Tips for Building a Chicken Coop

Weather you are looking to build a chicken house from scratch or you just want to renovate an existing coop there are some important things to keep in mind that can help you get the most of your chicken coop.

1. Price

Chicken can range in price from $200 for the simplest coop to over $3,000 for more elaborate coops.  Of course if you have tools, materials, and know someone with carpentry experience you could save some money.  You could also use an existing building like I did.  It helps if the building was previously a chicken coop.  Unfortunately ours was previously a tool shed so it’s not ideal but we make do.

2. Make sure your chickens like it

If you build a chicken coop for hens and don’t put in nesting boxes your chickens probably won’t be comfortable.  Make sure nothing sharp protrudes from the walls.  Equally important is that you make sure the chicken coop is the right size.  If you have 3 chickens in a giant coop your chickens may get cold in the winter.  Also if you have 30 chickens in a coop meant for 10 they’ll get very hot in the summer. 

3. Make sure YOU like it

This is true for the interior and exterior.  Although it’s probably not a good idea paint the walls or get very fancy on the interior because chickens will poop on ANYTHING.  I have a raised platform in the coop I can sit on when I go to see my chickens.  Keep it simple though, chickens don’t like HD TVs.   The exterior is a different story.  Do whatever you want with the outside!  If your favorite color is purple paint your chicken coop that color!  Just make sure it is a coop you want to look out from the outside and coop you want to spend time in.

4. Make it easy to clean

This is extremely important.  If you can’t clean it easily then you won’t clean it and, well, it will get filthy and your chickens might get sick.

5.  Make it flexible

Make sure you can use it for many things.  Make sure pullets, hens, bantams, chicks, and roosters can all comfortably use the same coop. 

6. Make sure there are no drafts

This one’s pretty straightforward.  Chickens are tough but they will freeze to death (unfortunately some of ours have died this way).

If you follow these tips you can make the best of your chicken coops.