Free plans, tips, designs and links on building your very own chicken coop
Keeping chickens is fun and rewarding
Keeping chickens is fun and rewarding
Here you'’ll find a variety of free plans and tips to building your own chicken coop or chicken run. You will also be able to purchase the wire mesh & chicken wire which is most suitable for your plans
Chickens are ideal pets in many ways, they need relatively little space, they are attractive and fun, and they are also very rewarding. Not olny do they– give you a ready supply of fresh and tasty eggs, they also provide some of the tastiest meat available, much better than anything you’ll find in a supermarket. If you intend to eat your chickens you will also know exactly how they have been treated and what they have eaten
Keeping your chickens healthy and in good conditions is obviously key to enjoying them as pets or in your own garden or small holding. The first part in keeping your chickens healthy is to make them a suitable place to live
Below you will find some tips on building your chicken coop or run. First there are some tips on which type of wire netting is best. Then you will find some of our designs you are welcome to use or adapt to suit your own needs.
Which Mesh?
Speedwellstar.com supplies a full range of chicken and rabbit wire fencing for all of your needs. Whether you farm chicken commercially or keep chickens for fun in your garden. Speedwellstar.com supplies chicken wire direct– which means you get the savings
Length - If you are making a run you will need a large amount of wire fencing We'’d recommend 30m or 50m of mesh. For the coop itself you may not need so much 10-20m may do it
Hole size - This will depend on whether you want to rear chicks. If you do you will need at 33mm or smaller. If you are going to keep only larger, adult birds, or plan to have a separate area for the adult birds then you can use the 50mm mesh– which is also a lot cheaper!
Quality - We recommend our PVC coated chain link fencing. This is longer lasting and retains its strength very well. We also stock a budget range
How To Build A Chicken Coop And Run
Ideally your chickens should have a secure indoor and outdoor area. This way your chickens can get their exercise and stay healthy. They will also have shelter and better protection from predators
Size - If you decide to make your own coop we recommend that you have about 4.5sq ft per chicken in the coop
Chicken Nests - We recommend that you have 1 nest for every 2-3 chickens.
Access - Your chicken will obviously need access to the coop. A square hole with a latched door will allow for this and can also be shut to protect against night time predators. Remember that you will also need access, for cleaning and collecting your breakfast
Flooring - The floor of your coop should be able to keep around 3mm” of shavings
Perches - The perches should be around 9 to 12"” long for each bird depending on their size
Height - Remember, when designing an open run it must be tall enough to accommodate any items inside it such as perches etc
Common Designs & Links
Lager coops - There are obviously many designs of larger coops available. Here are links to some of our favorites: Click here for Chicken Coop Design #2
Click here for Design Tips #3
Click here for Design Tips #3
If you have any designs you would like to submit – please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you and see your photos
