You don't have to spend a fortune when you want to start building chicken coops.
This isn't hard at all, contrary to popular belief.
You can actually use materials around your house to fully outfit the chicken coop and make sure that it has everything it could possibly need.
The first thing you need to consider is how you are going to feed your chickens.
That being said, look around your house for things that you can use.
The best item is an empty pop bottle.
Typically you will want a two liter bottle that feeds through a hose dropping into some type of container.
It would be best to use a plastic container and keep it elevated so that the chickens cannot do anything with it other than eat.
Remember to not put the feeder next to the watering device.
The water works on the same principal as the food, which is gravity of course, but even though it is in a self contained bottle, the chickens will likely find some way to move the water from the water dish to the food dish.
If this sounds unlikely to you, then you've probably never had chickens.
When it comes to the roosts you can make these yourself.
Make sure that each roof is a foot and a half wide or about fifteen inches.
It should be a bit longer than it is tall, and this is to accommodate the movement of the chickens.
Remember, you want them to be as comfortable as possible.
On the edge of the roosts you should have some sort of ledge so that the chickens can easily hop in and out of the roosts.
You could forego the ledges, but if you do then you will want to put the roosts on the ground.
You will need to have a heat lamp, but make sure that it is close to the ceiling.
You don't want your chickens to fly into it because they will at the very least break the lamp, and at the most hurt themselves.
The last thing you want is broken glass lying in the chicken coop because you will need to clean the entire thing out to ensure none of your chickens eat said glass.
To some people a chicken coop is just a building, but for the chickens that reside there, it is home.
What you need to do is design it so that it is comfortable for your chickens, and with that in mind, make sure they have easy access to water, food, and shelter.
You should also make sure that they can exit the coop into the pen when they need to.