Looking for a simple coop made from plywood.

[oakleyguy89]

Hey guys, I want to make a simple coop out of plywood and 2x2 or 2x4s. I'm looking for a minimalist coop, no built in run or nesting boxes (maybe I'll add later). I'm just not the best at DIY. I just a nice place for 4+ hens to roost in at night.

I really like the idea of this coop but don't like all that waste plywood when it can be used into the coop. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/basic-backyard-coop-keep-it-simple do you guys have any other ideas?? Thanks!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! That picture looks like a storage box, definitely NOT a coop! Chickens need ventilation and space, not a dog house or coffin. How about a garden shed rebuild? Or a three sided shed? Four hens will want at least sixteen to twenty sq. ft. of floor space, and four hens tend to turn into six, or eight, or twenty birds later, so more space will be better anyway. Look for a garden shed, new or used, as a starter coop. Mary

 

[oakleyguy89]

Welcome!  That picture looks like a storage box, definitely NOT a coop!  Chickens need ventilation and space, not a dog house or coffin.  How about a garden shed rebuild?  Or a three sided shed?  Four hens will want at least sixteen to twenty sq. ft. of floor space, and four hens tend to turn into six, or eight, or twenty birds later, so more space will be better anyway.  Look for a garden shed, new or used, as a starter coop.  Mary

I would cut out a couple Windows on that plan. I forgot to mention that my chickens free range everyday from 6am til 9pm so I'm not going to keep them inside there, it's just a safe house for them at night. I will look into a garden shed. I currently have one but it's used for all my yard work stuff.

 

[vr1967]

My roost coop is just a shell with roost poles in it.

 

[oakleyguy89]

My roost coop is just a shell with roost poles in it.

I like it! But what about during the winter? I'm in Idaho so the summers are scorching hot and the winters are extraordinarily cold!

 

[vr1967]

I'm in SW MS. Our winters usually only down in the 20-30s and not for long. Our summers seem to be 8-10 months of 95-100 plus temps with 95-100% humidity.
If winter gets too bad, I can cover it with a tarp, but wanted the ventilation for the summers

 

[oakleyguy89]

I'm in SW MS. Our winters usually only down in the 20-30s and not for long. Our summers seem to be 8-10 months of 95-100 plus temps with 95-100% humidity.
If winter gets too bad, I can cover it with a tarp, but wanted the ventilation for the summers

We're not as humid in the summers but our winters can get into the single digit negatives at times.

 

[vr1967]

you could make a 2x2x4 one with one sheet of plywood that has an open front.

I have 20 feet of roost pole for 19 chickens, and they sleep on about 5 feet total, huddled together, and always have.

 

[UtePassChickens]

this is what we threw together, the bottom half is plywood the rest is scrap pallets and wood scavenged alot from where we people illegally dump off the highway.
i then cut holes in it and stuck 5 gallon buckets threw for nesting boxes. once rainy season over and beffore our chicks are old enough to lay...i plan on gluing Pine bark and a thin slice of log end to each bucket to insulate them for winter and make them darker for hopefully more eggs

 

[oakleyguy89]

you could make a 2x2x4 one with one sheet of plywood that has an open front.

I have 20 feet of roost pole for 19 chickens, and they sleep on about 5 feet total, huddled together, and always have.

Wow I didn't think they would huddle up so much!