How to Build Chicken Pens

Chickens have been kept by humans for centuries for their feathers, eggs and meat. You can still find chickens on many farms and ranches, although they have found their way into many residential backyards as well. Chickens are fairly easy to keep and require little maintenance, although they should be contained in a pen for their own safety. Building a chicken pen can be done in one day with just a few supplies.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Post hole digger
  • 5 wooden posts, 4 inches by 4 inches by 6 feet long
  • 9 boards, 1 inch by 4 inches by 8 feet long
  • 3 boards, 1 inch by 4 inches by 4 feet long
  • 1 gate panel, 4 feet
  • Wire
  • Wire cutters
  • Fine netting
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • Chicken wire
  • Fence staples
  • Old doghouse
  • Feed and water pans
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Instructions

    • 1

      Contact your local zoning department to see if it is legal to own chickens in your area. While chickens are becoming more and more popular, it is still against zoning regulations to own them in many areas.

    • 2

      Measure the area for your chicken coop. Your coop will be an 8-foot by 8-foot square, so choose a flat area free of obstructions, and mark the corners of the pen by laying a post at each corner. Decide which side of the coop you want the gate on and place the remaining post directly in the middle of the two posts on that side. See the diagram in the References section for the basic layout of the posts.

    • 3

      Sink each of the posts 2 feet into the ground to keep them secure. Dig a hole 2 feet deep with a post hole digger and set the dirt aside, placing the post in the hole before refilling it with the dirt. Tamp the ground around each post by walking firmly around the post.

    • 4

      Attach the gate panel along one of the short sections of the frame. Lay the panel against the posts, wrapping it securely to the post with short lengths of wire. Make sure the gate swings open and closed easily to allow you access to your chickens once the pen is complete.

    • 5

      Frame in the chicken pen by attaching three boards horizontally between the posts. The boards should be evenly spaced with one at the top, one in the middle and one at the bottom of the pen. The 8-foot-long boards will be used on the three long sides of the pen, with the shorter 4-foot boards used to fill in the remaining space between the gate and the last post.

    • 6

      Lay the netting over the top of the chicken coop and affix it to the posts and top boards with wire staples. Place a staple through a section of the netting and hammer it fully into the wood to keep the net secure. The netting will help keep your chickens in and predators out.

    • 7

      Unroll the chicken wire and attach it to the frame using wire staples. Press the wire flat against the frame before hammering in the staples to prevent gaps that might allow your chickens to escape. Start at the short section next to the gate, working your way around until you have reached the gate panel on the other side.

    • 8

      Place an old doghouse or other small enclosure inside the pen to provide your chickens with shelter. Fill their food and water dishes before turning them loose inside your newly constructed chicken pen.