Articles by BYC
Building a chicken coop from free pallets: By Judy
I am fortunate to live near a vinyl siding company, and they stack stacks of pallets outside that are free for the taking. These aren't the same as the pallets one normally sees at feed stores, etc. However, if you are lucky enough to live near...
Maurice, The Car Chicken Coop
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...
Woodcliff Solar Chicken House
We had been thinking about getting chickens for a quite a while (to eat the hords of grasshoppers, make better compost, and EGGS), so decided to order chickens from a nearby state chicken hatchery. We received 13 Silver Laced Wyandotte's in early June and as each...
The Kreitz Family "Poulet Chalet"
Submitted by Steven, Mary, Ben, Joe and Josh Kreitz in Rosemount, MN
Here is my "creation" for the 5 chickens that my family "inherited" from my kindergartner's class in May. The class watched the chicks hatch, but they grew far quicker than the teacher...
Don B's Coop
The concept for my coop started out as a chicken tractor. I had looked at some pictures online, and started designing an elevated coop. I had no idea that it would end up being too large and too heavy to move around the yard! So, to begin with a picture of the (almost) finished...
The Hensleys' Coop
This step by step series was graciously submitted by the Hensley family (Mallorys Mom and Mallorys Dad on our message forum).
[ click any image to enlarge - use your 'back' button to return ]
floor layout
floor joists
plywood floor
one wall up
two walls up
three...
Patrick Keating's Home Depot Conversion
Submitted by Patrick Keating - Surrey, Maine
My name is Patrick Keating and my chicken coop resides in Surry, Maine. This chicken coop and pen was my own "build as you go" design. I found an "assemble it yourself" double wall vinyl tool shed at Home Depot...
Jon Adams
submitted by the Adams' family in Redmond, Washington
We decided to build a combination shed/chicken coop in our back yard. The biggest requirement by my wife was that it be 'cute' and match the look and feel of our house. My requirements were simple: I wanted plenty of room for my...
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...
Fort Brawks
I saw the call for coop designs and instructions on the coop page, so here is mine.
I had an old metal shed 6.5 by 6.5 by about 5' high. The sides were very rusted and holey but the frame was really sound. We put plywood over the sides and re-fit the bottom boards to be tight. We...
Chicken Tractor
Submitted by Marcher19 from our message forum
for more info on this design please send email to [email protected]
Basic size: 4'L X 3'W X 3'H, Pen 8'L X 3'W X 3'H
The basic dimensions are 3ft wide by 4ft long - the front is 30" high and the back is 36". The legs are continuous...
Rosie's Ranch
Submitted by Rosie in Arizona
"The coop’s main structure was made using used oak pallets which were available free. The way the pallets were constructed made them easy to slide insulation into as we put them up. The exterior siding is lumber recycled from the pallets. The roof is...
Chicken Tractor
Submitted by Kim in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Here are some pictures of my tractor. It is 4' x 6' and has one nest box. It is covered over the nest box and over 1/3rd of the run with metal roofing, which is held on with wing nuts and can easily be undone and lifted up. It has shade cloth...
Ron & Roxie's Coop
Submitted by Ron and Roxie Roush from Ohio
We used plans for an 8x8 saltbox. Egg collecting can be accessed from outside as well as inside. Feeder and waterer are on slideable boards (my husband's idea) so that we don't have to actually go inside coop. Coop can be accessed by...
Garm's Chicken Coop
My scribbled "plan" for our coop
Written on binder paper, this is all I used to go buy wood and build the coop. Note that the chickens' door got moved to the left front.
I built our coop (BELOW) in two days with some new wood and some old that was laying around. It has a...
Anni's Hen Hilton
This picture series was graciously submitted by Anni. We think the L-shape with double door openings was quite innovative - bravo!
-- Chickenmaster
Hello! My name is Anni. I asked my husband to build me a chicken coop on the side of our house, and here are some pictures taken...
Tami's Coop
Submitted by Tami in Pennsylvania
"My husband and I built it attached to an existing dog pen. I figured out this coop design so I could basically hide it from folks going past the house (it faces the fields behind our home). Plus the windows in the front help keep it warm inside...
Little Red Cottage
Submitted by Lindy in Indiana
"My chickens were having a hard time getting in and out of their coop; the slanted door was like a slippery slope. Then my husband put a "rung" on it to help them, and I posted this sign to remind them to be careful as they enter and exit. As you...
Bryan's Coop
I just wanted to share the henhouse I built. It’s in the backyard behind the garage. We’ll be adding on a fenced run that will extend off of the right side of the henhouse behind the tree. It’ll be covered to keep them out of the rain and we’re sowing some fresh grass for them to...