How To Build a Chicken Coop

Paradoxically, while the issue of poultry housing is fairly complex, chicken coops themselves are quite simple.

Read this article on chicken coops that I wrote for ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas). It talks about all kinds of chicken coops, including "chicken tractors" (portable pasture pens).

"Hoop coops" are cattle-panel hoophouses, which are much better than pasture pens (also called "chicken tractors").

A Cheap Chicken Coop is a Good Chicken Coop

My focus is always on chicken coops that are inexpensive and easy to build. I don't like spending more than $150 on a coop for 50 chickens. These coops are extremely plain, and are often several years old before I get around to painting them. The price difference between such an unpretentious coop and one that's a little fancier can be shocking.

People who feel they have an image to maintain will often spend ten to twenty times as much per hen as I do, and only end up with a coop that looks like a toolshed. Heaven knows what it would cost to make a chicken coop that looks like an English country cottage! "It's a coop, but it costs like a sedan." It's amazing how a little trim, the use of siding instead of plywood, and other simple changes balloon the cost.

Because of the immense cost difference, it's important to have things straight in your mind before you pick up a hammer. A lot of people have vague hopes of turning a profit someday, and use these as an excuse for spending lots of money on chicken coops. This never works out. Either you're in this for the money or you aren't. If you're not in it for the money, assume that every dollar you spent is one you'll never see again, and you'll stay out of trouble.

Back to the Poultry FAQ Page.