How to Build an Urban Chicken Coop

A small but growing number of urban residents raise chickens on their roofs and in small backyards. The reasons for bringing a bit of farm country living to the city range from getting fresher eggs, consuming fewer chemicals from agricultural pest control, and making a more economical choice for protein. Many U.S. cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon and Seattle all permit urban chickens, although usually limit each resident to five or fewer hens and no roosters. You can build your own urban chicken coop that will house four or five chickens comfortably with some simple tools and building supplies. The coop should be dark, waterproof, predator-proof and have a round rod for the chickens to roost on at night.

Things You'll Need

  • Wooden boards (new or scavenged)
  • Round wooden dowel two-inches in diameter
  • Six 2" x 4" plywood boards
  • Corrugated metal roofing material
  • Handsaw
  • Power drill and several dozen screws
  • Hammer and several dozen nails
  • Wood shavings
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Use the drill to secure the wood into a box-shaped frame that is 4" x 4" x 4". This small box will be the roost for your chickens at night.

    • 2

      Attach the plywood boards to three sides of the frame to make walls. Cut a large window into a fourth plywood board that is big enough for the chickens to come in and out of and for you to reach in and get the chickens' eggs. Add a fifth plywood board to the floor of the roost and fill the floor with dry wood shavings. Use the saw to adjust the size of the plywood as needed.

    • 3

      Secure the roof materials to the top of the frame with nails and hammer to create a waterproof and water-tight ceiling for your hens.

    • 4

      Drill two 2" round holes into the opposite walls of the roost approximately halfway up. Thread the wooden dowel through the two holes and secure with screws. The dowel will serve as a roosting pole for your chickens to sleep on at night.

    • 5

      Add a plywood nesting box that is no larger than 12" x 12" x 12", and with one side open for the hens to come in and out of. Secure the nesting box inside the roost about 12" off the ground so that it doesn't touch the floor and the chickens can jump up into it.

    • 6

      Add a chicken run around the outside of the roost for the chickens to roam around in during the day. The run will ideally get sun in the morning and shade in the afternoons, and has a dirt floor if possible. Build a wooden frame 4' high and approximately 12' x 4' at the base. Cover the frame with a heavy gauge wire mesh. The run does not need a metal roof.