Feed stores will be getting their chicks in the next couple of months, and if you’re pondering the addition of a backyard flock this year (we hope you are!), it’s time to start thinking about a coop. There’s still lots of time–this year’s chicks won’t be ready to go outside by themselves until May or June–but it doesn’t hurt to start gathering plans, ideas, and materials. So today: A soup-to-nuts look at our year-old coop.
In our last house, we re-purposed a corner of the separate garage for a coop, but this time we started from scratch. Having lost hens to both raccoons and feral ferrets (!), we incorporated lessons from harsh experience into our coop design. Still, I was thinking “Chicken coop: we’ll hammer four walls together, add a roof, cut a little door, fence it up good, and Voila!” Then my dad called–my dad Jerry, the stone mason, from the “If You’re Gonna Build It, Build It Right” school. He said, “I need a little project. You wouldn’t mind if I helped work on your chicken coop, would you?” I know he secretly feared what we’d build without him. With Jerry’s expertise, we ended up with a coop that is as beautiful as it is functional.
For four hens, we chose to build a 6×4′ raised coop, with an enclosed area beneath, set inside a larger, fully-enclosed aviary. As you can see, the coop is raised on cedar posts set in concrete footing, and framed they way you would build any small shed. It has a sloped roof with an overhang on all four sides. We used a hodgepodge of leftover, gifted, used, and new materials, and spent a few hundred dollars. The wood for the walls is half inch plywood, which happens to have a stamped pattern on it (it is not T-111, which isn’t sturdy enough for wet Seattle weather). At the end of this post there’s a downloadable plan with all the dimensions of our coop.
Our coop design has two doors: a big “human door” in the front for easy access, egg gathering, ventilation, and cleaning, and a chicken door on the left side with a ramp.
We leave both of them open during the day, and although the chickens can jump in and out of the human door, they usually prefer to use the chicken door. So funny! Of course all gates and doors latch tightly.
Though the chickens have a larger run, underneath the coop we built a cage Tom calls “Chicken Guantanamo,” where they can be outdoors and still be fully protected if we need to leave them for an extended period. We completely enclosed the area beneath the coop with 1/2 inch metal hardware cloth, buried 10 inches into the ground. We also buried a “floor” of hardware cloth several inches under ground, and sewed it with wire to the buried fence to prevent burrowing by rats/raccoons. Chicken wire is not acceptable, as raccoons can reach right through it and grab a chicken. We made a discovery: the hardware store carries sturdy arched nails called “poultry net staples” for attaching the hardware cloth.
The cage below the coop is accessed from the outside through a small gate which, when open, allows the chickens into the covered 
area for shade, and protection from the rain. But more importantly, we designed it so that if we need to leave overnight, we open a trapdoor on the floor of the coop, and give the chickens full access to the coop and the outdoor cage beneath it while keeping them safe. Most days we don’t use the trap door at all–we just let them out in the yard during the day, and close them up in the coop at night. But the trap door to “Guantanamo” works great when we need it, and we’ve been grateful for this setup many times.
Marigold the Buff Orpington, going down the ramp from the trap door. The slats on the chicken ramps look cute and "chicken-coopish," but they are also necessary--the chickens really use them to keep from sliding.
The roof has a ten inch overhang, and even during this year’s wet, blustery Seattle winter, not a drop of water got in the coop. My friend JoJo gave me a bundle of cedar shakes he’d picked up somewhere years ago–they have a tattered label, and are clear, old growth western red cedar, milled locally in 1964! I wouldn’t buy old growth cedar today (even if I could afford it), but was grateful to put these to use. Jerry covered the roof with roofing cloth before nailing down the shakes.
To prevent future warping, Jerry insisted on cedar for all the gates and door frames.
Around the coop is a fully-enclosed chicken yard. For this we used “hog wire,” which is both stronger, and looks nicer than chicken wire. The raccoons in our neighborhood are bold, and wander about in broad daylight–it was absolutely necessary to have the overhead protection. Some urban chicken farmers just create a little closed-in pen, covered at waist-height, but we love to hang out with the chickens, and wanted to be comfortable standing in their yard. We like to let the girls range freely in our backyard when supervised, but most of the time we keep them in their run, safe from neighborhood predators, dogs, and away from the garden.
Some chicken keepers leave the water and food out during the day. I like to keep it in the coop, so I don’t have to move it inside at night. You can make your own feeder/waterers, but these metal ones from the feed store are hard to beat. Hanging the food keeps it free from litter, and discourages the chickens from sitting on top of it (and pooping there…). But the water sloshes from a chain, so I just put it up on some bricks to keep it out of the coop litter (currently we’re using coffee chaff).
One rookie coop building error is the construction of a nest box for every single chicken. We promise you– as we discovered ourselves with out first coop–that no matter how many nest boxes you have, the chickens will all lay their eggs in one nest! Why??? We don’t know, but it’s true…One nest box suffices for four hens. The wooden crates that you can find in dumpsters outside of vegetable stands make perfect nest boxes. I nailed a board across the bottom to keep the straw in. There are also natural branches inside the coop for nocturnal roosting.
The very best part of our coop? Our daughter Claire’s old wooden crate, in the aviary. She sits there with the chickens for an hour at a time, petting them when they jump in her lap. Sometimes she brings a book. She says she feels just like Fern in Charlotte’s Web. We leave an old raincoat by the backdoor, and her boots, and she cuddles the chickens in all weather.
Here’s a simple plan for our coop (PDF), ready for your own modifications. The photos from this post, and more images of our coop and foul endeavors, are in Tom’s Flickr account (at a higher resolution and under a Creative Commons license – feel free to re-use them).
Yes, it's painted orange and green--a pleasing mix-match from the leftovers of friends' housepainting projects.
Obviously we love our coop and it brought us pleasure to build it, though it did take the better part of five days, and the support of my experienced and indefatigable dad (Thanks, Jerry!). But don’t feel daunted! The web is full of great examples of simple coops made inexpensively from found materials (as well as coops much fancier than ours!). Or find inspiration, as we did, in the terrific book, Chicken Coops: 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock. Better still, have a look at what your chicken keeping neighbors are up to. Chickens are great for local community building, and everyone loves to talk about their own chickens and coop. If you hear clucking on a neighborhood walk, see if the chicken farmer is around and say “hi.” And if you have questions or ideas that worked wonderfully in your own coop, we’d love to hear them!
Here are previous chicken-related posts on The Tangled Nest, including this one on caring for chicks in a homemade biddy box. There are tons of resources for urban chicken farmers on the web, including this great page by Seattle Tilth.
Tiffany S. // Feb 7, 2010 at 10:21 PM
It’s soooo cute and cheery! What lucky chickens. That’s adorable that they will jump into your daughter’s lap – I had no idea they would do that. We had a friend bring us fresh eggs last week and they were AMAZING!
We’re getting bees – maybe we’ll trade you honey for eggs!
lyanda // Feb 9, 2010 at 1:54 PM
Yes, our chicks were handraised, and very friendly. We also chose breeds known for their sweet temperament (Buff Orpingtons are dependably cuddly…) Honey for eggs–anytime!
Sustainable Eats // Feb 7, 2010 at 11:30 PM
So envious of your coop – ours is very makeshift and someday I’d like to make it more visually appealing. Love the predator-proof lower story as well. We really need something like that.
Briggs // Feb 8, 2010 at 10:25 AM
great post! i just moved to west sea this past fall and we’re looking to start with a few chicks this spring. right now however, we’re focusing on the garden, but your post was great inspiration of things to come after we’re done shoveling compost. plus i love the colors of your coop and your tips re what kind of wire and nails to use. i agree, the raccoons around here are entitled and brazen! gotta keep the chicks safe!
Tim K // Feb 8, 2010 at 5:34 PM
Hi — visitor here via Tom’s BikeJuJu blog. Beautiful coop. We’ve thought about making the plunge for a while but haven’t yet.
So I gotta ask: What’s the rat situation like. Our neighborhood is blessed with healthy populations of both rats AND raccoons. And in talking to folks around here who have tried and given up on chickens, one reason they state for abandoning the flock is a noticeable increase backyard rats.
True or false?
lyanda // Feb 9, 2010 at 1:50 PM
Thanks for all the comments, everyone!
Tim–alas, yes, rats are a consideration for the urban chicken farmer. Remember, though, that lots of things attract rats–birdfeeders are a big one, also fruit trees, pet food…And there are lots of things you can do to discourage rats from the coop: rats burrow, so build your coop on posts, off the ground; make sure there are no holes bigger than 1/2 inch, and if there are, nail hardware cloth over them; put all food in at night; close the coop at dark, when most rats come out; feed food scraps in the morning, so the chickens have a chance to eat them all and there is nothing left out for rats at night. We did see rats in our old chicken setup, but it was in the corner of a big garage–really difficult to ratproof. No rats so far in the new coop (knock on wood!!!).
liz // Feb 21, 2010 at 9:27 AM
I’m going to get 2 chickens soon. 1 barred rock and 1 buff orpington, most likely. We’re going to build something similar to yours, except smaller since we’re only getting 2 chickens. My mom wanted bees at first, but changed her mind almost immediately. Rock on!
lyanda // Feb 22, 2010 at 7:54 AM
Great breed choices. Of the several breeds we’ve tried over the years, buff orpingtons are our favorites by far. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Colorful chicken coop — YOTD | Yardhacker // Feb 23, 2010 at 7:19 PM
[...] Today’s Yard of the Day comes from nature writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s colorful backyard chicken coop located in Western Seattle. You can read about the build process over at their blog: The Tangled Nest Our Urban Chicken Coop Plan. [...]
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing // Feb 26, 2010 at 3:26 PM
Wonderful article, brought back memories of the one pet chicken we had growing up, and Arucauna that laid green eggs.
The Chicken Coop Plans : Chicken House Plans : Download Now // Mar 4, 2010 at 8:10 PM
[...] Our Urban Chicken Coop Plan [...]
Jason // Mar 5, 2010 at 11:13 PM
Great coop! One question though, how’s cleaning on the floor going of “Guantanamo” as well as the area inside the larger cage?
lyanda // Mar 6, 2010 at 10:14 AM
Hi Jason. The Guantanamo area is no trouble–they are not locked in there very often, so on an everyday basis it just serves as a covered part of the run, and the poop just turns into soil like the rest of the run. Oddly enough, in outdoor areas, chicken poop quickly disappears–it never ever seems “poopy” in there (that might be different if your run was very small). The only place it collects is inside the coop, under their evening roost, and because it’s gathered in one place, it’s pretty simple to scoop out and compost for later use as garden fertilizer.
Lisa // Mar 29, 2010 at 10:56 AM
Thanks for sharing, your coop is awesome. We are getting 8 Buff’s in a few weeks and are working on our coop now, I will definitely share the tips with my husband. We live in the country and I don’t think we have enough protection:)
Charlie // Mar 29, 2010 at 2:43 PM
I’m going to build your coop – it’s perfect (with some minor modifications) for our area. Two questions: the dimensions in the drawing show a 6′ x 4′ floor, but the web photos show a 6′ x 3′ floor. Did I miss something? Second, I plan to use PT lumber for the support posts – no PT lumber will be used anywhere else. Any reason not to use PT posts?
lyanda // Apr 2, 2010 at 8:44 AM
Hi Charlie, glad you are finding inspiration in our coop. YOU ARE RIGHT! The floor is 6 x 3′. So sorry for the mistake on the plan–you have a good eye. About the PT posts–some people are very much against this, feeling PT lumber could poison your poultry. I would definitely not use it close to a garden area, but I have seen many people use PT posts in their coops with no trouble. If you have access to untreated cedar, it is preferable, but also more expensive to buy new. Any other thoughts out there?
Kathy // Apr 23, 2010 at 9:44 AM
Such a great looking coop!
Couple questions though, regarding cleaning… how often do you clean, and how simple is it to clean?
Thanks!
lyanda // Apr 23, 2010 at 1:11 PM
Thanks, Kathy. I scoop poop out of the coop every two or three days with a garden trowel, and change the litter about once a week by sweeping everything into a big bucket. It’s truly simple, and doesn’t take more than a few minutes. The poop in the coop is easy to remove, because it’s all in one place–beneath their evening roost branch. In the day they are usually outside, and that poop just blends into their yard.
Sunny // May 2, 2010 at 7:33 PM
Finally taking the plunge and building a coop for 4 chickens that are coming. This site is great because it is simply written, funny and has great pictures! We went on the Seattle Tilth Chicken Tour last year…and now it is time to DO IT!. Thanks for the great site. Sunny
lyanda // May 3, 2010 at 2:39 PM
Thanks, Sunny. I’m glad you found the Tangled Nest, and congratulations on your impending chickens! Stay in touch and let us know how it goes.
Laramie // May 3, 2010 at 9:14 PM
I loved this blog! We are so excited to have our first chicken experience! We live on five acres in Utah and have lived here for nine years. I love chickens but have never had the time to put together the coop. I am having one built! I wish that had the talent to build one but alas I do not! I am certainly going to paint it fun colors just as you have! I love it!!! Thanks for inspiring us with your great ideas!!
Laramie // May 3, 2010 at 9:17 PM
OH yes I wanted to ask you what do you put down on the floor of the coop?
lyanda // May 4, 2010 at 8:46 AM
We use coffee chaff–see my post about this: http://thetanglednest.com/2010/01/coffee-chaff-chicken-coop-litter-creative-upcycling-for-the-urban-farmer/
Chicken Coop Plans – Best Backyard Chicken Coop Plans For You // May 4, 2010 at 7:15 PM
[...] Our Urban Chicken Coop Plan [...]
May Mid Month Meanderings « Grow & Resist // May 18, 2010 at 10:42 PM
[...] it so they have more space to run around when it is nice. We are thinking of something like this. (Our coop is quite different from that , but maybe you get the idea.) Ours is like this: Our [...]
Jenna // Jun 1, 2010 at 9:08 PM
What an inspiring spot to find on the web. I have adopted 3 plymouth rocks. They are headed my way with no coop plan! They have a small “cottage” with no roast or nesting box inside. They are 3 months old. Any idea how urgent the need for a box is? Can they live without a nighttime roost until I can build one? They will have plenty of outdoor/daytime roost spots in our fig tree. Thoughts?
lyanda // Jun 3, 2010 at 2:43 PM
Nice to hear from you, Jenna! Congratulations on your new girls. Most hens start laying when they are about six months old, so have a nest box for them at least a month before that. They really do like to roost off the ground at night, but it doesn’t have to be anything fancy–even a crate turned over that they can sit on top of. And meanwhile–yes, they’ll live until you get to it! Have fun.
Chicken Tour: Not the “New Black” // Jul 12, 2010 at 10:11 AM
[...] other folks do things, and many who were just out enjoying the sun and gardens. We passed out the link to the online plans for our coop, which a surprising number of visitors had already seen. Claire's sign welcomed people to the [...]
Monica Lundberg // Jul 17, 2010 at 4:13 PM
Thanks so much for the “Open Coop” and garden tour last weekend. I’m inspired and ready to get going next spring! May have more questions as construction begin- we’re just about a mile from you.
Monica Lundberg // Jul 17, 2010 at 4:14 PM
Meant to also say that I’ll check-out your book!
lyanda // Jul 17, 2010 at 7:10 PM
Thanks, Monica. Of course feel free to ask anything you like, or come back for another look!
Lee Storey // Aug 3, 2010 at 8:45 PM
I’m so inspired by your blog and have learned so much from it…’we’re getting our chicken coop on Friday and I can’t wait!! We found one at an auction, brand new and we’ll just modify it a bit and add the run for them! I too am thinking about getting Buff Oringtons for our hens..they have been recommended by many because of our cold NH winters and my 3 sons! Im hoping to go to a local chicken swap this weekend to ask questions and absorb more knowledge for our soon to be additions to our family!
Thank you again!
lyanda // Aug 21, 2010 at 6:47 PM
Wow, thanks so much for your kind comments. And keep us posted on your Buffs, or whatever chicks you end up with!
Ceren // Aug 17, 2010 at 11:57 AM
I’m having trouble finding a vendor for the hog wire – are there other names it goes by? I’m in san francisco, so that might be part of my problem.
lyanda // Aug 21, 2010 at 6:46 PM
Hi Ceren–sorry to take so long getting back to you, we’ve been camping. SO–hog wire should be available at any hardware store (even in SF!). Just don’t get too hung up on the “hog wire” name–I’ve never seen it actually called that on the label. Hog wire is just the stronger, larger-squared wire fencing generally available. I didn’t know it was called that–my dad just says, “you need some hog wire,” and when I look at other coop builders, they all use the same term, but they may not call it that in your neck of the woods. Just take a look at your local hardware store, and choose the fencing that will work best for you–even the big boxes like Home Depot have it. Good luck, and let us know how your coop turns out.
Roland and Sylvia in PT // Aug 29, 2010 at 6:43 PM
We found your site while looking for chicken coops for Roland’s birthday chickens, which we hope to get next week. Bo says , “hi” and so do we. We love your Coop. Maybe someday we can visit each other’s chickens.