Have you thought about building a chicken coop, but held off because you didn’t know anything about what kind of material to use, how to put the material together to make the coop, or because you thought it might cost more than you wanted to spend?
There are free chicken coop instructions, and they’re available to you in this very article.
Building a chicken coop doesn’t have to dent your bank account at all and some of the best things in life are still free. To keep down the cost of building a coop, the material you use can be anything that will provide shelter.
Some people have even used old lawnmower sheds. If you’d rather have a nicer coop, though, you can create a structure without relying on something that’s already standing.
Check out this bloggers tips for converting a shed into a chicken coop.
If you like Youtube videos here is a video on how to convert a shed into a chicken coop.
Go to a lumberyard or an area where new homes are being built.
Ask if you can have the scrap pieces of lumber they’re not going to use. Yes, many lumberyards and home construction companies actually throw unused wood away.
Not only could you get the material free, but you’d help keep the scrap wood out of the landfills.
While you’re at the home construction site, ask if you can have any leftover shingles, too. Most of these end up in the garbage as well.
Some cities have a waste exchange program where members can exchange or buy good, secondhand items that would normally end up as trash.
For the chicken roosts, you can either nail up wood such as a two by four or two by two or use small tree branches nailed in place.
More Chicken Tips:
- A Guide for Winterizing Your Chicken Coop
- The Magic of Dried Leaves in Your Chicken Run, Pig Pen, and Goat Run
- How to Survive Chicken Molting
Don’t build the roosting perches directly above where you’ll need to reach in to gather eggs (for smaller coops) or where you’ll walk in (for larger coops).
For the windows, you can find old windows that aren’t suitable for a house but are perfect for a coop at some thrift stores. The first thing you need to do is to build the frame for the walls and floor.
Check your local Habitat for Humanity’s restore- it’s like a Home Depot and the proceeds goes to support the nonprofit.
The frame and size of the walls depend on how large or small you want your chicken coop. The front and back wall of the coop are usually longer and the sides smaller. Secure the walls and frame to the flooring.
The materials used to build coop can be old wood boards or plywood if you don’t have enough boards. Once the building is complete and the perches are in place, install the nesting boxes.
Inside the boxes, place straw for the eggs. With these free chicken coop instructions, you’ll be on your way to enjoying your new chickens fast!
More Chicken Tips:
- 3 Items You Need Now for Your Chicken Coop in Winter
- 3 Tips For Prepping the Ground of a Chicken Coop
- 3 Ways To Keep Your Eggs Clean
What goes along great with building a chicken coop for free?! Cheap chicks! Every year all our local farm stores have chickens on clearance- especially meat birds. We’ve seen meat birds down to 50¢ each at Tractor Supply.
Give your local farm stores a call, and ask about when they put these birds on clearance.
For more tips on how to raise chickens cheap tap here.