Different Kinds of Chicken Houses or Coops

Basic Coop

• A simple coop looks like a small shed from the outside, framed with wood and sided with a variety of materials such as aluminum siding or wood panels. The coops generally have nesting boxes inside. Minimum basic nest boxes should be 12 inches by 12 inches, open in the front and with a small lip to prevent eggs from rolling out. Each box should house two chickens, more if they are small birds.

  Once lined with straw, these boxes provide a place for chickens to lay eggs and huddle in to stay warm in cold weather. Roosting racks made of 2-by-2 lumber should be installed in front of the nesting boxes, along the sides of the coops or across coop corners. Chickens feel protected and stay warmer in the winter when they are off the ground. Install roosts at least two inches above the front of the nesting boxes to discourage the chickens from roosting in the nesting boxes.

  Coops should also have a run, or open area, surrounding or in front of the coop. These runs are generally enclosed with chicken wire on the sides and the top, to prevent flying predators from getting the chickens. The chicken wire should be installed at a height tall enough to allow the chicken run to be walked in. The chicken house should have small door in its side to allow the chickens to access the nesting boxes and the run and a human-sized lockable door; the run should have a lockable gate to allow people to enter and exit.

Coops for Brooding Hens

• Chicken owners who want to hatch eggs should build a coop that includes a separate area for brooding hens to sit on the eggs to hatch or an area for incubation, or hatching eggs via mechanical means.

  Brooding hens must be kept separate so laying hens don't kick out the fertilized eggs and to allow brooding hens brood unbothered. The brooding area should also include a food and watering area for the brooding hens.

  A coop with an incubation area needs to be wired for electricity to power the incubator.

Portable Coop

• Portable coops, or chicken tractors, are coops on wheels that can be moved from one area to another. The floor often is made of wire so that the chicken manure can fall through to fertilize the ground below. The basic requirements are the same as those of the basic coop.

  Some chicken tractors are set up into two parts. The back is a box that can be closed off while the coop is being moved. The front is an enclosed area made of chicken wire and wood framing, with the floor left open for the chickens to scratch the ground.