• Last updated 3/18/12 by CapeCodJohn

ZCoop Du Jour aka Buffingham Palace     I would like to thank everyone that posted pics and advice on coop construction. BYC.com contributers have been so very helpful. I stole a little something from each of you. I researched coop designs  for over a year, but did not actually start construction until my 4 buff orpingtons were on order. I did write down on paper some basic plans, I ended up modifying  the plans each step of the way. I had a lumber and hardware list when I went to the home store, but when I got there I decided to make the coop a... read more

• 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 4/10/11 by rechena

After watching too many forums and you tubes and examples here at the BYC we decided to build the coop for hour 3 hens. :) This is the result, unfortunately we haven't take to many photos has we would like, but I think you could have the idea. The measures were almost every one "by eye" ;) and the wood involved was almost everything recycled from another projects. The only wood we bought was the ones used to close the coop. Overall the entire project so far cost us 20€ which is the red and white paint and the wood to close the coop. 10:00am lots of wood and still... read more

• Last updated 4/10/11 by mother_hen6

California Coop We have a very small urban back yard that is mostly taken up with our vegetable garden.  The challenge was to fit in a coop that was self contained and beautiful since the only place for it was on the edge of our patio. The preceding winter we planted three peaches in one hole and three apricots in another hole.  These would eventually be in the chicken’s yard and would grow for shade.  The future plan is to remodel the garage and green house behind the coop. The plan was made so that only one corner was close to the existing garage.  That... read more

• Last updated 4/10/11 by lxlzbaca

  The Cooperage   So, I have been wanting chickens for a long time & we decided this was the year. We are landscaping our backyard this year, so we wanted something that we could incorporate into the landscaping. So my DH bought Building Chicken Coops for Dummies & got started. I have had my eye on the Playhouse Coop, but my DH wanted plans with very specific building instructions.   The base is done and the framing for the coop is up. The footprint is 4x8 and the house is approximately 3x4. It will have a window on either side, a nest box door, a large door on the... read more

• Last updated 4/7/11 by chicks47

Northern Illinois Chickens Picked up our first batch of 5 chicks on April 24th 2010.  I am mom of 5 kids, a great husband and now 5 chickies.  We live in a small town in Illinois real close to the Wisconsin border.  We would like to have a farm.  A small chicken flock will get us started though.  We have a good size yard and hope to let the girls free range as much as possible so we will see how that goes. We are still working on the coop.  Memorial Day weekend.  This is the big project.  Need to get the chicks out on their own.  They spend time in the yard in the... read more

• Last updated 4/4/11 by Harrietsmum

A Small City Garden Coop For Bantams I live in a city in New Zealand. I have a small garden, and a small flock of egg laying bantams. This is my coop 'The Banty Shanty'. The girls are safely locked in when I am at work, and have the run of the garden when I am home. Inside the Coop These are my girls. My colourful eggs read more

• Last updated 4/4/11 by Chickens in the Grove

  Coop Construction We thought about getting an old 4H project or converting a rabbit hutch or something into a chicken coop, but, in the end, we knew that we wouldn't be satisfied if we didn't make it ourselves! So, in anticipation of our future chickens, we started designing the coop in September, 2010. We didn't finish the coop until January and still haven't finished the run! We wanted to have 3 chickens, but, since we could only ship 6 at a time (3 standard and 3 bantam), we started out with twice what we wanted! We thought that we would just keep the ones we... read more

• Last updated 4/4/11 by IlovemyPeep&mypeeps

The Ralston Eggery     Well, we got this wild hair to raise backyard chickens and here we are!  We're really frugal people and we didn't want to spend much on materials so we gathered things we had (and things others had). However, here is a list of things we bought... lumber $10 metal for roof (found behind a Flea Market) $5 milk crates $6 hinges $5 screws $1.20 chicken wire $17 10 x 10 chainlink dog pen $100 We didn't really use any plans because it's a simple design (a small box with a peak).  Just follow these plans as you see us do it and you can do it... read more

• Last updated 4/3/11 by Knittycat

Scrap lumber chicken coop   Ever since I was a kid playing poker with my best friend on the roof of her chicken coop, I've wanted to raise chickens. Unfortunetly, my mom didn't. And when I grew up, I lived in a series of appartments. No love for the chickens there. I moved to Texas and suddenly had a yard. A good sized yard. It had been neglected for years, and the back yard was covered in broken glass, due to it being the former location of a glass company. I've spent the last two years planning, and now I get to have chickens! We had a bit of left over lumber... read more