Build an Inexpensive Chicken Coop

Welcome to my website! If you currently raise chickens or are planning to in the near future, building a chicken coop is most likely at the top of your to-do list. You can save a ton of money building your own chicken coop versus buying one.

I'll be highlighting some of the more popular chicken coop designs and showing you how much you'll save by building your own. After each description, I'll provide a link showing you where to get plans and detailed instructions to build each coop.

The Chicken Barn

This coop will house 10-20 chickens, has a fenced-in run, nesting boxes, full-height doors for easy access, and weather-tight windows. The blueprints tell you the best type of lumber to use and even includes a bonus section explaining how to add a concrete slab .

This coop sells for $2,395 in stores, but can be built for less than $400. You can complete it in one weekend. To get your own set of plans for this coop, click here. 

The Chicken Playhouse

If you're a smaller poultry farmer living in a city, this design may be what you are looking for. It's a chicken coop that's disguised as a playhouse. Even though it doesn't look like one, it's actually a fully-functioning chicken coop that can house 15 chickens.

You can purchase this coop in stores for $899 or build one yourself in a weekend for only $250 or less. If this design suits your fancy, you can download plans by clicking here.




The Gambrel Chicken Barn

This stylish Gambrel Chicken Coop holds 10 – 20 chickens, and has a beautiful sloping gambrel roof. Makes a great addition to any backyard or outdoor area. Who says a chicken coop has to be ugly?

This barn sells for $2,795 in stores. You can build your own for about $600 in materials and hardware. If you'd like to learn more about where you can get detailed blueprints and complete assembly instructions, click here.



As shown above, you can save thousands of dollars by building your own chicken coop. With good quality plans and detailed, step-by-step instructions, it's easy to construct a coop in one weekend. To see the rest of our chicken coop designs, please visit our full catalog of chicken coop plans. Just click the link below.

Great Chicken Coop Plans

The Benefits of Raising Chickens

Editorial Review: The following article lists many benefits of raising chickens. Chickens can reduce common pests found around most homes, naturally. Before you can raise chickens, though, you need a good chicken coop. For good chicken coop plans, I recommend this website: Building Plans for Chicken Coops. There you'll find resources for easy-to-build chicken coops that can be built fast and inexpensively.

Eco-Friendly Pest Control - Perks of Raising Chickens

Did you know that backyard chickens are an excellent form of natural pest control? Homeowners are becoming increasingly likely to keep two or three chickens on their property. From fresh eggs to a consistent source of rich fertilization, there are many benefits to keeping backyard chickens.
Homeowners may not be aware, however, that chickens can act as a living method of eco-friendly pest management. Read on to learn how chickens limit pest infestations, as well as steps you should take before buying chickens for your own back yard.

How Chickens Help Provide Eco-Friendly Pest Control
Chicken scratch: consistent pest management. Anyone who has observed chickens knows that much of their time is spent scratching the earth, looking for food. This is how chickens provide effective pest management - pests will soon be gobbled up by a hungry backyard chicken. For instance, chickens savor ticks, fleas, Japanese beetles and most other insects. Basically, owning chickens is like owning your own army of eco-friendly pest control soldiers.
Slug pest control. Gardeners despise these slimy creatures for devouring their vegetables and plant specimens. In addition to nearly any type of insect, chickens love to eat slugs, making them an excellent provider of eco-friendly pest management.
Disease prevention. Because they eat insects that carry diseases (such as Lyme disease), backyard chickens naturally reduce the chance that your family members or pets will become infected with a dangerous disease.

How to Prepare for Backyard Chickens
Research local regulations on backyard chickens. City regulations may not jive with the advice you get from your local pest control company. Pest management professionals, for example, may recommend keeping chickens near property lines to create a line of defense against pest infestations. However, city regulations around chicken ownership may state that residents cannot build coops within 15 feet of property lines. Take a tip from your local providers of pest control: Check your city's regulations before buying any backyard hens.
Build a coop. If you're hoping to raise chickens as a form of eco-friendly pest management, it's smart to research local approaches to building chicken coops. Coop-building workshops are available in many cities. Alternatively, you can have a local specialist construct a coop for you. Since chickens are usually bought in the spring, fall is the perfect time to build your new coop.
Locate a feed store. As is well known by the chicken experts at your local pest control company, chickens will not be able to live on insects alone. They will also need to be fed mash or pellets, which should be available in nearby feed stores. Portland, for instance, is home to the Urban Farm Store, which sells several varieties of chicken feed.
Partner with a neighbor for chicken-sitting. One downside to keeping backyard chickens is that they require daily care. Most chicken owners sincerely enjoy taking care of their fowl, but owning chickens can be a challenge when you're hoping to go on vacation. Hook up with other urban chicken farmers in your area to arrange for chicken-sitting if you go out of town.

Chicken-Themed Events
For those who are interested in learning more about chickens and pest management, many cities offer "coop tours." During these events, residents who already own chickens open their homes to explain how they take care of their fowl. For instance, Portland residents can attend Growing Garden's Tour de Coops self-guided chicken tour, which is traditionally held in mid-July. Poultry association shows and state farms are also wonderful opportunities to gain information on how to raise backyard chickens.
Although backyard chickens can help provide effective, eco-friendly pest control, they're just one facet of an effective pest management plan. For more information about keeping pests from entering your home, contact your local pest control company.

Learn more about natural pest control for your yard at www.EdenPest.com, the pest control company Bellevue, Washington trusts.

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