A well made and easy to clean chicken coop is key to raising a happy and healthy brood of hens, and aside from being a safe place where they can go to rest and lay their eggs, it is also their home and essentially, their whole world. Whether you raise chickens for fun or commercially, ensuring that they have a coop that features all of the essential features like keeping them safe from predators and providing them with protection from the weather is the first and most important thing you should do.
A simple coop can be built in a weekend, and there is a huge quantity of different chicken coop designs to choose from depending on your carpentry skills and experience. To get you started with some inspiration for the type of easy chicken coop you should build, here are 14 simple chicken coop designs with plans, so you can build a poultry palace yourself!
1. Large Sunrise Chicken Coop
This impressive, yet simplistic coop is easy to build, and it is perfect for those of you who already have a healthy sized flock of birds to accommodate. Not only is it completely predator proof, but it also includes a substantial sized run so your chicks won’t get bored during the day. Click here to access the detailed plans.
2. Budget Chicken Coop
If you want to keep costs down, but also want to make sure that the coop you are going to build has all of the essential safety and hygiene features, then this one is for you. You can make it out of existing materials that you likely already have stored away, making it a quirky addition to your backyard.
3. Kerr Center Chicken Tractor
A portable chicken coop is a great idea if you have a lot of land or a farm, and you want your chickens to be on pest control duty! You can make it as big or small as you like, and it won’t cost a lot to build. See how it’s made here!
4. Down East
The Fort Knox of chicken coops, the primary aim of this coop is to keep predators out. It also offers the added bonus of a locking door to keep your fresh eggs safe until you collect them.
5. Easy Coop
This coop is set up to house up to 12 chickens, and it is not expensive to build given that it has window shutters! The easy to follow plan for this coop also includes an instructional video, meaning that even the most novice DIY’er will be able to create this masterpiece.
6. Pallet Palace
If you have some pallets lying around, or you can easily get hold of some, then building a chicken coop based on these plans will put them to good use. It is quick to build, and you can add as many wire mesh windows, as you like for extra ventilation.
7. Southern Maine
If you don’t have a lot of space and you just want a small coop for your few prized hens, then this build is going to be perfect for your needs.
8. Zelda
If you have a few days to dedicate to building your coop, then this one comes with extremely detailed plans, including a step-by-step picture guide.
9. Fancy Medium Sized Coop
Your chickens will feel like royalty residing in this mega mansion. It features nesting boxes, protection from intruders, and best of all- it looks great.
10. Easy To Clean Coop
Designed to accommodate a larger flock of chickens, this coop also has plans for a large run that attaches to it. It is easy to clean and has great ventilation.
11.Large And Simple
Sometimes it’s best to keep things as simple as possible, and this chicken coop is just a good old-fashioned barn type structure that can house up to 32 birds.
12. Log Cabin Coop
This log cabin chicken coop is one of our absolute favorites. It is rustic, sturdy, and super easy to build in just a couple of days. It can be built using all natural materials, meaning you can keep costs down by making use of what you find on the land.
13. Backyard Chicken Coop
If you don’t plan on having more than a few chickens, a simple coop like this one will be perfect for your needs. Your chickens will have shelter, a safe place to sleep, and good ventilation.
14. Large Shed Style Chicken Coop
If you are confident in your carpentry skills, then it’s time to go all in and build your chickens a spacious house with an adjacent predator proof run. These detailed plans will allow you to scale the size to your liking. They also provide you the opportunity to choose durable, weatherproof materials, so you can look forward to this coop keeping your chickens safe for years to come.
Building your own chicken coop can provide you with a sense of fulfillment like no other, but if you have looked through the simple chicken coop plans listed above and you are not sure whether you have the time or skill to see the project through from start to finish, then you will be pleased to hear there is another solution.
Suitable for 4-6 chickens, a robust wooden coop like this one can be purchased ready built for just under $130 dollars. It has a removable sliding tray to make it easy to clean, and the wire mesh is strong enough to keep potential predators away.
It is also completely waterproof and includes a nesting box, and as it is light enough to move around, you can take advantage of moving your chickens around every so often, so they get a change of scenery and a new patch of grass to keep them entertained. You won’t need any kind of DIY knowledge or experience to be able to put the coop together, all you need to do is follow the instructions, and you will be all set to start raising backyard chickens.
