As you get set to build a chicken coop it’s vital that you’re making sure it’s the right size. If you aren’t taking the time to put some consideration into this there is a much higher chance that your chickens will not lay eggs on a continual basis, hence you’re going to run into a number of problems. There are a couple of contributing factors that will go into deciding which is the right size to build your DIY chicken coop, so understanding them all is important. Here are the main ones you should consider.

Number of Chickens You Want To Keep

The first thing you’ll want to think about when deciding upon your size is how many chickens you want to house. There’s going to be a big difference if you want to keep three to five chickens compared to if you want to keep seven or more. Size will come into play to ensure they have enough room to move around and don’t feel crowded in. When they do start to feel crowded in is when you’re going to notice that they aren’t laying eggs like they should.

Are You Having A Chicken Coop Run?

The next question you’ll want to ask yourself is whether you plan to have a chicken house run. These will help significantly reduce down on the total size of the actual house you have to build since then they will have an area where they can run around. Since running around is going to be much more enjoyable for your chickens than staying inside the coop, it’s highly recommended that you do make the decision to build one of these as well. A good chicken coop building plan will instruct you on what square footage you must build your chicken house depending on whether there is a run or not.

Total Land Area

Finally, look at how much total land area you have available to you. Obviously if you are living on a small farm you’re not going to be able to hold a big house, therefore this will reduce the size of your chicken coop as well. On the other hand, if you have a lot of land mass you may choose to build a bigger house regardless of how many chickens you plan to have in there. Understanding what to look for in the land you build on is important as well though because if the land is not landscaped properly there’s a good chance that you will have rebuild at some point.

So, be sure you’re keeping these points in mind as you go about building your own DIY chicken coop. The more information you can get on the factors that go into it, the more successful you will be.

Here is more information on how you can build a chicken house on a budget.