper ventilation is another essential feature for your chicken coop plans. You need good ventilation for the coop, especially if you are living in a hot area. This will make the coop neat and clean and make your chickens enjoy their stay.

Lastly you have to make arrangement for appropriate feeding set-up for the chickens. By consulting with an online chicken coop guide or a book, you can plan the set-up and place appropriate number of feeders in the chicken house, after taking into account the number of chickens that are housed and the time taken to feed them.

Something important to keep in mind through all this is that the coop should be built in such a way that they are easily maintainable. To facilitate easy cleaning and draining of the water, the floor of the chicken coop should be kept in a downward slope in a direction towards main door.

While choosing chicken coop plans, you need to choose something that balances your own needs with that of your chickens, while sticking within the price range that’s best for you. I tried many different guides online when I built mine, and after comparing each of them, the guide at BuildYourChickenCoop.info had so many things that were left out of the others, I can’t imagine using one of the other guide to build the coop in my own backyard today. Don’t waste all the money I did, get your plans there!