DIY Chicken Coop Weekend Projects
Before you start planning the construction of your chicken coop, you need to select it’s location. The space available will impact the coop you build, but the number of hens and roosters you plan to raise, will impact the space needed.
You’ll want to place the coop in an area of sunlight but also near a shady area so chickens can find relief from hot days. Hens prefer a lot of sunlight in order to increase egg production.
For the actual construction phase, you have a lot of options when it comes to building a chicken coop. Some folks simply purchase a garden shed from their local home improvement center and modify it with doors, windows, fans, and nesting boxes.
You can of course purchase blueprints such as those sold on this site. Building from a blueprint allows you to build a coop specific to your needs, but in general, it’s going to take you more than 24 hours, the weekend at least, sense you’ll be cutting all your lumber to size from scratch.
[amazon_link asins=’B01DLE5HJU’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’thirdmarke-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6cbd9881-1c77-11e7-ab07-b91a7447be5c’]Some livestock feed stores sell coops ready to roll, they’ll deliver them right to your location and even set them up. Surprisingly, your best option might be Amazon. You can purchase a small chicken coop, suitable for a few hens and rooster, complete with nesting boxes and enclosed pen and ramps for less than $200 and have it delivered free if you are an Amazon Prime member.
Functional features to keep in mind, include a gate to the pen area for easy access and cleaning. Same with the coop, you’ll save yourself alot of effort if you think through your cleaning and feeding routines, and where you plan to dispose of wastes.
If you are a do-it-yourselfer, check out our Pinterest boards for ideas. We’ve curated hundreds of coop designs and function ideas from other backyard chickens around the world. No need to reinvent the wheel.
What about costs? Well.. you certainly can build a coop out of recycled materials for just about no cost at all, again, refer to our Pinterest boards for ideas. But more realistically, while small ready to assemble coops like those on Amazon can be had for under $200, the average cost of a chicken house for a dozen birds is about $500. A more substantial chicken coop for several dozen birds can run $1,000-$2,000 depending on the bells and whistles.
