Styles of Chicken Coops

As more chickens find their way into urban backyards, novice chicken farmers are faced with providing appropriate housing for their hens and roosters or risk an unhappy chorus of clucking. Just as chickens come in many shapes and sizes, so too do chicken coops. But when it comes down to it, three basic designs make up most chicken coops -- the classic chicken house in an enclosed pen, the smaller chicken shed with an attached run and the mobile chicken tractor.

  1. What a Chicken Needs

    • Whether living in your downtown backyard or on acres of farmland in the middle of nowhere, all chickens require a safe, sturdy shelter. The coop needs to have laying boxes and perches, and be completely enclosed so that predators such as raccoons, foxes, wolves, coyotes, hawks or neighborhood dogs can't gain access. Although the coop needs to protect the chickens from harsh weather as well, it also needs good ventilation to prevent respiratory diseases. The chickens also need access to soil for pecking and fresh air and sunshine in a safe and enclosed area.

    The Classic Chicken Coop

    • The classic chicken coop sits inside a large, enclosed pen and requires a lot of space. While it can be as big as the property can accommodate, it is usually sized so that an adult human can walk around inside unencumbered, and includes a human-size door as well as a trap door for chickens to go in and out as they please. Usually made of wood with retractable windows, the classic coop is stationary and can be built especially for the purpose of housing chickens or it can be a converted existing structure such as a shed or barn.

    Smaller Shed with Run

    • A smaller chicken shed with an attached run keeps chickens contained in an area with less space. Usually between three feet by four feet and four feet by eight feet, these coops are built on skids or piers and are two to three feet off the ground. The floor is usually screened so waste will fall to the ground underneath for easy cleanup, according to Chicken Tractor Plans. They also include windows for ventilation as well as a trap door for the chickens, and usually provide two to three square feet of floor space inside per chicken and 10 square feet per chicken outdoors. Sheds with attached runs usually accommodate no more than a dozen chickens.

    Chicken Tractors

    • Known as chicken arks in the U.K., chicken tractors are the smallest coop design and are fully mobile. They are used to house backyard chickens and can be moved throughout a yard so the grass is evenly fertilized. Chicken tractors are often built as simple A-frame structures, with a small enclosed section for nesting and sleeping and an open-air area for outdoor access. Recommendations vary on how many backyard chickens can be comfortably housed in a coop of this design with the number ranging from four to 12.