backyard chicken coops
There’s no place like home, and that’s just as true for your chickens as it is for the humans who care for them. And while you could spend $100, 000 on a coop for chickens (for real!), there are lots of easy, affordable DIY chicken coops you can build too. You'll want to think about a size that's not too big and not too small (keep in mind you might end up wanting more chickens than what you start with!) that will keep your chickens safe, happy, and laying eggs. Once you have the essentials in place, you can have fun with paint color, shutters, salvaged doors, and other aesthetics to design the perfect "tiny home" addition for your yard.
As you decide on the best chicken breeds for your flock and do your research on how to best care for them in this handy guide to raising chickens, check out the step-by-step tutorials or chicken coop plans you can purchase on the slides ahead or even design your own dream coop to create a home sweet home for your new feathered friends. (Or if DIY isn't the right choice for you, check out these ready-made chicken coops you can buy any time you like.) No matter the route you go, don't forget the accessories for your coop—yes, chickens need accessories too.
Built by her grandpa in 1964, Mel Ridley’s childhood playhouse is now the happy home to Lou and her other feathered friends.
Why I Raise Backyard Chickens
A standing seam metal roof and board-and-batten shutters (not to mention the shiplap walls inside!) bring tons of farmhouse detailing to Caroline Scott’s enviable chicken coop.
An unused grain bin finds a second life repurposed as a unique chicken coop. The attached large enclosed run gives the chickens plenty of outdoor space.
Matthew & Alysha Sneed looked to a farmhouse they spotted in Country Living for inspiration for their cozy chicken coop that is complete with windows and a front door. Using scrap wood and windows and a door from a second-hand store kept costs down.
Building A Backyard Chicken Coop: A Tale Of Marriage, Compromise And The Art Of Butting Out
Deep in the heart of Texas, this dream-worthy large chicken coop—with more than 900 square feet of run space—keeps Erin Schaefgen’s 50-plus chickens in scratching bliss.
Fashioned after the guest cottages on her Mississippi farm, Callie Richardson's (@thewhitemagnoliafarmhouse) 140-square-foot chicken coop boasts shingled siding and a pair of barn-style sconces. The spacious coop includes a potting area in the front half, while the 14-foot vaulted ceiling makes for plenty of room to incorporate roosting bars and nesting boxes for her flock of 12.
) designed a pretty backyard coop that both complements her own farmhouse and provides function with easy cleaning. The 8'-by-12' structure (with an attached enclosed run of the same size) is divided with the front area providing space for feed and supplies and the back area housing the nesting boxes and roost. Its roomy walk-in design is ideal for six to nine chickens.
Cheap Cheap Chicken Coops
Look to architectural salvage, such as this large cupola, for a one-of-a-kind chicken coop. Outfit the inside with nesting boxes and places for food and water and you're all set.
Kristi Reed picked a rustic cabin-style chicken coop to make her chickens feel at home on her Montana ranch. Natural wood siding, iron strap hardware, and a corrugated metal roof add rustic detailing that blends with the wide-open landscape.
Take your design clues from Happy Days Farm and incorporate design details such as x-doors, iron strap hinges, and a cupola for a chicken coop that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional. When designing their large chicken coop, owners Penny Ausley and Brittany May started with these plans, altering as needed for space and function.
Wonderful Diy Recycled Chicken Coops
, built a henhouse worth clucking about. When choosing materials for your chicken coop, Brooke recommends cedar wood as a great option because of its all-weather durability. It's naturally resistant to rot and insect damage, and it won’t warp when exposed to moisture.
Two windows, a large access door, roost rails, and a hinged lid make this DIY coop a winner. The detailed 31-page plans seal the deal.
When we first saw this brightly painted coop, we only had one question—can we move in? With colorful shutters and a picket fence, these lucky chickens live in high style.
Chicken Coops, Raised Gardens, & Greenhouses By Roost & Root
While this upcycled vintage cabinet isn't quite large enough to be a full chicken coop, it's the perfect spot for brooding your backyard chicks. Just replace door insets chicken wire to a vintage armoire.
This Georgia family didn't stop at just designing their own large chicken coop—they added DIY decor as well. Bonus: The cute "On the Farm" sign lists the fun names of all the resident chickens, from Rosie Mae to Hazel.
Thanks to some bright yellow paint and blossoming flowers, this cheery coop—it even has its own window boxes—looks like a tiny house.
How To Raise Chickens In Your Backyard
A classic red barn-style coop is a welcome addition to any farmhouse backyard. The downloadable—and cheap!—plans for this one are easy to follow.
There's a lot to love about this backyard coop for four chickens—the pastel trim details make it as pretty as it is functional.
Give your old swing set's A-frame structure a new life as a chicken coop by attaching sheets of metal roofing and covering it with mesh netting.I made this little chicken barn a few years ago to house 3-5 laying hens in my back yard. I'm in town and had to design a "pretty" one to keep people from having a chicken coup (ha ha). This one was inspired by some Kansas barns I've seen. I spent about $40 when fully completed. Chicken wire, some 2x4s and damaged siding were the costs. Damaged siding is half price at my local lumber store. Other things used were scrap wood from old bathroom cabinets, leftover hardware, paint, and wood from house projects, and lot of scraps and hardware from a condemned house down the street (I got permission to take things before they bulldozed it.) Shingles were given by my neighbor leftover from roofing his garage.
Deluxe Backyard Chicken Coop
Many towns actually allow up to 5 chickens but no roosters. Check local rules on this if you plan to build. If you do get chickens in town, be courteous to the non-chicken majority so the rest of the city chicken people don't get punished through politics and zoning.
I submitted pictures of this coop to someone who was working on a coops book a while ago and they included a picture of it in "Chicken Coops, 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock." By Judy Pangman
My floor space includes the exterior run. I knew I wanted 3 heavy egg layers, so from the charts I used 10 square feet per bird rule. There are different suggestions in different books/guides; this link has a pretty good chart: Virginia Tech Small Scale Poultry Housing PDF.
Backyard Chicken Coop Ideas And Types (photos And Charts)
The floor is 2x4s framed like a little porch 3 feet by 4 feet sitting on 4x4s attached with many 3" screws.
The walls are just under 4' tall and I used 3" screws to put together the 2x4s. 4' walls are a good dimension because siding and plywood come in 4'x8' sheets.
I framed in nest boxes here. I think a rule is one box per 3-5 laying birds. They like dark, comfy places to lay. Making the boxes the size of a 12" dust pan works great when cleaning the coop. Lots/all books suggest elevated boxes, but these floor boxes have worked great for three years now.
Simply Easy Diy: Diy: Small Backyard Chicken Coop
I cut 2x4s with angles to make three sets of rafters and attached them with three inch screws. I screwed down some old cabinet wood across the rafters to make the roof, leaving a little 4" hole near the center
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