There are a myriad of reasons for owning your own chickens, but one thing is for sure: you’re going to be building a chicken coop.
Whether you want chickens for the eggs, to use them as future dinners or just as pets, they’ll need to have a chicken coop to protect them from inclement weather and predators.
However, with the price of pre-built coops starting at $500, who can even afford to keep chickens?
It may sound difficult, but in the following article, we’ll outline some easy, practical, money saving steps for you and, in no time at all, you’ll be building a chicken coop all on your own!
There are a few things to consider before you start building a chicken coop. First, it’s important to educate yourself. Buy a book, or check one out from the library, that will help you learn about raising chickens and will give you complete, instructions on building a coop.
Check out the zoning laws in your town so you’ll know how many chickens you can keep and how large a coop you’re allowed to build.
When you’ve gone through all of that and can finally start on that chicken coop, here are a few tips to make the job easier:
- tip #1 – you can design your own coop, but there are several designs available for free online. Just get that search engine running and look for it.
- Tip #2 – build a raised chicken coop. This will protect your chicken from predators and the cold ground while making it easier for you to clean the coop and collect eggs.
- Tip #3 – the climate of your coop needs to be controlled. Your coop is probably going to require an extra heat source, insulation and/or venting in order to accomplish said task.
Once you’ve decided on the design for your coop, make up a list of materials and tools you’ll need. This list should include: plywood, chicken wire, straw, a hammer, a chop saw and tape measures.
There is quite a bit more to this list, so make sure you do your research! Note: pine shavings may be used instead of straw in your chicken coop, but DO NOT use cedar shavings as they can be toxic to chickens.
Many times, contractors store excess material and are often willing to sell it for a fraction of the price of a retail store.
Call some contractors in your area and see what they might be willing to work out. Your area may also have a reuse center with much of the material you need.
The materials will be clean but will probably have nail holes or be cut at odd lengths. That’s why they’re so cheap!
Building A Chicken Coop – Conclusion
We hope this guide has been enlightening and helpful on your adventure to raise chickens. It may be a lot of work, but raising chickens can be a very rewarding hobby.
At the very least, you now know how to get started on easily and cheaply building a chicken coop!
Click here to visit Building A Chicken Coop official site
