Large Chicken Coop Plans & Kits

For your own taste of the good life, keep a few chickens in your garden. Youll be surprised at how easy it is, and once youre enjoying your own ‘homegrown fresh eggs, youll wonder why you didnt do it sooner. Chickens have so many benefits. There are the obvious eggs, but chickens offer so much more. Believe it or not, chickens make great pets (when I was younger, my chickens, which Id had since they were chicks, would hop up on my shoulder, so friendly were they). They can be really social creatures, and can bring your garden to life, as they strut around, pecking and clucking. And while theyre pecking around, chickens are fantastic for the organic gardener. Your chickens will make short work of all those pesky bugs and pests in your garden. And if you go round your garden at night with a torch and pick off all the slugs, snails and caterpillars, your chickens will love you forever when they get a tasty breakfast! And theres more good news for the organic gardener – chicken manure is fantastic for your plants. Just remember that, like horse manure, it needs to be matured first, or it will burn your plants, especially young tender ones.

Large Chicken Coop

We built this tractor for rabbits, but it can easily house 3 hens.

Don’t want to be bothered with building a chicken coop? Here are the free plans we developed for a coop on our farm. Our chicken coop design can house 4-5 hens. It took us just a few hours to put this coop together, and just a couple hundred dollars. Years later, it’s still housing chickens and works great! You can also get a free printable version of the plans right here. We built this tractor for rabbits, but it can easily house 3 hens. 50 to make. Particularly if you have chicks, you’ll want to try to make this tractor! It uses a dog crate (which is secure against predators, as long as you set it up correctly) and a wood top, which keeps your darling chicks safe from hawks. In case you didn’t know, hawks are one of the biggest predators of chickens, and can easily kill an entire flock very quickly.

Large Chicken Coop

In order to answer this question, you have to know what chickens you are getting. Are they bantams or large fowl? Are they considered standard size or extra-large such as Jersey Giants. If you have ordered from a hatchery, they usually have a helpful section in the catalog that will give you space requirements for chickens. Bantams - 2sq.ft./bird in the coop, 4sq.ft/bird in the run. Standard large fowl - 4sq.ft/bird in the coop, 8sq.ft in the run. Extra-large birds - minimumft/bird in the coop, 8sq.ft in the run. As a note in the plans below we’ve assumed 3 square foot per chicken. A note of caution here - these are minimum space requirements per bird. If you can build bigger, do so. It is likely that at some point you will get more birds; this is known as ‘chicken math’ or ‘more hens’ disease’! The coop can be tall enough for you to walk into, or small enough for the hens and nothing else, your choice.

It is your responsibility to check out the rules and regulations. Don’t want to wade through the village by-laws? Ask your local code enforcement/zoning official, they should be able to help you. All in one combination kit with the control box and door; everything you need! Integrated programmable precise timer and light sensor to operate the opening and closing of the door. Thankfully, hens don’t require TV, internet access or most of the things us humans deem necessary. They do need some basic ‘furniture’ though. A roosting perch is essential for them when they are old enough to perch. This perch provides the sleeping area for the hens. They will snuggle together on the bar in winter and spread out a bit during the warmer months. Roosting perches should allow for 8-12 inches of space per bird. Chickens sleep ‘flat-footed’, so the perch should be between 2-4 inches wide for their comfort. The ideal height from the floor should be 18-24 inches. Any higher and heavier hens run the risk of leg or foot injury when jumping down.

Large Chicken Coop

Align the edges flush and insert the screws so you lock the frames together tightly. Fit the partitions to the top of the nesting boxes and then secure them into place with nails. Secure the frames to the floor and to the wall frame. Use a spirit level to make sure the frames are perfectly plumb. Continue the project by fitting T1-11 siding panels to the sides of the nesting boxes. Use 6d nails to secure the siding to the frames after aligning the edges flush. Fit the 3/4″ plywood to the top of the nesting boxes. Align the edges flush and secure them into place with brad nails. Afterwards, cover the panel with tar paper and then install asphalt shingles. Fit 2×4 slats to the back of the nesting boxes and secure them to the partitions with 2 1/2″ screws. Align the edges flush and make sure the corners are square for a professional result. The next step of the project is to build the doors for the nesting boxes. As you can easily notice in the diagram, you need to use T1-11 siding and 1×4 trims. Use glue and 1 1/2″ nails to secure the panels to the trims. Make sure the corners are square and then align the edges flush.

Large Chicken Coop

There are a lot of predators that can prey your chickens at night and the reason to check more closely on this factor. Check how the coop doors close, and whether the roof is hinged to open and close. Check whether it is lockable. Another area that you should check is the nesting part. Some coops designers forget that this place needs to be locked. It is an area where predators can find easy access to your chickens. The elevation is a good factor for security. A chicken coop that is elevated for chickens to roost is more secured. Check to see the lower part where the chickens use as their day area is also safe enough. Heavy duty galvanized wire mesh that is close-knit is ideal to prevent predators such as snakes from accessing the coop. Since you don’t need to have your chickens suffocating inside their coop, get one that has enough ventilation.

Bantams seem to enjoy higher perches since they fly so well. Think carefully where you will put your roost; birds poop over 70% of the total daily droppings at night. If you plan carefully, you can incorporate something like ‘poop boards’, poop hammock or some other way to easily collect and remove the poop mountains. Tip: don’t place your nest boxes under the roost. I use old discarded professional baking trays - they are solid metal trays about 18×24 inches which sit under the roosts. They are easy to lift out and empty as necessary. Nest boxes are the second necessity for hens. The golden rule is one nest box for every 3-4 hens, although they will usually have one favorite box and all will want to use it! Standard sized birds will fit nicely into a 12 x 12 inch box situated about 12 inches off the floor. Nest boxes should be place in the darkest part of the coop since hens do like a little privacy when laying their eggs. If you have very large birds such as Jersey Giants the nest box will have to be larger to accommodate the hens. Bantams require much less space - about 6 inches per box, but they can and will use the ‘big girls’ nest boxes. Of course, you will need feeders and drinkers for your flock. The feeder can be hung in the coop, but leave the drinker outside otherwise it will contribute excess moisture to the air in the coop. All in one combination kit with the control box and door; everything you need! Integrated programmable precise timer and light sensor to operate the opening and closing of the door. Whatever you decide for your coop, it needs to be comfortable for both your hens and you. Try to ensure that the coop design suits both you and them with ample space for the girls and easy cleaning for you.

Large Chicken Coop

They could take over your yard or garden and are more likely to get in trouble if allowed to roam too freely. If you plan on having more than 15 birds, we suggest planning for some sort of large enclosure or chicken run. Another issue is predators. In many places, you have to worry about foxes, coyotes and the ever-present chicken hawk. It wouldn’t take long for your large flock to become a small flock. A large hen house can prevent the loss of your fowl. We can’t stress this point enough - you MUST take careful precautions to protect your chickens when constructing their new home. Make sure to use the proper hardware cloth and dig it in underground at least 18 inches to prevent predators from tunneling underneath it. Make sure all coop openings are properly sealed off - you should have hardware cloth behind any vents or other openings that could provide access to the inside of the chicken coop.

After you have installed the fence posts and plywood or sheet metal walls you will need to build the roof. It is important to use a sturdy material for the roofing to keep predator out at night, such as owls, and also to allow the poultry to be able to get out of the weather elements. Measure and cut plywood or sheet metal to fit across the top, then connect each piece to the tops of the fence posts. Use enough nails or screws to hold the roof on in a very secure manner. Add a door to one wall with hinges and put hay, fresh water and food inside. If you have hens you will also want to build nesting boxes for them to lay their eggs in. As stated before, chickens aren't picky about their lodging. As long as they are safe from predators, have shelter from the weather, fresh food and water, and a place to lay in the sunshine, they'll be happy and safe.