There aren’t many “rules” you’ll need to follow to build an urban chicken coop in your backyard, but here are some staples of a good chicken coop design.
As any good DIY project should, let’s start with the basics of what every good chicken coop should have. Knowing the end goal before you begin any project is a sure way to get the results you want the first time!
Here is what you should focus on when building your coop:
- Space for your chickens
- A method to keep everything where it should be (chickens in and predators out)
- Great ventilation
- Access to clean the coop
- Easy access to the eggs for retrieval
- No draft
Sizing Your Chicken Coop
Some people believe that to build a chicken coop, they need a lot of land. This is a false assumption and could stop most people from making their own coop. The great news is that chickens don’t need a great deal of space. However, they do need an adequate amount of space that will allow them to roost, nest, and walk as they please.
Without the right amount of space for your chickens, their well-being could be compromised. This could jeopardize their lives as well as the likelihood of producing eggs for your family. If enough space isn’t provided, hens can become vicious and start pecking at each other or plucking each other’s feathers out. This is something you definitely want to avoid.
If you’re new to the DIY chicken coop building world, here are some basics to sizing up your very own urban chicken coop.
Size Requirements
Depending on the size of the bird you want to keep in your coop, here are the size requirements:
- Bantams – 2 square feet per bird inside the chicken coop
- Large Fowl – 4 square feet per bird inside the chicken coop
- Extra-large Birds – 2 square feet per bird inside the chicken coop
Runs are different as they allow the chicken to get in their exercise and feel refreshed on a daily basis. Here are the requirements for each bird:
- Bantams – 4 square feet per bird in the run
- Large Fowl – 8 square feet per bird in the run
- Extra-large Birds – 8 square feet per bird in the run
Of course, you can always size up if you have the room, but the extra area is not required. If your land allows you to expand your urban chicken coop and runs, then go for it! No chicken will ever be mad at you because they got extra space.
Most people will be fine if they assume that each bird needs at least 3 square feet per chicken inside the coop.
Also, keep in mind that you can build an urban chicken coop to your specifications. If you want something easy to walk in, easy to clean, and easy to collect eggs, then a walk-in urban chicken coop will be perfect. But, if you want just enough space for your chickens to walk and roam with no regard to your ability to step inside, that’s perfect, too. Whatever you choose will work for your chickens!
Accessibility Is Key
Building your urban chicken coop will also allow you to make it with the accessibility you want/need. Chicken coops can get messy if you’re not careful, which means you need to be able to access the inside of the coop to clean it out periodically.
You also want to be able to reach in and get the eggs whenever you need to without making a huge fuss. There are different options for this situation, so find the right solution for you!
Accessibility is key when it comes to building the perfect urban chicken coop. It’s one of the areas you should not skimp on when designing your coop.
7 Beautiful DIY Urban Chicken Coop Plans
We’ve scoured hundreds of different chicken coop plans and found 7 of the most beautiful and functional urban chicken coops for your new project!
1. The Ultimate Urban Chicken Coop
Easy to build and beautiful? Sign us up! You can create this small but practical urban chicken coop easily with very few tools and not a lot of space. Here are the specs for your building project.
Size: 6’ x 3’
Capacity: 5 chickens
Build Difficulty: Easy
Check out this easy building plan here.
2. The Small but Spiffy Coop
Excellent ventilation, space-saver, and pleasant to look at – these are the characteristics of this small but spiffy coop! You could use this urban chicken coop in your yard easily without taking up too much space in the process. Get to building with these specifications today.
Size: 6’ x 3’
Capacity: 5 chickens
Build Difficulty: Intermediate
If you want to get your new urban chicken coop built this week, check out the plan here!
3. The Little Yellow Chicken Coop
If tiny and cute are your thing, this urban chicken coop is definitely for you! Paint it whatever color you prefer and enjoy the compact design of this little chicken coop. With smaller spaces like this one, your chickens will be sure to keep warm during the colder months by cuddling up together. An even better bonus is that it sits off of the ground, which means it is safe from most predators and even flooding!
Size: 4’ x 4’
Capacity: 4 chickens
Build Difficult: Easy
4. The Red Door Coop
Talk about accessibility and convenience! This urban chicken coop has it all. The plans include removable roosts, a door sweep, great ventilation, electricity, and even a camera for security and observation! If you want your chickens to live in style, this urban chicken coop has everything you need to make it happen. You can attach a chicken run as pictured above, but the plan for that is not included here.
Size: 8’ x 4’
Capacity: 8 chickens
Build Difficult: Easy
5. The Cylinder Coop
Sometimes you don’t have enough space for something in a traditional cubed shape, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a chicken coop! If you want to house a couple of chickens to give you fresh eggs throughout the year (and possibly some company), this cylinder-shaped urban chicken coop is the perfect design. It’s stylish, great on the budget, and takes up very little space! If you have Bantam chickens, this is the coop for you. Make sure to let your chickens out of this coop throughout the day to give their little legs room to stretch!
Size: not applicable
Capacity: 2 Bantam chickens
Build Difficulty: Easy
Ready to build? Get the plans here!
6. Mini Mansion Coop
There is no doubt that the person who created this beauty wanted nothing but the best for their feathered friends. The thing about an urban chicken coop this size is you need the space to build it! But the plus sides are that it has great ventilation, it’s stylish, and there is plenty of room for the chickens to enjoy their life!
Size: 8’ x 4’
Capacity: 8 chickens
Build Difficulty: Easy
Check out how the DIY builder put this beauty together in just four days!
7. Pretty PVC Coop
Saving money is one of our all-time favorite things to do here at diycoopbuilder.com, and you can guess why! That means when we found this pretty PVC urban chicken coop, we just knew we had to share it! PVC is a sturdy material that is inexpensive and super easy to put together. Cutting, nailing, and general building requirements don’t apply to PVC, which is a great thing for new DIYers. With three designs to choose from, you get the choice of how your PVC party palace looks!
Size: 4’ x 4’ for the actual coop & 10’ x 9’ total area
Capacity: 4 chickens (and possibly two chicken-lovin’ babies as shown above)
Build Difficulty: Easy
Get all 3 of these easy-to-build plans here!
