How to Build an Amish Chicken Coop

Choose a location for your chicken coop. Consider things such as standing water after rain, which you will want to avoid, and the coop's proximity to forestry, as the closer the coop is to the forest line, the more susceptible the chickens will be to wild predators.

Determine the necessary size of your chicken coop by considering how many chickens you will be raising and how many you intend to raise in the future. Typically, you will need approximately four square feet per fully matured chicken that you will be raising.

Assemble the base of your coop, which should be raised from the ground approximately six inches to accommodate for potential snow or water accumulation due to weather.

Construct the walls of the chicken coop and insulate them using fiberglass insulation, then cover the fiberglass insulation with aluminum flashing material to prevent the chickens from consuming the insulation material itself.

Install the door to your chicken coop at either the side or rear, with a plank that serves as an entrance surface. Use door hinges on the outside of the door so the door will swing open and not into the coop itself. Install a sliding lock on the exterior of the door so you can lock the coop as needed.

Install the roof of the coop and leave an overhang over the entrance, so that rain and snow will not fall directly in front of the door. Wrap the entrance plank with chicken wire to give your chickens a secure surface to cling onto and complete the procedure.