Building A Chicken Coop By Bill Keene – A Review
I was in the position about a year ago where I wanted to keep my own chickens. I had searched around for chicken coops but was not excited about the prices I had been quoted so being a little bit handy with the tools decided to have a crack at building one myself. Being a methodical kind of guy I wanted to get my hands on some chicken coop plans and this is where Bill Keene’s e-book comes in.
I had searched on the internet for some plans and came across this wonderful e-book so I thought I would write a review and let everybody know what to expect from it.
The first thing I liked about this e-book is that the actual plans are downloadable, this is great if you are a bit like me and liable to lose rip or generally get them messed up you can print as many different copies as you like. You get plans for various designs of chicken coops from a small coop able to comfortably house 2-3 chickens to something more substantial with integrated runs or two storey hen houses or even the increasingly popular chicken tractor. There is simply something for all levels of chicken keeper.
The actual plans themselves were well presented in full colour and in great detail; Bill really leaves nothing to chance. There are diagrams of the more complicated techniques but again you are not left to figure things out by yourself. You are given a full list of the materials you will need to complete each project which makes it a lot easier when buying them as you will only order what you need and not be wasting money on timber that will be cluttering up your backyard.
It is not only that actual building of the coop that is covered in Bill Keene’s guide, you also will get information on the best place to position your chicken coop which is important because if the chickens do not get enough sunlight it can affect their egg laying. You will also learn how to build nesting boxes using readily available materials for free.
There is also a lot of information within the guide about the best materials for the ground of your chicken coop and the cheapest materials to build your hen house with while still maintaining the quality and security you want from it.
You will also discover a plethora of advice on how to properly care for your chickens with topics like protection from predators, proper feeding advice and what to do if your chickens become sick.
To sum up I believe Bill’s many years of looking after chickens and building chicken coops come through in this book amazingly well. It makes the whole process of keeping your chickens safe and happy a whole lot easier. A healthy chicken is good as you will get great tasting fresh eggs for your breakfast every morning, which has got to be one of the main reasons we want to keep chickens in the first place.
Plans For Chicken Coops – Consider The Climate
Some species of chicken prefer winters and can survive with no problems,other species prefer a much warmer climate.You need to take into consideration the weather conditions in your local area so you can make an informed decision on which species of chicken to purchase, you don’t want to waste your time and money by having your chickens die after a couple of months.
Winter
In the winter or extremely cold days, it is not advisable to try and warm your chickens up because you think they may freeze or catch a cold. You could wake in the morning to a dead flock of chickens, they can adapt to a cold climate because of certain changes of the chicken’s metabolism, it changes when cold weather is imminant.
If you live in an area where cold conditions are common place, or it is basically winter most of the time, there are certain precautions you can take to ensure you will not risk the lives of your chickens.
A. There’s a chance that your chicken’s comb or wattle could suffer from frostbite. This can be prevented by rubbing a little moisturizer or petroleum jelly into it every other day.
B. Be aware of a frozen supply of water. They cannot drink from a frozen water source and it is cruel to deprive them of water. Water for chickens must always be fresh and clean as a chicken can not handle impurities in it’s water. You could install a water heater so the drink does not freeze over, or another solution is to regularly check the waterer.
Summer
You could live in a state where it is summer most of the time, and your chickens could be exposed to extra warmth on a constant basis. Dehydration is a big risk in conditions like these.Therefore it is advisable to be extremely vigilant to ensure that your chickens never run out of water. It is important that your chickens have a good supply of fresh clean water to avoid dehydration. You need to provide some sort of shaded area in their coop. Also if you do not have a run for your chickens you will need to ensure that there is sufficient ventilation for them.
In warmer conditions hens can be expected to lay fewer eggs. This is a common sign that lets us know that our chickens are becoming stressed because of the heat.The number of eggs your chickens lay will return to normal once the heatwave has ended.
Sometimes if conditions are worsening you must keep an eye on your chickens behaviour. Something could be happening to your chickens, it is possible that a chicken is acting a bit strange or it may even catch a cold, if this is the case it is advisable to separate it from the others to stop the spread of disease.It is imperative that you provide water for the chicken and feed too.
Once you have the situation under control it is wise to talk with a vet. Explain to them what sort of behaviour your chicken is exhibiting.Let them know if your chickens are suffering with:
1. Loss of appetite.
2. Keeping away from the rest of the chickens.
3. Do they look depressed.
4. Watery eyes or even sneezing.
5. Unusual stools, for example worms, blood or its white.
6. Mites.
Make sure you let your vet know exactly what you can see so they can let you know the appropriate response. These points are only a few of the things you need to consider when wanting to keep chickens in warm or cold environments, it is best to be prepared for all eventualities.
The Right Materials for Building a Chicken Coop
Being a starter in the world of raising chickens, one of the important 
thing you should consider and is also necessary is the fact that you can protect your raised chickens without even being on a shot-gun watch for 24 hours every waking day; that is why you have to build a pen that will last for a very long period of time. Before building, planning and gathering is the very first step.
Location is the first thing to consider. Do you live in a rural or in an urban area? Your answer will depend on the chickens you can keep. Usually in rural communities, the number of livestock you want can be unlimited but when in urban settings, raising chickens can have restrictions regarding its number. Or sometimes, they are totally banned.
Another thing is the kind of chicken that you are planning to raise. If they weigh heavier, this will be an advantage because this kind of status will make it more difficult for them to fly away. A simple wire and post design pen can be used. But in most instances chickens are more prone to flying away. Especially if they are not used to the place, a fence with a higher walls or wires is more appropriate.
The place where you construct your pen must be safe and sturdy enough to withstand any predator’s mark. It should be constructed in a way that your poultry are not easily snatched not only by scavengers but also by people who are pretty much interested in chicken stew. They must be protected and locked-in, especially at night.
What is a post and wire type of pen? It is by far the simplest kind of design wherein materials like posts, strong wires, fence staples are used. The tools needed to help you complete the job are the ordinary hammer, wire cutters, crowbar and sledgehammer. Gathering these materials are the very first thing you have to do upon planning.
Fence post can’t be bought one at a time but in bundles. If you became worried that the excess lumbers will go to waste once the fence is finished, worry no more. This is because fence posts can be used in incredible purposes like supporting beams for sheds. Chicken wire is usually used. But for safety purposes a stucco wire is stronger and is more recommended for holding building sides.
There are really no actual fence staples, that is why the local staples used for wiring can be used as an alternative. Skimping the staples should not be stressed. You need a lot while construction is ongoing and also additional supplies in cases of emergencies.
The sledgehammer is used to pound the post into the soil. Weight is the first thing that you have to take note of when choosing a sledgehammer. Make sure that it is not too heavy that you can’t lift it up and not too light that you will need to exert all your efforts just to pound your post.
The crowbar is used for digging a hole where the pole will be placed. Lastly, the regular hammer will be useful for those hardheaded staple wires to dig in the posts.
Now that all materials are properly intact, you can plan on the actual building of the pen.
