If you are interested in building your own chicken coop, then there some essential mistakes to avoid. Fortunately, with careful planning you can have your very own backyard chicken coop with healthy chickens that will rival those built by people who spent more time and money. Here are some essential mistakes that you must avoid.

1. Not planning the size ahead of time

Before you consider building a chicken coop, be sure that you have adequate space in your backyard and that you know what size you want. Obviously, the size of the coop you get will depend on how many chickens you want to raise. You can easily avoid this mistake by taking measurements of your yard and knowing ahead of time how many chickens you are willing to take care of.

2. Putting the coop in the wrong location

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is placing their chicken coops in a less than ideal location that is prone to hazardous conditions and predators. One of the best ways to protect your chicken from unknown predators or theft is to build a wire fence around the coop. Placing your chicken coop will not only help keep your chickens warm but it will also ensure the least amount of dampness should it rain.

3. Spending more money than is needed on a prebuilt chicken coop

Purchasing a pre-built chicken coop may seem attractive in that all the work is done for you. However, you will soon find that modifications will still need to be made so the costs can easily add up like creating adequate windows and ensuring that there is proper ventilation. In reality, you can easily build your own chicken coop from the ground up for a fraction of the cost.

When building your own chicken coop, it is essential to plan ahead of time in order to avoid common mistakes. While there is some work involved, having your own chicken coop will pay for itself many times over so it is well worth the effort.