How to Build a Chicken Coop - How Much Does it Cost?

I was shocked to find the price of chicken coops on sale. Actually it took me forever to even find any decent ones for sale. There is a big gap in the market for someone to make affordable chicken coops. In the meantime the high cost persuaded me to build my own and pocket the saving. Assuming you have the basic DIY skills to put up shelves and do basic home maintenance you will easily be able to make your own chicken coop. What's more, you probably have all the nails, screws and tools you need to do the construction.

The costs really are the basic timber that you need plus some chicken wire. The other things you will need is a way to make the coop waterproof and warm. Insulation materials are not too expensive if you go to a good builders merchants. The cost can increase if you plan to have a special design or extra features such as egg collection hatches and automatic feeders.

I use timber that is prepared for external use. Decking boards are particularly useful because the are treated and are very strong. They are certainly strong enough for constructing the base of the chicken coop. They are also useful for laying out a small yard for the chickens to run in. The chicken wire can be stapled directly to the deck wood.

For the roof you can use a piece of roofing felt to make it water proof. This comes in very cheap and most merchants will sell you just what you need. In fact you can probably walk round your builders yard and get most of what you need in one trip.

The final factor in costing out your home made chicken coop is the number of chickens you have. For a modest 2 chicken coop you can probably make one up for well below $100. If you have different breed you want to keep separate then you will be looking at quite a bit more. For most home made chicken coops you should have plenty of change from $200.

For specific plans and more ideas on how to build a chicken coop there is some great info at http://howbuildachickencoop.blogspot.com/

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