Plan carefully before you build, unless you don�t mind building over and over again. Follow the recommended square foot area for each bird as it relates to the breed you are interested in. In the brooder, a good general rule is � square foot of floor space per chick, but this is only for the first 2 weeks or so. After that, they need more room, (averaging 10 ft� per bird), and if you don�t provide it you will end up with problems.
You will need to decide whether to free-range your birds or confine them. If you live in an area where it is possible, turn your birds out for at least a few hours every day to forage. The more time the birds are allowed to roam, the smaller their pen can be, and the less feed you will have to buy. The downside to this is that you may end up with a broody hen that insists on laying her eggs in the most inconvenient areas. (We ended up with 32 eggs under our old car, and then she began laying in a neighbor�s yard!). A good solution is to wait until they have laid for the day, then release. This way your eggs end up in the nestboxes.
If free-ranging is impossible, another solution is the �chicken tractor�; a pen that you can move from one area to another, therefore eliminating the need to free range.
Check out these sites for more housing information and coop plans & pics.
http://www.henspa.com/
http://www.backyardchickens.com/plans.html
http://www.backyardchickens.com/coop.html
http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/housing/
http://www.cps.gov.on.ca/english/po5000/poultry.htm
