How to Make a Chicken Coop

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By Victoria Ries
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (5 Ratings)

Chickens need coops to keep them safe from harmful elements in regards to the weather and, of course, from predators, domestic and wild who may be looking for a free chicken dinner. Chickens also need somewhere safe and private to lay their eggs and to roost at night. The following article contains instructions on how to construct a simple chicken coop with a dirt floor that will serve to keep your chickens safe.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Nails or screws
27 2 x 4 x 12 boards
Milk crates
12 4 x 8 x 1/2 inch plywood sheets
2 12 x 8 x 2 boards
2 rolls of 1-inch chicken wire
4 4 x 4 x 8 posts
Post hole digger
3 bales straw
2 door hinges
Hook and eye
Corrugated tin for roof
Ladder
Saw
Bolt for coop door

Step 1

Lay four of the 2 x 4 x 12s in a square in the location you would like the chicken coop. Screw or nail these together securely as these will be your base. Toenail in two more of the boards into each corner on top of the base. Lay four more of the same boards across the top to form a cube shape and nail or screw into place.
Step 2

Nail or screw more 2 x 4 x 12s at 2 foot intervals between the top boards and the base boards. Nail or screw more of the same boards in above you at 2-foot intervals to form roofing joists. Nail or screw two plywood sheets on top of the roof joists making sure the boards are well secured. Screw corrugated tin roof to the plywood roof that you just secured.
Step 3

Hammer nails or screws to more plywood sheets to form the walls of the coop until you have but one sheet of plywood left over that will fit into the middle of an 8-foot side of the coop where the door will be placed. Saw out holes in the plywood sheeting the size of your own choosing where you'd like windows for the light to enter. These openings should be covered with clear plastic or chicken wire or both.
Step 4

Cut a 2 x 4 x 12 board into 2-foot lengths and nail two pieces horizontally at opposite ends of the coop widthways. This will accommodate your two 2 x 8 x 12 boards where you will place the milk crates for the hens to use as nesting boxes.
Step 5

Dig two holes with the post-hole digger 4 feet from the front of your coop in line with the sides of the coop; then dig another two holes in line with the first set. Place posts in each hole and back-fill with dirt and tamp down to set pole. If you live in an area with termites; soak post ends in used motor oil first for a few hours before setting the posts into the ground.
Step 6

Unroll the chicken wire and wrap around the chicken coop "run" in a "u" shape. Add another layer above that layer and, if you feel it necessary, add another layer above that to keep predators out. This will act as an exercise yard for your chickens to bask in the sun, take dust baths and strut around scratching and pecking at the ground.
Step 7

Place hinges on your piece of left-over plywood and fit into door hole. Affix hinge screws tightly to 2 x 4. Screw on the bolt hardware to the door halfway up the door and as an extra safety measure, a hook and eye. Should that fail to contain the birds or keep predators at bay, a heavy brick or rock can be wedged outside the coop door.

Comments

vries said

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on 8/23/2008 I am sorry I have no pictures of this coop as it was built for somebody else in my previos location. However, I can tell you what "toenail" means in framing terms; when you need to join a vertical stud to a horizontal joist, you hammer in the nail at a 45 degree angle to hold the stud securely in place.

If you have any other queries for me; I shall be glad to answer them for you in a timely manner.

Thank you for reading my article and good luck in the construction of your new chicken coop.