• Last updated 5/8/12 by trictle

Attached is the design and construction of my small chicken coop.  It is based off of the recommendations given in Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens.  It is intended to house four, heavy egg layers.  I am attempting to provide year round comfort without the need of, or the worry of needing, supplemental heat during winter in the foothills of the Cascade Moutain range of the Pacific Northwest. You will find that some, small license has been taken in the actual construction as compared to the plans but on the whole it remains true to the framing plan.  I want to thank... read more

• Last updated 8/10/09 by Renee

La Cage Mahal Mike and I built our first chicken coop in March 2008, here in Southern California.  Overall, it is 5x10' with a 3x5' henhouse and a 5x7' covered run.  We built it to house three to five chickens.  It is designed to blend with the other buildings on the property and to improve our garden's appearance (it's made out of better materials than our house!).  Our thanks go to both the BYC crew and Monica for wonderful ideas on how to build coops. Basic Instructions Step One: Framing We used treated and painted 2x6 lumber for the foundation and painted 2x4... read more

• Last updated 9/9/09 by OutdoorFun4

"Hennebunkport"  This simple design was created  last winter from hours of pouring over BYC coop plans. We wanted a structure that would look at home in our part of the country and had conversion potential if this chicken experiment went off the tracks.  The coop was designed to house 6-8 chickens.  As you can see my first plans are pretty rough. However, these are the basic measurements. We needed to play around with the framing for the windows and doors but the details listed below are accurate. Plans:It is a 6x6 structure with 5'-6" high walls. The peak of the roof is... read more

• Last updated 4/28/09 by mipsy6

Southern California Urban Coop(A note from the BYC Staff:  If you are visiting us and don't yet have chickens please visit our how to raise chickens section to see how fun and easy it can be!)I recieved a coop as a surprise gift from my husband on Christmas morning 2007. It was a completely unexpected and very exciting present, and almost immediately afterwards I started researching chickens. Here it is on the day I got it.After reading up on chicken breeds, chicken care and brooder design, and doing a lot of research online, we were ready to get our chicks. I found a... read more

• Last updated 9/6/10 by silkienewbiegurl

Hawaiian Cottage Coop     Aloha! Okay, there is really nothing Hawaiian about this cottage coop except where it is located. LOL. But, I thought it was a rather exotic name which might make this page a little more interesting to read. My name is Joan and I have two little silkies, one white and one blue. In my attempt to build them a home, I wanted to make a coop that is both light and functional ... and cute. I live in a small community and I wanted to make sure the coop fit in the neighborhood. I knew that I would need to leave it in the front yard, which means... read more

• Last updated 10/5/10 by Jarhead

   Cluckingham Palace Our coop has been officially named!!!  A big THANK YOU to fellow BYCer The Chicken Lady for suggesting it. On to the Construction. Here is our coop in a finished state.  First thing I have to say is we are true backyard chicken keepers.  We live smack in the middle of town, a nice neighborhood in the 'burbs, with a large lot.  So the design of this coop is smallish for a real flock of backyard birds.  Plus it's posh enough to keep anyone who sees it to think it "belongs" in an average backyard living space.  It also is fairly inconspicuous,... read more

• Last updated 4/17/10 by Sammimom

Quality Fresh Eggs from"Two Dog Farm" We have no farm on our suburban acre in the Pacific Northwest, but we do have two dogs and several other pets which gets us teased by our friends, hence the "farm."  From scouting BYC pages a long time I determined a coop must be individualized for each person's needs.  Our coop needed to fit the following criteria:1. Fit 3-6 hens.2. Be safe from the many raccoons and coyotes in our area.3. Be rain proof and have good drainage.4. Fit within this area in our yard, as it meets property setback requirements (we have a driveway behind... read more

• Last updated 10/1/07 by patandchickens

       Here is the chickens' summer home. The 'run' part is 4' wide by  7' long, 30" high in the tall portion and 20" under the house. The house itself has a 4' x 2'6"  footprint and gives the chickens up to 3'3" of height inside. The house is easily detachable from the pen, and the roof is detachable from the house.      Ah yes, the roof... a thoroughly embarrassing construction of 1/2" plywood over which is stapled a, um, er, a discarded heavy-duty clear vinyl shower curtain. Go on, laugh. All I can say in my defense is that it's a last-minute substitution for the... read more

• Last updated 1/19/11 by BYC

Playhouse Chicken Coop: By Dennis This coop was designed to satisfy the esthetic requirements of my neighbors who were naturally concerned about living next door to a chicken keeper. Images of Grapes of Wrath surely were conjured. After Backyard Poultry ran an article in their first issue, I began receiving requests for the plans and other how-do information. I then hired a draftsman to put together the drawings.   [click on any picture below to see the large version]   Original Size Coop Shortened version Front Elevation My 4 large breed... read more

• Last updated 11/29/09 by BYC

Maurice, The Car Chicken Coop (A note from the BYC Staff:  If you are visiting us and don't yet have chickens please visit our how to raise chickens section to see how fun and easy it can be!)Michael Thompson lives in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, and has just finished converting a dead 1970 Morris Traveller into to a hen house and four ex-battery chickens now call it home! Michael (who is also a 1970 model) explained "I was looking for something a little unusual to make into a hen house and had asked a friend of mine who owns a body-repair shop to keep his eyes... read more