How to Build an Easy Chicken Coop
Whether you live in a rural or urban area, raising chickens is a great way to have a constant supply of fresh eggs on hand. Raising chickens is not difficult -- all you need is a quality chicken coop. Rather than purchasing a custom or even an assemble-it-yourself coop, try building your own. Chicken coops are relatively easy to make, and if you are able to re-purpose some scrap wood from previous projects, you can save a lot of money. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 4-wall wooden structure (i.e., a doghouse or outhouse)
- Scrap wood
- Nails
- Nail gun
- Wood filler
- Latch or padlock
- 1/2-inch plywood
- Pieces of 1-inch by 2-inch lumber
- Four 8-foot lengths of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber
- Six 2-foot lengths of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber
- Six 3-foot lengths of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber
- Chicken wire
- Staple gun
Instructions
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1
Find a wooden dog house, outhouse or similar 4-wall wooden structure to use as the main structure for your chicken coop. Browse your local paper's classified ads and visit flea markets, thrift shops and garage sales to find something at a great price.
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2
Repair any holes or cracks in the wooden structure by nailing scrap wood over the holes with a nail gun or filling the crack with wood filler. These basic repairs will prevent chickens from escaping and small predators from entering the coop.
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3
Secure all windows or doors except two -- one that will provide your chickens with access to their outdoor run and a second to provide you with access to the coop to collect eggs. You may choose to attach a latch or padlock to the door or window you plan to use to access the coop.
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4
Place the wooden structure in the desired position in your yard. Your chicken coop should be easily accessible but out of the way so the chickens do not get spooked by constant activity around the coop.
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5
Build a ramp to bridge the gap between the opening in the side of the wooden structure and the ground by cutting a piece of 1/2-inch plywood to the desired length. Cut 1-inch by 2-inch pieces of lumber to the width of the plywood and nail them horizontally across the plywood every 4 inches. Set the ramp in place within the opening in the wooden structure at a 30- to 45-degree angle to the ground.
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6
Construct a wooden frame for the outdoor run by cutting two pieces of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber to the desired width for your frame and six pieces to the desired width. Cut six more pieces of 2-by-4 lumber to the desired height of the outdoor run. For a small outdoor run and only a few chickens, dimensions of 8 feet by 2 feet by 3 feet are acceptable.
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Lay two of the 8-foot pieces of lumber flat on the ground and lay one of the 2-foot pieces at each end to form a rectangular frame. Nail the boards together where they overlap and repeat the process to create an identical rectangular frame. Center another piece of 2-foot lumber across each pair of 8-foot pieces for added support, and nail the boards together.
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Position one of the rectangular frames flat on the ground in front of you. Position a 3-foot length of lumber upright at each corner, aligning the flat edge of the 3-foot length of lumber with the outside edge of the 8-foot and 2-foot lengths of lumber. Nail the boards in place.
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Position the second rectangular frame so the inside flat edges of the corner uprights are aligned with the outside edges of the 8-foot and 2-foot lengths of lumber as you did on the first frame. Nail the boards together to create a 3D rectangular frame. Nail another 3-foot length of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber upright in the center between the 8-foot pieces of lumber on the top and bottom frame for extra support.
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10
Wrap the entire rectangular frame in chicken wire except for one of the 2-foot by 3-foot ends. Secure the chicken wire to the wooden frame with a staple gun, placing staples every 4 inches or so along each piece of 2-inch by 4-inch lumber. Once the frame is enclosed, slide it up against the opening in the side of the wooden structure and secure it in place with nails through the 2-by-4 boards into the side of the wooden structure.
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Tips & Warnings
Design the inside of your chicken coop however you like, but keep in mind that chickens require nesting boxes to lay eggs. You should also be sure to provide adequate space for the number of chickens you intend to keep. A large dog house attached to an outdoor run is adequate for three or four chickens.
References
- Photo Credit David De Lossy/Digital Vision/Getty Images
