Is It Better To Build Or Buy A Chicken Coop?

In this day and age when it has become almost fashionable to “do it yourself” many homeowners have to decide whether to build a chicken coop or buy a pre-made one. Before you make your decision however you should have a clear understanding of what both processes involve.

Whether or not you are an experienced builder a pre-made chicken coop or a pile of wood and materials will both require assembly. Make sure you have as much information as possible before you decide.

Cost

The first factor for most people who have decided to raise chickens and therefore need a chicken coop is money. Money is often the deciding factor over even skill because there are other costs associated with raising chickens.

Premade hen houses can be as cheap as a couple hundred dollars or as costly as $600 or $700, but most of them still require you to put the coop together. These pre-made coops come as they are which means you cannot customize them and you cannot vouch for the stability of the pieces that are pre-assembled.

Building a chicken coop from scratch requires both raw materials as well as tools. The good news is that raw materials for a large hen house may run you about the same as the cost of a small pre-made chicken coop. The bad news is that you don’t have any power tools your costs will increase exponentially because you will either have to purchase them or rent them.

If you build the hen house you can cut costs by using recycled wood and purchase surplus materials.

Keep in mind that even the chicken coops for sale require some tools for assembly.

Chicken Coop Plans

Are you proficient at following instructions? If so you may choose to build a chicken coop because you have far more choices. Whether you choose a playhouse or log cabin style hen house, a set of comprehensive chicken coop plans will help you build what you want.

If you search online you will find both free chicken coop plans as well as those available for a price. As long as your plans are detailed with color diagrams and step by step instructions you should have no problem building your own chicken coop from scratch.

Maintenance

Chicken coops are like any structure with living beings in them; they require maintenance. If you build your own chicken coop you can erect it with cleaning and maintenance in mind, but a premade one will have to be cleaned in any way you can accomplish it.

Both types of chicken houses will need to be cleaned, washed on the outside and probably even have a few planks of wood replaced.

Take a look at chicken coop plans on line and see what types of styles and designs are available that will fit your land. You need to make sure you have room for the coop you want as well as sufficient shade in summer and sun in winter.