How to Build a Chicken Coop – Common Chicken House Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Coop

Building a chicken coop is a fun and rewarding experience, but if you don’t do it right, your coop won’t do your chickens much good and could leave them in just as much danger as they were without the coop. A good chicken house will keep your chickens comfortable and safe from the elements and from predators. But in order for your coop to do that, you need to avoid this very common coop building mistakes.

Don’t cheap out on materials in certain areas

You don’t need to use the highest quality materials for your entire coop, and there are some places where you can and should save money by using cheaper quality goods. However, there are certain areas where you absolutely need to use the best quality materials you can. Doors and windows specifically need to be well re-enforced. Use only top quality, strong wire to seal your windows or else predators will just rip through it. Doors should be made of very durable wood in order to ensure they can’t be broken.

Design your coop with the weather in mind

One common pitfall is designing your coop without considering the kind of conditions it needs to live through. A poorly designed coop will wear down and deteriorate far faster than a well designed one. When building your coop, make sure to use either pressure treated woods, or coat and seal your woods. This will help ensure your coop doesn’t rot from moisture. You can also slope your floor slightly towards the door to let any water that gets into the coop naturally drain out. This will keep your chickens comfortable and your floors in good condition.