Types Of Chicken Coops

There are many different types of chicken coops, all with their own PROS and CONS. Choosing the right chicken coop to build will depend on the size of your flock, your geographic location, whether you want a portable chicken coop or not, and what kind of egg yield you want to get.

In this article we’re focusing on a basic a-frame chicken coop (pictured below). See our Chicken Coop Designs article for some other types of chicken coops.A-Frame Chicken Coop Building Materials

There really isn’t much to building a chicken coop like this. The basic requirements are:

• 5 long pieces of timber (for the coop frame).
• 11 short pieces of timber (for the frame and nesting sections).
• Some chicken wire (to enclose the frame).
• Some pieces of chipboard or plywood (to enclose the nesting section).
• Some sawdust or straw (for the nesting area)
• Nails, hinges, and other bits and pieces.

For a much more detailed materials list, check out the “Building A Chicken Coop” eBook over at the Chicken Coop Plans section of the site.

Step 1 – Joining The Frame

Nail or screw together the shorter pieces of timber to form 3 separate A-frames, and 1 incomplete A-frame. All you need to do then is join them to the long pieces to form a triangular prism.

Step 2 – Chicken Wire

Cut out appropriately sized pieces of chicken wire and nail them into place, enclosing most of the coop. You can use the image at the top of the page as a guide.

Step 3 – Nesting Area

The nesting area should be totally enclosed with plywood or chipboard. You can use a hinge to have a “flap” that is easily opened to get your eggs. Nesting boxes can be made from cardboard or chipboard if you like. Make sure the entire nesting area is insulated with either straw or sawdust.

This article is only a very basic chicken coop building guide. If you’re serious about learning how to build a chicken coop, check out the Chicken Coop Plans section of the site.

The A-frame Chicken Coop

This is the basic design that many urban households use. The a-frame chicken coop can house 5+ chickens. They’re quick and easy to build, and don’t require much money.The Box Style Chicken Coop

This one is a lot bigger than the a-frame, allowing you to keep 10 or more chickens. There is dedicated space for nesting, as well as a large running area. This chicken coop design keeps your chickens safe and secure, away from predators and/or thieves.The Premium Chicken Coop Design

For those of you who are serious about raising chickens for eggs or meat, this is the best one for you. A large, premium chicken coop like this allows for maximum customization. You can keep 15-20 chickens inside, and there is an optional chicken run to keep your birds happy and healthy.Customize Your Chicken Coop!

There are literally hundreds of things you can do to spruce up your coop, including:

• Painting the walls of the hen house.
• Planting vines up the walls, or plants inside the run.
• Placing small ornaments inside to give unique decoration.
• Putting a windmill on the roof or in the chicken run.

This article outlines the 3 chicken coop designs that are included in the “Building A Chicken Coop” eBook. If you’re serious about building any of these, check out the Chicken Coop Plans section of the site.

Chicken House Designs

There are 4 main chicken house designs: the mid-sized rectangular shaped coop, the double storey chicken house, the large chicken house design, and the traditional style hen house (all pictured below).

Naturally, all of these types of chicken houses have their respective advantages and disadvantages. Whilst the box coop is quite easy to build, it lacks quite a bit in the looks department. On the other hand, the hen house looks amazing, but will take time and effort to construct.

This article focuses on the mid-sized rectangular chicken house. Check out the How To Build A Hen House article for the other design.

Building Requirements

As was previously stated, the chicken house requires a few more building materials than the a-frame coop. Some of the more basic requirements are:

• 4 long pieces of timber (for the frame – length)
• 8 slightly shorter pieces of timber (for the frame – height)
• 4 even shorter pieces of timber (for the frame – width)
• Chicken wire (to enclose the frame)
• Chipboard or plywood (for the nesting area)
• Sawdust, straw, or sand (for the coop flooring).
• Nails and other some other bits and pieces.

As you can see, there is still not many building materials involved. You can see a much more detailed materials list inside the “Building A Chicken Coop” eBook, which you can read about in the Chicken Coop Plans section of this site.

Step 1 – Constructing The Frame

Take the lengths of timber and nail them together, forming a rectangular shape. You can use the diagram below as a reference. Take note of where each length of timber goes. It’s essentially 3 pieces across on each side.

Step 2 – Applying The Chicken Wire

You’ll need quite a bit of chicken wire for this particular chicken coop design. You want to cut the wire so it covers the entire frame, even the nesting area at the end. You can use screws, pins, nails or other materials to attach the wire.

Step 3 – Setting Up The Nesting Area

This is perhaps the most important part of how to build a chicken house. The nesting area needs to be 100% predator proof, and highly protected from the elements. Use chipboard or plywood to enclose one end of the chicken house. Here you can setup nesting boxes and extra insulation. You can even build this area in a way so that you can collect eggs without having to go inside the actual chicken house.

This article explains how to build a chicken house in extremely simple terms. If you want a much more detailed explanation, complete with schematics, check out the eBook in the Chicken Coop Plans section of this website.

Deciding on which type of chicken house is right for you will come down to the size of your flock, and your own personal taste. You might even like to check out the smaller a-frame chicken coop on the How To Build A Chicken Coop page.

Though both of these designs may look intimidating, be assured that they are both very easy to build, especially with the chicken house plans we’ve found. There is pretty much only 1 chicken coop guide that we’ve found that incorporates both of these chicken house types and more into a single downloadable package: Bill Keene’s “Building A Chicken Coop” eBook. You can read more about it on the Chicken Coop Plans section.

The building materials for these kinds of chicken houses are pretty straight forward. You’ll need multiple cuts of timber, some chicken wire or mesh, a couple of pieces of chipboard or plywood, and obviously some nails and other bits and pieces. These chicken house plans also include tips on raising chickens, the best place for chicken house positioning, how to properly ventilate the coop, insulation, heating, and everything else you need to know!

The Traditional Hen House

This style of hen house has many advantages. Because it is basically one giant, enclosed, insulated nest, egg yields will be very high because your flock will have plenty of stress free space. The premium chicken run will give your birds even more free, open space, which is the optimal environment for hens. To check out other types of chicken coops, go to the Chicken Coop Designs page.Building Requirements For A Hen House

A traditional style, premium hen house like the one above requires the following materials:

• 4×4 timber for the exterior skids.
• 2×4 timber for the exterior floor joists and boundary joists.
• 4×4 timber for the corner studs.
• 2×4 timber for the framing walls and roof.
• 2×3 timber for the perches and perch support.
• 2×2 timber for the nesting perch.
• 4′x8′ plywood sheets for the exterior flooring, wall cladding and parts of nesting boxes.
• 1×4 timber for the exterior cladding battens, door stop and parts of the nesting boxes.
• 1×12 timber for the exterior parts of the nesting boxes.
• 1×6 timber for the exterior roofing boards and litter board.
• Tar paper, breather type building paper or similar roofing underlay.

As you can see, the list of materials to build a hen house is reasonably moderate. You can pick everything you need up from your local hardware store for around $100. Keep in mind that you can customize your project by modifying elements of the hen house plans.

Constructing The Hen House

Learning how to build a hen house will take time. You’re far better off following a highly detailed building plan. You can find high quality building plans inside the “Building A Chicken Coop” eBook, which you can read about on the Chicken Coop Plans page on this website.

Modernizing Your Hen House

There are plenty of ways in which you can give your newly built hen house a contemporary appeal. Here are a few hen house design ideas:

• You’ll be surprised how far a fresh coat of paint will go.
• Apart from a basic coat of paint, you might consider painting a mural.
• Consider planting some flowers in your chicken run
• Place some garden ornaments inside, like a gnome!

This is only a basic guide on how to build a hen house. We highly recommend downloading the high quality “Building A Chicken Coop” ebook, which you can read more about on the Chicken Coop Plans section of this website.

Hen House Sizes

Choosing the right size for your hen house obviously depends on the breed and number of birds in your flock. There are generally 3 options..

• A large, traditional hen house with an optional chicken run.
• The simpler, more basic standard chicken house.
• A smaller “chicken coop” style construction. Not exactly a hen house, but it may just be enough.

Anything smaller than these 3 designs will not give your hens the required environment to lay eggs at an optimal rate. You can find hen house plans for both of these designs, plus more at the Chicken Coop Plans page of this site.

Hen House Materials

You can build a hen house with many different materials, including:

• Wood (pine, hardwood, even cedar if you’ve got the cash)
• Stone (a much older style, but still common in Europe)
• Metal (usually scrap metal, like iron)

I definitely recommend some kind of hardwood if you want a long-term, solid hen house that looks great. Using scrap metal can lead to a very hot coop, which can stop your chickens from laying or even kill them! Stone is nice, but not exactly practical, especially if you’re building your own hen house.

General Hen House Tips

- Work out the optimum position for your hen house before you start building. Most chicken breeds rely on natural sunlight to keep track of their laying patterns, so try to place it in a sunny spot.

- Include a secure chicken run attached to your hen house. This will give your birds extra space that is also safe from predators.

- Speaking of predators, make sure the entire coop includes security precautions. Foxes, snakes, dogs, and even thieves may pose a threat to your flock.

- Ensure that there is at least some vegetation inside the coop. This will help to keep your hens healthy and happy.

If you’re looking for detailed hen house plans, we highly recommend downloading the “Building A Chicken Coop” ebook, which you can read more about on the Chicken Coop Plans section of this website.

Chicken Pen Designs

There is more than one style of chicken pen. Below are some images of the 3 most common styles: the a-frame, portable chicken pen, the mid-sized box chicken pen, and the large, traditional style chicken pen.All three of these designs can be coupled with a chicken run for extra space (pictured below).Giving your chickens a large running area will optimize egg yields, and ensure that your flock remains healthy and happy. You can check out some building plans for all of these chicken pen designs by going to the Chicken Coop Plans page.

Chicken Pen Materials

You can build a chicken pen with either wood or metal. I would generally recommend using wood over metal, since it is much easier to insulate, and maintains a more optimal temperature. It’s also a lot more attractive.

Some common building requirements include:

• Timber of multiple dimensions. Pine is the most suitable wood type.
• Chicken wire for the chicken run boundary.
• Plywood or chipboard for the nesting area.
• Tar paper or similar insulation material.
• Straw or sawdust for the chicken pen flooring.
• Nails, hammer, etc..

Pre-construction Essentials

You will save a lot of time and effort by learning how to build a chicken pen the right way. Before you begin, check out the following tips:

• Consider building a bigger chicken pen than what you originally expect. Flocks typically tend to expand in numbers rather than dwindle.
• Work out the exact positioning or your chicken pen. Place it so your flock will have adequate sun, especially in the mornings.
• Think about the proximity to electricity and water. You might need to install a small heating lamp in the cooler months.
• Buy an automatic feed machine. You can even make one with a bucket and a plastic lid.
• Remember, each chicken requires about 3 square feet of space to maintain an optimal disposition and good laying patterns. Make a BIG chicken run!

This is only a very simple outline on how to build a chicken pen. We highly recommend downloading the high quality “Building A Chicken Coop” ebook, which you can read more about on the Chicken Coop Plans section of this website.

Of course, each of these chicken pen options have their advantages and disadvantages. Depending on how many chickens you plan of keeping, the a-frame pen is often more than enough. If you’re living in an urban area with a larger backyard, you might consider the premium pen, as you can really make it look great with a few customizations.

If your plan wasn’t so much to build a complete chicken coop, but rather a secure chicken run, we’ve also got plans that cover that. Below is a digital image of a premium chicken pen run that you can build for under $20.As you can see, combining the run with any of the chicken pens is simple. The plans we normally recommend are all included in Bill Keene’s “Building A Chicken Coop” eBook, which you can read about on the Chicken Coop Plans section of this website. It includes all kinds of chicken pen plans, as well as info on how to raise chickens, how to position the coop correctly, how to properly build insulation, heating, etc..