Chicken Coop

janibrown

Hi I am really wanting to keep chickens in my back garden and have been
looking into it for around a year so I would not just go rushing into it.
The price of chicken coops to buy are so expensive and I was wondering if anyone has built their own ?
My husband can get a load of wooden pallets for free and I was thinking at having a go at building one myself
If you have built your own could you please share any tips with me please I am not too bad at woodwork as I fit all our own doors, skirting etc etc but never built a house for an animal/bird before and would want it to be right as it would be outside It would need to be water tight, I would need to buy some ashfelt for the roof and some preservative for the wood, which kind would I need
Any tips would be Great
Many Thanks
Janice

lostinrates

I'd have a look at some of the many online plans. Corrugated rooves are generally considered better. Ventitilation being excellent balanced with draught free for the chickens when perching is important. To have perches HIGHER than nesting box areas and to be easily cleanable are all really important

There is a Chicken House building for dummies books with different plans in it too.

Lotus-eater

I built my own and I bought a 2nd hand one and converted it to my spec.

If I was you, I would go and try to have a look at a few, then search for as much stuff on the net as poss before designing one.

What I have learnt in my time keeping chickens is.
Have an onduline roof, I have mine on top of a solid wood roof, as I have alot of wildlife which likes to eat chickens round here. But it's still better than felt. You need to fit it properly, so read about it before you buy it.
Have a slightly sloping roof and under the low side, have a weldmesh closeable air hole.

Raise it off the ground, 1. because otherwise rats will dig tunnels underneath it and, 2. because it gives the chickens somewhere to shelter from wind and rain. I leave one side (of the underneath) with wire mesh on it and cover the other side and end, one end is left open to allow access from the run. You place the coop so the covered sides are pointing towards the wind.

KISS keep it stupidly simple, because simple means easy to build and easy to dismantle if you have problems.

You want an easy to clean out area, so able for you to get into with a spade, hose and brush. So a big full size door is excellent.

A locking (bolt) pop hole is a good idea. As is building the pop hole from decent timber, my next one is going to be a side opening door not an elevating thin sheet.

You need a laying box, either inside or added on. I've always had mine on the inside as it helps security, added layers boxes add a weak link in the outside. If it's on the inside you need a way to stop them perching on it, I build mine with a 60 degree slope to the roof, or you can build it high. I make mine just a box that you can take out, so it's very easy to clean.

You need a perch, about 9 inches per large chicken, needs to be about 2 inches square with very well rounded off edges.

Preservative, use creocote, it's a creosote replacement it will stop red mites which will be a pain at some point. But paint it a few days (inside and out) before you get your chickens.

I can't think of anything else at the moment. Any questions just ask.

SailorSam

free diy chicken coop plans - Google Search

ds1980

Mines an old shed. look on freecycle or ebay etc or if you know anyone throwing one away. You have the basis then to do what you want with it.

bird boxes use the fruit and veg geezers wooden fruit boxes not as common anymore but they still have em if you ask nicely.

singlehouseholder

have a look on the many chicken sites, my coop - and subsequesnt extension is online, I got inspiration for my run from there, gave a carpenter the sizes and he built the panels. Consider the positioning / site, how many birds you want - then double that number, you will want to expand your flock, make sure you have the room. You'll also need somewhere to store the associated doings - shavings / beddings / layers pellets / medicinal products. Try and give the ladies as much room as possible. If you intend upon "franging" them you'll need to ensure your garden is bird hazard free, and that the can't escape!! Good luck with it all, chickens are great fun, and you can eat what comes out of their bums, what a pet!!