Building a chicken house or a chicken 'coop' is fast becoming a very popular hobby. Going out and buying a chicken coop will cost you quite a lot of money. Alternatively, building your own coop will cost you only about half the cost of buying one new ( makes sense ). A chicken coop made well, by your own hand, will last you many, many years. If a chicken coop is designed and made well the chickens inside will be far happier and will produce much more eggs of a healthier standard.

The first thing you should consider is the climate that you reside in. If you live in a colder climate you will have to well insulate the chicken coop to protect the chickens ( and eggs ). You can also use a special light to keep the inside of the chicken coop a warm temperature. Using the natural sunlight is also a consideration you should take into account. Chickens love the morning time so make sure the coop is built to get as much of this morning sunlight as possible.

Chickens are birds so they are going to leave a mess inside their coop. The most common covering for the coop floor is usually straw. Bear in mind you are going to have to clean the coop on a weekly basis and covering the floor in straw will make this task a lot easier. Position of the chicken coop is very, very important. You do not want to put the coop to close to any hedges on your land because many different predators and pests can lurk in these hedges. Chicken wire is very cheap these days and it should be used around the outskirts of the chicken coop. This will aid in stopping general predators from getting at your precious chickens.

Right from the start you should have some ideas on how many chickens you are going to keep and raise. When building the chicken coop try to give the chickens more space than they could ever need. There is a reason for this - the more comfortable the chickens are the more eggs they will produce. With the extra room you will always have the option to expand the coop if you so fancy.

So draw your plans up before you embark on the building of the coop. Bear in mind the chickens will produce more the happier they are. Patience is key but if you stick to your plans and design, building a chicken coop will be an experience you will enjoy.