Growing chicken is not only a great experience for families with children, but also an excellent way to get fresh eggs, remove bugs from your yard, and get some much needed natural fertilizer for your garden. In order to provide the best environment for your home grown chicken, you should learn how to build a backyard chicken coop. The process is simple, but you need to make sure you have everything you need.

This is where your chickens will eat and sleep. Your coop will also need to keep them safe from potential predators. It is possible to buy a pre-made chicken coop and that is a good option for you if you have the money and don't have the time to build one on your own.

The first thing you need to do is come up with a plan. It is important to take a count of how many chickens are going to be in the coop as well as how large they will get when they reach maturity.

Other considerations are:

• How many nests you plan on putting in
• How many feeders you will need room for
• Where to put water and how many you need
• How many windows will give your chickens enough sunlight

Beyond choosing exactly what you'll need to go in your chicken coop and how much room you will need it is also helpful to make sure you choose a good terrain to build on. Definitely don't choose one that is hilly or rocky. Also, consider an area that will have the right sunlight conditions and keep the number of threats to a minimum. Be sure you have more than enough space cleared to build on.

After you're sure of those basics you can really begin to plan. Draw up a blueprint of your chicken coop. You need to draw to scale so you can make sure all your measurements will be accurate. Include all of the components like windows, feeders, and nests. This will help you get a visual on what the outcome will be.

Once you finished drawing your plans up you can start to buy the materials. At the bare minimum you will need:

• 2 X 4 wood pieces
• Concrete cinder blocks
• Chicken wire
• Insulation
• Nails and screws
• Saw
• Hammer
• Anything else you have included in your plans

Now the real fun can begin! Once you have your plan and your materials you can start to build your backyard chicken coop. Follow your plan and put in extra effort to make sure everything is sturdy. Do remember to leave areas for ventilation but also seal everything up to keep predators out.

It's not hard to learn how to build a backyard chicken coop, and the end result will be perfect for you. Soon enough you'll have chickens in your backyard and you can brag to friends and family about the wonderful coop you built.