Chook Me!

How Do you Make a Chicken Coop?

I want to keep 2-3 chickens but coops are VERY expensive. Cant find free plans anywhere on building one. Does anyone know how to build a chicken coop cheaply/from recycled materials. also we don't have any grass but lots of soil.

Public Comments

1. right now our chickens are in an old rabbit hutch a friend gave us and a large dog cage, and they lay in our old kitchen cabinets. sure, it doesn't look super fancy but it works perfectly well. they don't need a fancy house. as long as they have a secure shelter with a roost and a locking door. also, chickens prefer grass to soil because they like to eat the grass, and they will make short work of your soil. spread cedar shavings or straw to keep the smell down.
2. Ideally you need grass to keep chickens, they love to eat fresh grass it helps make their eggs so tasty. They will scrat up your soil and when it rains it will be pure mud I'm afraid. I typed "build chicken coop" into Google and found this website http://www.buildchickencoops.com/aframe-coop-plans.htm if you are handy with a saw and hinges it should be no problem. Remember they need perches to roost on at night and nest boxes. Also it needs to be easy to clean out, no tight nooks and crannies that you can't get a brush in.