Building a coop

So you’ve decided to build your own – a very wise choice, you can have a lot of fun from it and it means ultimately you have your perfect coop. There are things which have to be considered first when planning.

The first is to PLAN!! Planning ahead is the key to achieving a great coop. You need to know exactly what you’re aiming for and what the outcome will be. When my Dad and I made our first coop I couldn’t say how many hours work we put into the designing stage and we kept coming up with new clever things we could include. It ended almost like our house with its own gutter, self sufficient watering system and doors that opened at sunlight. But once it was finished we were incredibly proud of ourselves. 

You need to plan:

• Style – There are many things to consider with style.
  1. Shape- Square, Rectangular, Triangular. These all vary with number you plan to get and the space you want them to have. If you’re planning to build in a small area I recommend a square or rectangular frame as this will give them more height than a triangular one could.
  2. Doors and Windows – this come into security as well because you want to ensure that if you have many its still stable enough to keep them secure. If you have a large, secure garden, as we did then you can have a large door without worry – to let them out and wander freely within the rest of the garden.
  3. Size- This obviously varies on how many you’re planning to have and how often, if at all, they’ll be let out of the run. For a normal laying hen you should have at least 6-8 square feet each, but some different breeds need more or less space. 
• Design- This is so that it can fit in with your garden and look as though its always been there. The type of Frame, Roof, Feeders, Colour can all make it your own.
• Security – This obviously depends on where you live but there are two main things to consider.
  1. Weather – Basically you just have to make sure that everything you build is prepared for all weathers. A good solid roof for rain. Stable frame for wind. A sheltered place the hens during this weather.
  2. Preditors – You have to make sure that there’s isn’t even a tiny space for predators to get in because once they’re in there’s no way for the hens to get out. Make sure the locks are secure and not able to break or come undone themselves. To stop animals such as foxes burying under build a mesh around a foot away from the frame.
• Ventilation- They have to have great ventilation to live well and produce fantastic, quality eggs. Most coops are made mainly of wire to ensure such great ventilation. This also lets the coop air out and stay fresh so the chickens are comfortable.  It’s also important to have good ventilation so that they have a good natural sunlight which produces the best quality eggs. The first chicken me and my Dad had we found at the side of the road near a chicken farm(so called it the original name of “Ginger”) – When we found her she’d been stuck in the same place living off grass for days and she smelt awful and was clearly very unhealthy. It took a long time for her to recover from that and it was obvious to look at her, how essential the ventilation she’d been denied was.
• Entertainment – With hens you have to make sure they have enough to keep them entertained within the coop so that you can get the best quality eggs. You have to ensure you have a base which can have straw or hay on. We even ended up building a swing for them although we only ever saw two hens on it.