How to Build a Chicken Coup

How to Build a Chicken Coup

Raising chickens can be an enjoyable hobby, and it may even be the start of a profitable business venture. Here is how you build a chicken coop.

Required Tools and Materials

2 12 x 8 x 2 boards
Milk crates
Hook and eye
Screws and nails
2 door hinges
Post hole digger
Bolt for coop door
Four 4 x 4 x 8 posts
12 4 x 8 x 1/2 inch plywood sheets
2 rolls of 1-inch hardware cloth or rat cloth
27 2 x 4 x 12 boards
Saw
3 bales straw
Corrugated tin

Step 1

Put four of the 2 x 4 x 12s in the area you want the coop to be. Nail these to make the base. Put 2 boards on the base’s top corners. Nail 4 more of the wood pieces at the top. Nail this to form a cube shape.

Step 2

Nail as many 2 x 4 x 12s as required by the coop. Space the top and base boards by two feet. When you build a chicken coop, you have to secure plywood sheets on the joists of the roof. Use nails or screws. Fasten the corrugated tin roof onto the plywood roofing.

Step 3

Hammer and nail the plywood sheets to create the coop walls. There will be one plywood sheet remaining. It will be suitable for the middle of the eight ft coop side. Cut the plywood to make the windows. Put some rat cloth on the structure.

Step 4

Cut the 2 x 4 x 12 to 2 ft lengths. Nail the pieces in a horizontal manner. This is sufficient for a couple of 2 x 8 12 boards where the crates will be set.

Step 5

Dig a hole 4 ft in the front of the coop. Make a couple of holes so it is aligned with the hole you first dug up. Install the posts and pack it with dirt.

Step 6

Put the rat cloth on the structure. Install the door using the hinges. If you have not put the windows in place, put them in now.

Tips and Warnings

Put some straw or other litter on the flooring. You may also want to add these on the bare portions at the yard. Do not put the coop near tree branches.

Before you build a chicken coop, make sure the area is safe from predators. Be certain also the area is not subject to weather extremities. The place must be free of predators that may harm the chickens.