Chicken coops come in a variety of styles, sizes, materials, and configurations, so there's a wide range of costs associated with it. This is one of the main determining factors for most. Building your own chicken coop will usually cost you about half of what you can expect to spend on a ready-made chicken coop. That's if you buy all the new materials.
You can do it for much, much less if you use recycled materials. A high-quality chicken coop will contain nest boxes, above-ground sleeping spaces and good ventilation. Raccoons can and will bite chicken wire to reach your birds; the hardware mesh will keep them away. This monstrous chicken coop has three rooms: two large rooms at each end and a small room when you first enter.
However, the frame will only need to support chicken coop wire, hardware mesh and other fencing, not solid walls and a roof, so the frame will not have to be as strong and perfect as the chicken coop frame. You can easily buy new chicken coops to sell at farm supply stores and on the websites of chicken coop manufacturers. As mentioned above, some people use the deep bed method in their chicken coops to reduce the frequency of cleaning, reduce the use of bedding, and allow some of the composting to take place even before the chicken coop is cleaned. Nest boxes should be placed in the darkest part of the chicken coop, as chickens like to have a little privacy when laying their eggs.
The blueprint set comes with a very detailed bill of materials and step-by-step images of the cooperative being built. Some plans will require a dirt floor in your co-op, and while this may seem easier, adding a hardwood floor pays off in the long run because it will result in a much safer, drier co-op. It has a small access door at the front for cleaning and for chickens to come and go. The smallest spot in your yard can house a beautiful home for your chickens, create something you really like, they're sure to love.
Straw has been the chicken bed of choice for centuries, as it was available on most farms. If your birds create more compost than you need for your property, you always have the option of offering it for sale and further reducing overall costs.
