To Build or Not to Build?

We knew we wanted to raise chickens, but...well...we didn't know a thing about them.  I mean, other than my next door neighbor having a few in her backyard when I was a kid I had not seen chickens except at the stock show.  So we had to do some research and figure out things like a coop, what kind of chickens would be good in the Texas heat and humidity, what to feed them, how many we wanted to try to raise, should we raise them from chicks or just get adults, what about heat lamps and brooders?  How many should we get to start with?  What kind of chickens would be good for egg laying?  We really didn't want them for meat, not yet anyway...we wanted to make sure we could handle a few before we got too envolved in chickens, what if we were bad at taking care of them or the dogs ate them?  We also needed to figure out where in the world to get chickens.

We read a lot about chickens and coops trying to figure out the best coop to build or buy. I read about a variety of chicken breeds trying to find good breeds that could handle the hot weather of a Texas Summer and the cold we have in some of our Winters.  I didn't want chickens to die from heat stroke or freeze to death on my watch.  I looked into getting chickens on line, but it didn't seem like a nice thing to do to them...mailing them in the heat of summer?  I figured we are in the country we should be able to find some chickens close to us for sale.  My husband put me in charge of animals...and their housing.
So I got to work figuring out a plan for a chicken tractor/coop...he did some research and told me that chicken tractors were healthier for the chickens, you can move them to fresh areas so the chickens can forage for food and it cuts back on feed costs.  It also helps improve the soil by fertilizing it naturally and they turn the soil by scratching and eat the grubs and other insects that might otherwise eat crops or flowers.

First I looked on line at chicken tractors and coops to see how much they cost, and how big of a coop would hold 6 chickens?  They are expensive and most of the reviews for the less expensive coops and tractors were not good, they fell apart quickly...I figured if I built my own, it would be sturdy and last longer.  I didn't figure it would be that hard to do, I could use tools...I just needed a plan and to figure out the materials.  I read a lot, height requirements so they could flap their wings, how high a roost needs to be, access doors for cleaning and retrieving eggs, that chickens are pretty stupid...and would stand in the rain and drown sometimes.  What kinds of materials are dangerous for chickens, how to build a ramp to access the coop, nest boxes and how many and the size, and more.

So, I found a picture of a chicken coop that I liked and I modified it a little and tried to come up with a materials list.  I ordered a few things on line and then my husband and I made the drive to Texarkana for wood, roofing and hardware like hinges and galvanized hammer in staples.  Little did we realize how many trips we would make to get more wood...

Some of the materials for the chicken tractor

I started on the chicken tractor and things sort of evolved, so that we could have a bit better access to clean and to keep the floor from rotting.  We wanted to use pressure treated wood but when my husband went to get plywood he came back with other than pressure treated wood and some of it was too thin.  We needed to protect the chickens from coyotes with this coop.

One side with the wire on it, I decided to use 1/4 x 1/4" wage wire instead of chicken wire.