So you've just witnessed the prices of a ready built chicken coop at your local store and you are completely put off the idea. Not to worry, there is a cheaper alternative. Building your own chicken coop has become more and more popular in recent times and it will cost only half the price of buying a store made coop. The materials needed for making the actual coop are very cheap as well - if you have any spare, dry bits of timber in your basement or shed they can be used.

The first consideration to take into account is the amount of space that is going to be created in the chicken coop. Chickens, like most animals, need a decent amount of living space to stay healthy. Four square feet per chicken is the rule of thumb you should use. As well as bad health, lack of space in chicken coops can lead to cannibalism. Another consideration would be the amount of light that your chicken coop receives. The light inside chicken coops effect the amount of healthy eggs produced. If your coop does not get a lot of natural sunlight then you can use a couple of chicken coop lights - these lights also help keep the chickens warm in the winter months.

There are certain things that you will have to provide inside the chicken coop to keep the birds happy. The most obvious would be perches - chickens like to perch so make sure you have enough for each bird. Pick one corner of the coop and lay out feeders and a water supply. Chicken tend to make a lot of mess when they eat so make sure you have put down a covering on the floor of either wood chips or straw. To make the cleaning out process all that more easier you must always make sure the coop is big enough for you to lean in and clean about.

All chicken coops must have a certain amount of ventilation through them. This can be achieved by building in window systems or by having a big enough doorway area. Chickens are, after all, farmyard animals so there will be a certain amount of odors coming form the coop. You do not want to make the coop to ventilated because of the risk of predators getting in. Remember, there are a lot of different predators that will roam through your garden at night.

Backyard chicken coops are becoming more and more popular. You do not need to be a qualified carpenter to build one and it can be done on a shoe-string budget. There are many different chicken coop designs to pick out of so find one that fits your needs and start raising your own chickens, good luck.