How to Build a Chicken Coop/Shed

I'm not a carpenter. I'm a single mom with one goal in mind. I wanted chickens. They needed a house. It can't be that hard, can it? Low on funds, I recycled every scrap of wood I could. And actually dismantled an old farm coop for alot of it.

Well, a year later, my chicken coop/shed is still standing! Hey, if i can do it, I'm sure you can too.

Things You'll Need

  • 2x4's
  • Plywood
  • Paint
  • 4x4 posts or landscaping timbers
  • Screws
  • Roofing shingles
  • Chicken wire
  • Gutter and downspout
  • Old window
  • Hinges
  • Gate clasps
  • Roof tar paper
  • Cinder blocks
  • Staples
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      First, choose a site. It should be close enough to the house to not forget to tend to your chickens. I designed my coop/shed myself. Half of the structure is coop and the other half is a tool shed. It is roughly 8ft x 8ft.

      You should have knowledge of basic power tools and a couple of strong backs to help you with this project. Consult a basic plan on how to construct a shed. I used a lot of recycled lumber to build mine. Craigslist is a wonderful website to find leftover building material for little to no cost.

    • 2

      Chickens need about 2 square feet per chicken within the coop. I built my coop side as a modified "2 story coop." The top half or second story is where the chickens reside. The bottom half or first floor is used for feed and supply storage. I built double doors that open for easy access and cleaning as you can see in the picture. The right hand side is the tool shed access door. The building is sectioned off in the center with plywood to form two distinct sides.

      I put in a modified dutch door, but with the bottom half of the door swing down like a drawbridge, in order to easily roll the mower inside.

    • 3

      My nesting boxes jut out from the exterior wall of the coop. This was done to give the chickens more floor space and for easy access to the eggs. I put an old window in on the south side to help warm the coop in the winter.

      The hens have a small access door with a ramp to get from the coop to their outside run. Please see my other articles on how to build the run.