| If you plan to raise chickens, you will need to build | | | | -- 4" x 4" posts for wall support |
| a chicken coop to house and protect them from | | | | -- Plywood sheets for walls, flooring and roof |
| inclement weather in addition to natural predators. | | | | -- 1" x 4" and 1" x 12" boards for nesting boxes |
| Hens tend to produce fewer eggs when they are | | | | -- 2" x 3" boards or 1½" round wood dowel |
| uncomfortable from extreme heat, cold, wind or | | | | rods for perches |
| rainy weather. Therefore, providing all your | | | | -- Chicken wire or some other wire with small |
| chickens with a protective, comfortable place to | | | | holes to prevent chicken escape or predator |
| roost will be beneficial to egg production and the | | | | entry |
| future of new chicks. In addition, a chicken coop | | | | -- Cement to secure 4" x 4" posts in the ground |
| will protect your feathered friends from predators | | | | and possibly for the coop foundation if preferred |
| like snakes, rats, and hawks as well as any | | | | over plywood |
| diseases these predators may carry. | | | | -- Screen windows for ventilation |
| Learning how to build a chicken coop starts with | | | | -- Screen door for entryway |
| knowing how many chickens you plan to house | | | | In addition to the materials you need to build your |
| and raise. The standard rule of thumb for most | | | | chicken coop, a variety of tools, hardware and |
| coops is allotting four to five square feet of | | | | accessories are needed. You can expect to |
| space per bird. That means the chicken coop | | | | purchase different size nails, staples, metal joists |
| dimensions would be 4' x 4' to 5' x 5' if you had | | | | for the roof and floor, electrical wire and outlets, |
| four or five chickens. You should also take into | | | | window and door latches and hinges. Tool-wise |
| account height clearance for yourself so that you | | | | you will likely use a saw, hammer, staple gun, |
| have enough space to stand upright when you | | | | shovel, saw horses, a measuring tape, post-hole |
| are in the coop, whether it is for egg collecting or | | | | digger and metal snips for cutting the wire. |
| maintenance. | | | | Choose a chicken coop design plan that best fits |
| Your chicken coop should have good ventilation so | | | | your needs in regards to size and configuration. |
| if you plan to build a solid enclosed structure | | | | You can expect a pressure treated pine 2" x 4" |
| (perhaps similar to a small storage shed), make | | | | piece of lumber to be around $4 to $5 for 8' in |
| sure you incorporate screened windows along | | | | length while the 4" x 4" posts are approximately |
| with a door that opens inward. There should also | | | | $13 to $18 each for 8', depending on the wood |
| be nesting boxes (one per every two or three | | | | quality. Pine 1" x 4" boards cost about $10 for 5' |
| chickens) in addition to roosts for the birds. | | | | while 1" x 12" boards are about $20 to $25 each |
| Consider some type of light or electrical outlet to | | | | for 8'. Pine plywood sheeting costs about $10 to |
| plug in lights or heat lamps. Your climate may | | | | $15 for a 2' x 4' sheet with ½" thickness. If |
| necessitate heat lamps during cold winter months. | | | | you are not handy with a hammer or home |
| Lights can also trick a chicken into laying eggs | | | | improvement projects, learning how to build a |
| year round rather than seasonally, a great | | | | chicken coop will take some time - possibly |
| investment should you want to have a supply of | | | | several weekends. However, if power tools and |
| eggs all year. | | | | lumber are your thing, you likely will need just a |
| Typical materials needed to build a chicken coop | | | | weekend to construct a basic coop for your |
| include: | | | | chickens. |
| -- 2" x 4" lumber for framing | | | | |