Chickens on Allotments - DIY Chicken Coop

Chicken keeping on the whole is a cheap hobby. Chicken coops at allotments are often build with recycled and cheap materials. DIY coops from recycled materials are an opportunity for inventive ways of recycling. Allotments are a great place to be creative.

There are many Do-It-Yourself (DIY) coop designs available on the internet. Most of these chicken coops are made with wood. However a cheap plastic storage box from a DIY store is the main building component for a new chicken coop project this month.

Wooden posts (rescued from a skip) raise the structure 18-24 inches clear from the ground so that any unwanted visitors such as rats and mice beneath the hen house can be seen. This is also a convenient height for access to the inside of the coop for cleaning. The area underneath the coop is useful for the chickens to shelter from rain and for dry dust baths in winter. A sheltered area at the back of the coop will be used for the feeder and drinker.

Coop Planning Permission

The coop created below may result in an objection from the council if there are local rules that no building or structure shall be erected on an allotment garden without written consent.

Actually getting council permission in advance is a lengthy process. It can take over 6 months to obtain formal planning permission to place a small shed on an allotment. There is often apathy by councils to do their duty. I.e. to comply with the allotment acts and promote allotments for the benefit of local communities.

In principle chickens are allowed on all council-owned allotments in the UK as defined by the Allotment Acts. Any local rules stating that chickens are not allowed are not legal unless there is a local by-law (which is unlikely). No permission is required to keep chickens on a council owned allotment.

Many allotments do allow sheds but if sheds are not allowed then where are the chickens supposed to shelter? A coop or shed is an intrinsic part of keeping chickens on allotments. Planning Permission is not required for sheds, greenhouses and poly-tunnels.