The number of families raising poultry for meat and eggs is on the rise in the United States. And so are the sales of chicken coops and poultry supplies. Before you start your own flock of poultry, you’ll need a chicken coop. If building a chicken coop is not an option, you can buy one. You can also turn an assortment of structures into a chicken coop. My guide will give you several options you may not have considered, like turning an old pull-behind camper or a dog house into a chicken coop.
A chicken coop should be predator proof, but it should also provide a dry location for your poultry to roost or sleep in. It does not require four walls and a door in order for your poultry to be happy. I would have to imagine that your poultry don’t really care as long as the food and water are there, and that they are safe from predators, rainy weather and freezing temperatures. There is a general rule about the size of chicken coop to have, for the size and number of poultry you will be housing in it. You should figure that one bird, depending on its size, requires from 2-4 square feet of space inside the coop. So if you have 10 birds, you’ll need between 20 and 40 square feet of space inside your chicken coop.
Pre-Built Shed or Storage Building Coop If you have the funds, a custom pre-built shed, or building is the Cadillac of chicken coops. In the past 10 years, many companies have been popping up in towns and cities and doing nothing but building custom, pre-built sheds. Even Home-Depot, Lowes and UBC offer their customers custom pre-built sheds. Star Structures in Miles City, Montana will make you a custom portable shed, built to your size specifications and needs. Search your local business listing for sheds, or portable storage buildings. The results should lead you right to a source for getting a chicken coop built and delivered.
Used Camper or Recreational Vehicle Coop Did you know, or even consider, that a used camper would make a great chicken coop? Well it does. It has windows, doors and insulation already built in. Inside the camper you get the benefit of shelving, counters and book cases, all of which your poultry will enjoy using as roosts, nesting spots and gathering areas. And you can use the built-in cabinets for feeds, etc. Search Craigslist for campers made in the 70’s or 80’s. Used campers at this age will usually sell for under $500. After you get it, you can do any customizing you desire, and pull out all the unnecessary furniture and appliances to make more room for your poultry. Here is a step-by-step article on how to convert a camper into a chicken coop.
Pre-Built Chicken Coop
There are dozens of companies on the internet that build chicken coops and ship them right to your door. These chicken coops are super nice, with poultry friendly amenities like easy to clean floor liners, and nest boxes with hinged top doors for easy egg gathering. Some of the chicken coop companies make chicken coops you can easily wheel around your pasture or backyard. For these kinds of details, you will find the price to be a little higher than a pre-built shed or a used camper. A mid-range price for these types of chicken coops is about $1,200.00. One company I found online, that appeared to have a good line of coops and a solid reputation, is EZ Clean Coops, in Genoa, IL.
Before you buy hatching eggs or day-old chicks, make sure you have a chicken coop on the ground and ready to safely house your new flock. If you need to do any work on it, complete it before you put your poultry in there. After your poultry have moved into the chicken coop, is no time for you to be going in there to remodel. Believe me!
