Chickens are a great addition to any farm or yard. They provide a steady stream of eggs for a decent supply of food for the family as well as for sale purposes.
In addition, they can make great pets that the entire family can enjoy. Many people don’t realize that there is no need to live on a big farm to raise chickens.
They can raise them right in their own backyard. However, building a chicken coop is required for anyone who intends on raising any chickens.
Cheapest Materials for Building a Chicken Coop
Hen houses do not need to be extremely expensive additions to the yard. Building a hen house can be easy and can be done for very little money.
The cheapest materials would probably be scrap that can be found around the house. Many old things can be broken down for wood or broken down as walls for a chicken coop.
Old spare wood, fence posts, plywood, wooden boxes and more can all be used to make a chicken coop.
Some of the cheapest materials that can be bought for a chicken coop are cheap wooden planks and wire from second-hand stores.
It may not be the best wood or wire that money can buy, but it will do the job just fine. Also, check the local junk yard for any spare items that can be used to build a hen house.
Don’t buy any items that could be dangerous for the chickens to be around or walk on.
After the frame of the building is finished, the hen house will require some insulation and shingles.
The cheapest insulation materials are most likely different types of recycled insulation from items like newspapers.
Cheap recycled insulation can be found from some contractors and reuse centers. The cheapest shingles can usually be found in places like flea markets or discount home improvement stores.
Once the insulation and shingles are in order, the final touches will be a covering for the floor and building a ramp.
Covering the floor provides even more insulation for the chicken coop.
In addition, it provides a soft floor for the chickens to walk on. The cheapest materials for a floor covering are most likely straw or sand. Straw can be found at many different stores for cheap prices.
Look in the local classified ads for any local sellers that may be able to provide a good deal.
Home improvement stores generally carry large sacks of sand at low prices. Local gravel and sand companies may be able to offer even the cheapest prices for sand.
Building a ramp is essential for small chicks and younger chickens to get up into the hen house on their own.
These can be cut from leftover plywood or even just one plank of wood.
A chicken coop doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It just needs to be an adequate space where chickens can live fairly comfortable for however long they need to be in there.
The building should be sturdy enough to keep them in, keep predators out and keep the chickens safe and warm.
Many of the materials can either be found around the house, recycled from old items, or bought for low prices. All that is left is introducing the chickens to their new home.