Four Tips To Build a Better Chicken Coop

Do you know what these four important tips are? We will cover them in this article, and when you're completed you will be ready to move onto the next step, purchase some high quality plans, and getting out the toolbox.

Before we talk about any other aspects of building a hen house we need to discuss the size of the coop. The size of a coop directly effects the number of chickens you can raise. And building a coop that is too small can have drastic effect on your birds happiness. Once we have covered that you will be able to pick out the style that best suits your needs and the amount of space you have.

Once you have this information, you will want to look at building both a safe and health coop. Safety is important and something you won't want to neglect. Step 3 goes into more detail about covering this part of building a chicken coop.

The final step will cover the importance of building an aesthetically pleasing chicken coop. But you may be surprised when you find out how important this step really is.

Some of you may already be itching to break out the power tools, so I will get started and show you how to build a chicken coop.

Tip 1 - Building the Chicken Coop to Fit

I know what you're thinking, and to be honest I thought this myself once. If you know where you plan on placing the coop and you have a ballpark estimate of the amount of chickens you want to raise, isn't that all there is to it? If you've guessed that the answer is no you're correct. It doesn't matter if you already have a spot picked out, and the number of chickens set in stone. You may have to change your plans if the site isn't the most ideal. You may run into trouble if your desired hen house doesn't match the number of chickens you plan to get.

Each chicken requires at least 3 square feet of room inside of the chicken coop. As you can see, this will directly influence how many chickens you can hold, and where you can build your coop.

As you can imagine, if the chicken coop becomes too crowded, your hens will spend the majority of their time fighting for room rather than laying eggs. Since most people build chicken coops for the eggs, this would turn out to be a waste. So now is the perfect time to decide how many chickens you plan to raise.

If you find out later that the chicken coop you've built it too big (Something that is very unlikely) you can add another hen or two to the house.

Tip 2 – Choosing the Style That Fits


You might already know this but let's say this for those who don't know. But there are two designs of chicken coops to pick from. The first style we'll talk about is a portable one, which is often referred to as a chicken tractor. The next one we'll talk about is the fixed or static chicken coop. This one is built to last but it also has it draw backs. Let's look at the two types and you can get a better idea of what best suits your needs.

To start let's have a look at the portable versions. As you might have already guessed there are a couple of different benefits to building a portable chicken coop. Since you can move the coop around, maintenance is much easier. Have you ever lost a tool in the yard only to find it later with the lawn mower? When you build a portable chicken coop you have the option of bring the coop to you tools, rather than the other way around. Cleaning the coop is also easier with portable hen houses.

However, there is a downside to building a portable chicken coop and we will need to look at that, too. Chicken tractors aren't built to last a long time so don't get your hopes up when it is finished. It should be clear that you will have to preform a lot of maintenance, and eventually completely replace your coop, if you choose mobility rather than stability. Chicken tractors are not constructed as rigidly as the fixed version, and it is only to be expected that transportation and movement will take its toll.

Strength and security is the major advantage a fixed chicken coop has over the portable versions. Planing is a big part of building a fixed chicken coop, so choose wisely. Once it is finished, moving it will be a very time consuming process.

Here are some things to consider when you build a static roost. For starters, access to sunlight is a big part in keeping your chickens healthy. Don't forget to build your chicken coop so that it get as much sun as it can each day. But you will also want provide your coop with protection from the other elements. If you have strong storms in your area you will need to build your chicken coop under a couple of trees or parallel to a bigger building.

A beginner's mistake, especially if this is the first chicken coop you've built, is placing it on a low spot in your yard. Make sure to build it on the a higher part of your yard. If you get strong storms, your chicken coop could become flooded. If this happens, you'll learn what the expression “madder than a wet hen” means.

Tip 3 – Keeping the Chickens in and the Vermin Out

One of the most important aspects of learning how to build a chicken coop is keeping your birds safe.

There are many different types of predators that will prey upon your hens if you aren't careful. The cats and dogs in your area an be just as much of a threat as the less likely threats such as rats. Of course rats are one of the smaller threats, if you live in the country you might also have to contend with larger predators.

These can include the likes of: foxes, coyotes, and badgers. The fencing you use plays a big part in how safe your chicken coop is. Don't use too weak of fencing or you will have to pay a big price later. You will also want to bury your fence deep enough underground. Some animals will try very hard to dig their way into your chicken coop, make sure that doesn't happen!

Don't forget the threat from above. Hawks will also prey upon chickens, if you know you have them in your area you may also want to cover your chicken run.

Tip 4 – Make It a Looker

Learning how to build a chicken coop is more than throwing together some lumber.

A chicken coop is more than simply a comfortable safe home for your chickens. It should also add an element to your yard that few others share. That means you should take the time and make it also look nice. Nobody likes an eyesore, and if you don't take the time to finish out your chicken coop, you might get complaints rather than compliments from your neighbors.

Don't leave this part of building a chicken coop to take care of itself, because it won't. Coops can add a wonderful aspect to your yard's landscaping, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. And this is one piece of landscaping that will get you neighbors talking for all of the right reasons. They will also be envious over all of the fresh eggs you get to enjoy!

If you build your chicken coop in the city, you will want to check your city ordnances for any that regulate if and how you can build your coop.

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