As you get prepared to build your own chicken coop, there’s a good chance that you’re interested in finding ways you can really reduce down on the price, saving your hard-earned money. The problem that many people run into however is that in their hunt for cost-saving tips, they often wind up using some cost-saving methods that also really reduce the total output of eggs that that house is able to produce.
While it’s important that you are able to build a cheap chicken coop, if you wind up with one where your chickens won’t produce eggs, you aren’t much better off – in fact, you’re just going to have to spend even more money to rebuild the house than what you saved.
Luckily, if you’re smart in how you go about your search, you can find some strategic ways to save on cost without reducing the effectiveness of the house.
Here are three to get you started.
Choose Your Materials Wisely
There are a wide variety of different building supplies you can use to construct your chicken house with, some of which will be effective, some of which will cause you more headaches than you care to think about.
Likewise, some materials will be cheap while some materials will be much pricier. It’s finding the cheap-effective materials that you want to do. Doing some thorough reading on the different types of materials you can use will help ensure that you do choose the right ones that meet your need.
Also, consider that after you know which materials will be best for you, your neighbours may have some of these materials lying around they aren’t using, which you can then either get for free or likely get at a much lower cost than what you’d buy them for.
Place Your Windows Strategically
The second way you can save money as you build a chicken coop is by placing your windows very strategically.
Your chickens need light – you likely already know this. Preferably that light will be natural sunlight since this is what serves them better. The problem many people make though is not positioning the windows at the correct height in the coop so then either their chickens aren’t getting enough light (and as a result stop laying eggs), or they are forced to wire in some electrical light to provide a bit more.
Either way you’re looking at a higher cost output, which is something you obviously want to avoid. By finding a building plan that takes this factor into account and specifically has you measure out exactly where the windows need to be, you will really reduce your costs and ensure your chickens are getting enough sunlight – which just happens to be free.
Locate Your Ground Properly
Finally, the last cheap chicken coop building tip for you is to think hard about where you are going to place your coop. Most people have a certain spot already in mind so they just find a plan and go to work building it. This is a problem.
The reason for this is because if that chosen piece of land is not firm or level enough, either you’re going to have to spend money to have it landscaped or the house could start to shift over time, causing you to have to spend money to rebuild parts of it. Either way, you’re going to have to spend more money than you had planned on.
If you get a better idea exactly what it is you want to be looking for in a land space to build on though, you can walk around your yard and maximize this by choosing the right area. No, it may not be where you had originally ‘dreamed’ your coop would be, but if it helps save you hundreds of dollars, isn’t that worth it?
So, be sure you’re taking these three cost cutting tips in mind. Don’t be too quite to cut corners because often it can leave you in a bigger mess than you would have ever imagined. Instead, use a proper plan that’s designed for price-effectiveness so you can be sure the money you do spend is well put to work.
Here is more information on how you can build a chicken coop on a budget.
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