How to build a chicken coop?

Have you got some chicken and need a backyard chicken coop to keep them from roaming? Building cheap chicken coops is a job you can do yourself. The following guide will take you through building a small chicken coop for 4-5 chickens. Add approximately 3 square feet per extra chicken.

Construct the base and side frame

Build a 6 foot by 3 foot frame for the base using two 6 foot 2" by 2" timber board and two 3 foot 2" by 2" timber, use strong 5-inch screws for this. Construct a frame for the sidewall using two 4 ft 2" by 2". Screw the 4 ft pieces to the ends of the base frame approximately 12 inches from the front and back. Do the same thing on the other side.

Complete the sidewalls

Screw in a third 4 ft 2 by 2 board in the middle of the first two 4 feet from the front post. Now, screw another 6 ft 2 by 2 board on top of the posts to complete the side walls. Repeat this step for the other side.

Construct the front and back walls

Screw a 3 ft 2 by 2 board at the front and back, on top of the end posts. Screw another 3 ft 2 by 2 in the centre of the front wall. This is the outside roost support.

Add the chicken wire

Wrap chicken wire around the front wall and staple it securely in place. Use as many staples as possible here for strength. Now wrap the chicken wire around the rest of the front 4 ft sections of the side walls. Finally, cut a length of chicken wire to cover the top of the 4 ft section and staple this in place.

Build the hen house department

Construct a square frame within the unwired back wall by screwing
3 ft 2 by 2 boards across the insides of the rear upright boards, and across the inside of the middle upright boards. Screw 2 ft 2 by 2 boards across the insides of the unwired side-walls, in line with the boards you have just attached.

Construct the floor

Fix a plywood board to the middle of the unwired section. Cover the tops, sides and back of the unwired section with plywood boards. Cut a piece of plywood for the front of the unwired section. Cut out a rectangle in the middle of this board approximately 20 cm from the side and 10 cm from the bottom. Replace the cut out piece by attaching it with two hinges. Fix a barrel bolt to the other edge.

Construct a ladder ramp

Attach the front plywood piece with the door to the front of the house. Construct a small ladder ramp and attach it to the bottom of the door hole, placing the other end on the ground.