Chicken Coop Plans

Here is a couple I've got for future reference, good luck.

http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/ExtPubs/Plans/6248.pdf
http://www.middlesexdesign.com/chickens/coop.htm
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/nd727-8-1.pdf

Buy you a copy of " Mother Earth news" or look at there website. Lots of useful info.

How large does a chicken coop need to be bare minimum?

It should be around 6 feet long, 3 feet tall, 2 feet deep. You could probably find big enough wiring to just bend it all into a big square then cut a door and bend some wire for hinges and one piece of wire to hold it closed without even having to purchase wood or build a frame as long as you can bend a good large box and have some plyers to connect the sides together.

While not exactly what you asked for, this may be of interest:

Save time and energy with the fenced chicken coop/garden by John Silveira Issue #44

Great link. Backwoods Home is a great magazine! Always reading their articles.

depends on how many chickens you plan on putting in it.

Dean said:

How large does a chicken coop need to be bare minimum?

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University of Tennessee

Here is a list of various plans in pdf format from the University of Tennessee.

Agricultural Building and Equipment Plan List

Super nice site TrailWalker

Go to BackYardChickens.com - Raise Chickens, Build Chicken Coops, Hatch Eggs You can browse through scores of coops of all different sizes. I built mine using a combination of several I saw there.

The general rule for coup size is 4 square foot of space per bird for large breeds. It can vary though. I usually go with 2 square feet per bird with my meat birds in the summer and 4 square foot for my layers. Check out BackYardChickens.com - Raise Chickens, Build Chicken Coops, Hatch Eggs it has all the info you could ever need.

There are a few plans out there.. here are a few:

http://www.organicgardening.com/pdf/coop_plans.pdf
How to build a chicken coop introductory page
Hope it helps!=)

Just make a wooden frame about 6 foot long by 4 feet high by 4 feet deep, cover it with chicken wire, fill it with straw... make sure its propped off the ground of course... and have a wooden door with a wire to close it or hook...

Put golf balls in the nests to stop snakes

How do golf balls stop snakes? I thought golf balls are so the pullets know where to nest when they start laying eggs.

EvilTOJ said:

How do golf balls stop snakes? I thought golf balls are so the pullets know where to nest when they start laying eggs.

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that's what I thought they were for too... maybe the snakes try to eat them & 'learn' that the shiny round white things aren't edible?... idk

From what I have been told if you have a problem with snakes eating your eggs you should put a golf ball in the nesting box. The snake will eat the golf ball and die because they can't pass it.

JCfans said:

From what I have been told if you have a problem with snakes eating your eggs you should put a golf ball in the nesting box. The snake will eat the golf ball and die because they can't pass it.

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why wouldn't they just regurgitate it? snakes barf all the time (well, as often as they eat anyways)

but then again, snakes really aren't that smart

Yea it would make sense that they would barf it up but maybe it would get stuck in their throat. I don't know if it would really work or not. I am going on second hand info.

Golf Balls

Snakes will eat golf balls, just ask someone who works at a golf course. And yes, they don't pass them. It's a hole in one.