Chook Me!

i want to build a cheap chicken coop?

hey every1 can sum1 tell me how to make a decent chicken coop that wont blow the budget thanks

Public Comments

1. 2 x 4 's and wire mesh from Home Depot or Lowe's. For the gate, put some cheap hindges on there and cut the wire mesh with tin snips. That whole ordeal won't cost you much of anything.
2. Here is a great link in helping with buliding.... http://www.freechickencoopplans.com/
3. Use 2x4s and plywood. Better yet would be to find someone with any kind of old building that needs to be removed (ie- playhouses, sheds, old chicken coops). Make your frame 8 feet wide by 6 feet deep. Make it 5 feet tall in the front and 4 foot in the back. Mine has a door on the front so I can go in to check for eggs. It also has two windows on the front for light and ventilation. Inside you'll need nest boxes that are 12x12x12 inches. Make the top of the boxes sloped to discourage birds from roosting on top of them. And you'll need to provide a roost. A roost is a ladder-like structure. Make sure the rungs are at least 12 inches apart in any direction. The plans as I've given are enough for one to two dozen birds. A single nest box will serve three or four birds, and each bird needs between two and five square feet of space (most agree more is better). But you can scale them down to fit your needs. If you make the coop smaller, you could put hinges on the roof. That way you can just prop the entire top up to check for eggs negating the need for a human size door in the front.