If you are the handy type, perhaps you've thought about making your own animal enclosure. Perhaps it's for a pet, like a rabbit, or maybe for a small flock of chickens. One way to get started is to modify existing chicken coop plans.
While the vast majority of chickens raised are on large farms where there are not coops but rather huge barns, cages, or fields, some people keep a few birds for personal use. This might be for eggs, meat, showing, or any combination of the three. These birds need to be housed in something, and ready-made coops can be expensive.
Making an enclosure for rabbits, chickens, or other small animals isn't hard to do if you can wield a hammer, drill and saw. Looking over several sets of ready-made plans will help you get an idea of what you might want to do, even if you don't plan to actually use them. And sometimes modifying an existing plan slightly is easier than creating a whole new one.
Wood and wire mesh make up the majority of homemade coops. Depending on how many birds you want to house (or other animals) and their size, you will have different space requirements. Bantam chickens can live in as little as half the space of a full-size bird. Rabbits cannot make use of vertical space. In general, the more space, the better.
One reason to consider not letting the enclosure get too big, however, is portability. You can put your enclosure on wheels, or simply drag it around if it is not too heavy. Enclosures with wire-mesh floors that are regularly moved can fertilize your grass or dirt, supply additional bugs and plants for your animals to eat, and reduce the amount of clean-up you need to do.
Keeping your animals safe is an important part of housing them. A completely enclosed area is necessary for their well-being as well as their sense of security. If a predator comes calling, your animals need somewhere to retreat that they feel safe, as well as being physically protected from the animal. Consider using a stronger mesh than chicken wire if you have large predators in the area.
Consider the weather when you are modifying your chicken coop plans. Keeping your animals comfortable in the heat and the cold is important if you want them to stay healthy. Provide a completely enclosed area that is large enough for all the animals to be inside at once, but small enough to trap body heat. Make sure there is sufficient shade for hot days, as well as air flow and water.
While the vast majority of chickens raised are on large farms where there are not coops but rather huge barns, cages, or fields, some people keep a few birds for personal use. This might be for eggs, meat, showing, or any combination of the three. These birds need to be housed in something, and ready-made coops can be expensive.
Making an enclosure for rabbits, chickens, or other small animals isn't hard to do if you can wield a hammer, drill and saw. Looking over several sets of ready-made plans will help you get an idea of what you might want to do, even if you don't plan to actually use them. And sometimes modifying an existing plan slightly is easier than creating a whole new one.
Wood and wire mesh make up the majority of homemade coops. Depending on how many birds you want to house (or other animals) and their size, you will have different space requirements. Bantam chickens can live in as little as half the space of a full-size bird. Rabbits cannot make use of vertical space. In general, the more space, the better.
One reason to consider not letting the enclosure get too big, however, is portability. You can put your enclosure on wheels, or simply drag it around if it is not too heavy. Enclosures with wire-mesh floors that are regularly moved can fertilize your grass or dirt, supply additional bugs and plants for your animals to eat, and reduce the amount of clean-up you need to do.
Keeping your animals safe is an important part of housing them. A completely enclosed area is necessary for their well-being as well as their sense of security. If a predator comes calling, your animals need somewhere to retreat that they feel safe, as well as being physically protected from the animal. Consider using a stronger mesh than chicken wire if you have large predators in the area.
Consider the weather when you are modifying your chicken coop plans. Keeping your animals comfortable in the heat and the cold is important if you want them to stay healthy. Provide a completely enclosed area that is large enough for all the animals to be inside at once, but small enough to trap body heat. Make sure there is sufficient shade for hot days, as well as air flow and water.
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