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Chicken coop guides

Build it right for the flock

Start with how to build a chicken coop, then go deeper on the parts that decide whether the hens stay healthy and safe: the mesh, the nests, the roosts and the vents. Every number comes from the coop designer and the extension sources behind it.

Design your coop
  1. 113 min read, 21 sourcesHow to Build a Chicken Coop, Step by StepHow to build a chicken coop step by step: size it to your flock with extension rules, then build the floor, walls, roof, nests, roosts, vents and run.Read the guide
  2. 28 min readHow Much Does It Cost to Build a Chicken Coop?A 4x8 coop for six hens costs $2,754.24 in materials with its run, priced at named stores. Every plan size, where the money goes, and how to spend less.Read the guide
  3. 314 min read, 14 sourcesPredator Proof Chicken Coop: Mesh, Apron, LatchesBuild a predator proof chicken coop and run: 1/2 in hardware cloth outside the posts, a 24 in apron, two-step latches, a covered roof and a raised floor.Read the guide
  4. 410 min read, 10 sourcesHow Many Nesting Boxes per Chicken?One nest box per 4 hens, never fewer than 2. A table for 2 to 30 hens, where the extension services disagree, and the box size, height and lid.Read the guide
  5. 512 min read, 13 sourcesChicken Coop Ventilation: Where the Vents GoHow much vent area a chicken coop needs, where the vents go and why they stay off the roosts, with the opening our designer draws for 8 coop sizes.Read the guide
  6. 611 min read, 10 sourcesChicken Coop Roosting Bars: Size, Height, SpacingHow long, how high and how far apart chicken coop roosting bars should be, with a worked table for 4 to 30 hens and the extension sources behind each rule.Read the guide

Free chicken coop plans

Prefer a finished plan?

Common coop sizes from 4x4 to 12x12 and plans sized for 4 to 30 hens, each with a free PDF summary.

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