My daughter (she is ten) is wanting to raise chickens...Any ideas on how to build a chicken coop?

coops can come in many different forms. If you are only going to have a few chickens (3-4 max.), you could build a small house-shaped box (preferably with a sloping roof to prevent the rain from settling on the top), with a ramp going down into a mesh and wood frame that can go on the grass so the chickens can scratch about, and have plenty of space to flap their wings, run about etc. A hinged door would need to be added to both sections, to make it easier to clean them out, replace water etc. It is a good idea to have a sliding door out into their outdorr space, as this prevents foxes, snakes etc from getting in at night. This can be made simply with wooden "runners" on either side of the doorframe and a wooden door with string attached. The indoor sleeping compartment should have perches inside (thick-ish broom handles should do) that can be nailed in from the outside of the house. There should be a seperate "egg-laying" box for the chickens inside the coop (an old wooden rate filled with straw or hay should do) and a shallow dust bath so the birds can keep thier feathers in good condition.

It would be best to buy medium-sized chickens for your daughter, as these are often the easiest to pick up and handle, and definitely do not buy any cockerels, as they can get violent when "protecting" their family (and I have the scars to prove it). I hope this description is alright!

hi there,

if you have predators in your area, it needs to be strong that it can't be knocked over, dragged off, dug under, climbed into.... you get the idea?

chickens do make lovely pets. start with two. research the types you can get and see which breed takes your fancy. I love the frizzles! If chickens are like ducks, then each one will have it's own personality and each breed will have differing attributes in it's nature.

yahoogroups has a petducksrus group or other specialist (ie chicken) groups that could offer you some good ideas.

Whatever you do when you build it, you MUST build the housing off the ground. Coyotes, wolves, dogs, and snakes all love chicken/egg.

Here are some sites that may help:

http://www.henspa.com/

http://www.geocities.com/chickenfarmerjoyce/page5p...

http://www.chickencoopplan.com/indexcb.cfm?hop=bro...

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/desi...

http://www.mypetchicken.com/Chicken_Coop_Plans-c33...