How to Build the Ultimate Chicken Coop
This Cape Cod-inspired structure is prettier than many human dwellings—get the easy plans to build your own!
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Dreaming of putting a hen house in your backyard? One couple made it possible. Get the plans here, and get more ideas for backyard chicken coops and chicken runs.
Cape-Cod Inspired Chicken Coop
"If my husband had his way, we'd live on a farm," says Heather Bullard, whose career as a photo stylist instead requires close proximity to Los Angeles. So she and her agriculture-obsessed spouse, Jim, compromised by constructing a chicken coop.
Since the Bullards' Riverside, California, backyard barely covers a quarter acre, looks mattered as much as function. Together, the two designed a Cape Cod-inspired structure that's prettier than many human dwellings—and built it themselves for $1,600, using stock building materials and hardware from the Home Depot.
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Easy Chicken Coop Plans
"Every morning, I open the doors so the hens can roam in the yard," says Heather. This foyer also doubles as the ladies' dining room, with a galvanized waterer and feeder.
"No one wants to look at chicken poop," Heather points out, "so we planted boxwoods out front to hide the coop floor." The couple also surrounded the structure with an attractive brick walkway, which they can simply hose off as needed.
Roosting House
Connected to the nesting boxes and the screened pen, this area serves as the hens' main sleeping quarters. "The minute the sun starts setting, the girls line up like little soldiers and march themselves to bed," Heather says. Come sunrise, the birds know it's time to get up, thanks to screened portholes that also provide ventilation.
Nesting Boxes
Tucked behind a drop-down door, this trio of cozy cubbies is situated so that eggs are within easy reach—as Heather demonstrates. A raised ledge keeps any from rolling out.
Screened Pen
The Bullards chose heavy-duty wire fencing for the walls of the coop's main hang-out spot, in order to deter predators like coyotes, raccoons, even neighborhood dogs and cats. Eighteen-inch-deep concrete footings below the structure, plus bolt locks on the doors, provide extra security. A nap perch stretches from one side of the pen to the other, and a gangplank leads up to the roosting house. The design takes human comfort into account, too, with a 7-foot-high ceiling that allows the Bullards to walk in and refill food.
Do Your Homework
Before buying your own brood, check local chicken laws and ordinances. (The Bullards' town allows up to five hens, but no roosters.) Also, be sure you have the right kind of space. "Hens are scaredy-cats," Heather says. "They need to feel safe, so look for a spot far from a driveway or other busy area." She also recommends BackyardChickens.com for information about poultry supplies, care, behavior, and more.
Choose the Right Breeds for You
The American Poultry Association recognizes 62 breeds. Heather opted for medium-size hens known to lay three to five eggs a week, though she admits that egg color influenced her selections, too: "I love the mix of pretty hues!" MyPetChicken.com makes it easy to choose birds based on hardiness, size, and, yes, egg color—and sells day-old chicks for $3 to $8 each.
The Secret to Organic Eggs
$16.50 for 25 lbs.
It's pretty darn simple: You've gotta feed your hens organic food. Heather serves her gals a mix of fresh spinach, live worms, oyster shells— which help thicken eggshells—and Natures Grown Organics dry feed. "Some afternoons, I also give them their favorite snack: organic Cheerios," she adds.
How to Order the Plans
$39
Coveting the Bullards' coop? You can build one exactly like it. To order a copy of the couple's henhouse blueprints for $39.
Build a DIY Chicken Coop
Watch this video to see how to build a chicken coop.
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