Chickens make great pets and in these tough economic times they're also a very cheap and infinite source of fresh eggs each and every day.
So it's no wonder why many people are taking the plunge to buy a few chickens of their own.
If you've done this and are looking for plans for chicken house construction, you're reading the right article! You may be aware that chickens are quite vulnerable creatures, particularly when they're young.
So it's important that they're given a home that will keep them safe from predators like stray dogs and that will also protect them from the elements.
They also need enough room to be able to roam around during the day and a snug place to rest at night.
From a maintenance point of view you, as the owner, should aim for a chicken house that is open enough for you to easily enter to gather eggs each day, and one that is also easy to keep clean and fresh.
It can be hard to achieve all of these things with a cheap pre-fab kit from a hardware store, or even knocking one up at home without the correct knowledge about how best to address the needs of insulation, lighting and how chickens prefer to nest.
As such, the best thing to do is to build your own custom chicken house using a detailed, but easy to follow, instructional guide.
A good guide will list all the materials you need to build an effective chicken coup and will provide different plans so that you can pick one that suits your yard.
It will also lay out the building method in easy to follow steps so that you don't get bogged down with the whole process.