If you really want to keep chickens but can’t afford an expensive commercial hen house, then homemade chicken coops is the best option.
You can save hundreds (and in some cases, thousands) of dollars just by building your own coop with simple, easy to find materials. My motto is: why spend more than you need to!?
Consider these points before you start building your own hen house. Remember, the better prepared you are, the easier and cheaper the end result will be!
1. Number of Chickens
Obviously this is a major point. Common sense says that the more chooks you have, the larger the coop will need to be. No mysteries there! 
2. Chicken Breed
Not all chickens are the same. Some require specific conditions (e.g. temperature) and you must keep this in mind when building the hen house. Do your research on chicken breeds before you start construction. If you don’t know which types of chickens you’ll be keeping yet, build your coop so it can be customized and added to later if need be.
3. Your Budget and Time Constraints
There is no limit as to how large, exotic and expensive your chicken coop can be. But most people will have some sort of budget that will keep spending in check, not to mention the time it will take to build.
Thankfully there are some excellent DIY chicken coop plans floating about that make the process quick and cheap, but you’ll still need to work out how much time and money you can dedicate before you get started. The last thing you want to happen is that you almost finish but run out of funding!
4. Coop Layout
It is easy enough to think of building the structure, but if you work out what will go where inside the coop, the plan becomes clearer. Consider:
- Where the food will go
- Ventilation
- Type of ground cover/material
- A run plus exit to the run
- Egg laying
- Roosting
Drawing up a simple plan diagram (or using a pre-made plan) can mean the difference between failure and success.
5. Location
Where you build your homemade chicken coop is important. You will ideally want some shade but also some sun during the day. If you live in a very cold climate then ensure there is adequate warmth, and likewise consider heat reduction if you live in a hot climate.
Consider elevation, dampness, wind and rain protection, temperature conditions and more. Remember, you want your chickens to be healthy and the best way to do that is to provide a safe and protected house for them.
These 5 points are some things to keep in mind during the planning, design and building stage of your home made chicken coop.
With a bit of imagination you can recycle to build a coop.
This old shed makes a perfect shelter area for your chickens.
