subject: Tools and Techniques for Building a Chicken Coop [print this page] Tools and Techniques for Building a Chicken Coop
I have been asked about different sections when building a chicken coop. In this article I will cover some basic techniques, along with one or two advanced techniques, for your chicken coop building projects. First I want to cover some basic needs you will have to address before you start your project.
-Tools-
Here is a basic general tool list you will be using when building a chicken coop. Some of the tools will or will not be needed depending on the type of coop you decide on constructing.
1.Wheelbarrow
2.Round shovel
3.Square shovel
4.Framing square
5.Tape measure
6. Wood stakes
7. Dry line
8. Line level
9. 6ft. bubble level or 4ft. bubble level
10. 2 saw horses
11. 6ft. step ladder
12. Circular saw
13. Hand saw
14. Copping saw
15. Drill
16. Philip bit
17. Standard bit
18. Framing hammer
19. Finish hammer
20. " wood chisel
21. 1" wood chisel
22. Staple gun
-Plans-
Building a chicken coop can be a very simple project or a little more involved than you are comfortable with. Whatever your skills are as a builder you want to have a plan to follow. The advantages of having a plan to work from are saving time, having exact measurements, knowing the complexity of the project, the tools needed, cost of materials needed, and knowing the total cost. These are very helpful to know when you're building. For your chicken ranch, knowing all this beforehand is important to you because it gives you the future projected cost of your coop. Also you can project how much money you can potentially make off of the eggs and chickens. Ultimately, the plans you choose will affect your location of the coop.
-Location-
The decision of a location of your coop is important when you are building a chicken coop for a small designed plan or a large style coop. The location for a small coop will not be as critical because you can build so that it is designed for mobility and can be moved easily. The basic rules of ventilation and cleanliness will affect your choice of location to make the feeding and cleaning of your coop as easy as possible. Make sure a water source is close enough in your choice of location to use in your cleaning and bathing of your chickens.
The same basic principles of ventilation and cleanliness still apply when building a chicken coop of a larger scale. The location will be more of a factor because it will not have the luxury of mobility it will be built in one location and be a permanent fixture. The location should be far enough from your living quarters to keep the odor to a minimum and close enough so you can have access to the coop for your daily chores of gathering eggs, watering, feeding and cleaning
