You’ve had the terrific idea to farm chooks and are looking at the different pen plans for them. There are just so many available how are you supposed to know whether you want an ark or a tractor?. All you need is something that will house a few birds safely so which chicken coop designs do you choose?

Here’s a quick break down on the features of each;

This may seem simple but a chicken coop, hen house, chook house are all the same thing. A small structure that is designed to keep chickens in – and predators out. But there are a couple of terms that you may have come across and wondered “what the hang is that?”

Chicken Hutch; Have you seen a rabbit hutch? Same thing, simply for chickens. A light, portable – usually rectangle – cube that has a covered end and a run end. These are perfect for people that only want to farm one or two chickens.

The Ark or Tractor; These are moveable pens which have the feature of being floor less. This allows your birds to be free-ranging while also being sheltered from other animals. They do come in all shapes, but the most familiar one is an A-Frame.

An Ark is terrific because the chickens have access to worms and grubs living in the soil so they will need less feeding by you. Their poop is also great as a fertiliser.

Now which size?
The size of your coop directly corresponds to the number of girls that you want to raise.

Up to 5 Chickens?
Try a a small chicken coop design. Definitely your Ark/Tractor Style. These are straightforward to put up, provide plenty of light and shelter, take up less space and the chickens also tidy up your lawn for you!

6-10 Chickens?
A medium sized chicken coop design is your ideal choice. These are a more lasting structure and will incorporate a area for nesting. They are much larger (around 30-40 square feet) so take this into account when deciding on your plans and location. You will also need to set aside space for feeders, water troughs and access.

Over 10?
Jeepers, you are getting into the big stuff now! This chicken house design will be rather large, will need more of all of the above and should include a run. All of which makes the large coop more costly so be clear in your mind that the plans that you use are the best for your site and condition. This size hutch is perfect if you wanted to sell the eggs.

For a great selection of chicken coop designs that are cheap and easy to build no matter how many chooks you want to farm head to www.HenHousePlansOnline.com