Building a Chicken Coop Can Be a Rewarding Experience

By Ellen Roberts

Building a chicken coop can be a very rewarding experience as the healthy chickens you raise will produce fresh eggs all year round. However, this can also be a daunting task as a single mistake can result in a mediocre coop or worse, unhealthy chickens.

Building a chicken coop is easy and inexpensive. You can build your own backyard chicken coop using common materials and household tools. A chicken coop is more than just a small little building to house chickens in. Build a house-like structure sized according to the number of birds you'd like. Make sure there's compartments for the hens to lay in, and a separate spot for a rooster or two. They troughs for feed and water, and a catch-all tray beneath for droppings.

Building the chicken coop on a high yet well drained area with ensure the least amount of dampness of the coop. Be sure to build your chicken coop in an area that faces the sun which will help warm and dry the soil and coop itself after it rains. Building an overhanging roof can also help prevent rainwater from getting inside your coop and can save you the trouble of running outside in the rain to close the shutters.

Choosing a breed will depend on the kind of chicken that you want to raise. There are chickens that seem healthy but their egg-laying capacity is frail while other chickens give out lots of eggs every day. Choose a plan that fits your image of the ideal chicken coop. Once you have your plan, it's time to gather your materials.

Chickens don't require a lot of space so you don't have to build a huge house if you plan to have 5-6 hens. Chicken coops can be built in one or two days. Chicken coops can be built in assorted sizes, depending on what your needs will be.

Starting a chicken coop is very easy provided you have free chicken coop blueprints in your possession and if you do not have the blueprints, then you can obtain the same if you go after the links given here. Start with the foundation. Make sure that it is strong enough to weather potential harmful forces. Starting it early, you can have your coop finished in a day. When you already have your coop built, do not put your chickens in it yet for at least 72 hours because the silicone you used for curing will still give off its fumes for many hours and chemical fumes are not good for poultry animals.