11 Free Chicken Coop Plans & Ideas You Can Easily DIY

Sep 25, 2023

Chickens are some of the best animals to care for when talking about traditional farmyard animals.

Their waste makes for great fertilizer, and they eat weeds in your green patches. They’re nature's little lawnmowers!

However, coming up with a design or idea for what their coop or shed should look like can be a frustrating process.

This is especially true if you have never built one before, as it can take quite a bit of planning to get everything just right.

But don't despair, we’ve got you covered. Here are some ideas on how to build a chicken coop that will keep them happy while also keeping you interested. Plus, they’ll look great once they’re finished!

What's In This Article

To start our list with an urban twist, we have a chicken shed that is perfect for those homes that don't have the luxury of a farm or wide-open field to keep their little feathery friends.

The Chicken Shed Urban Farm is designed for small spaces, such as apartments, condos, townhomes, duplexes, etc.

It can be built in a few hours with basic carpentry skills, but it also includes many details you will need to build a more permanent structure.

This one has been designed by a professional architect, which makes it very easy to follow along with all the steps included.

And if you’re into this style, there are even some other plans available for you to choose from!

As always, we encourage everyone to follow local building codes and regulations before beginning any home improvement project.

Whilst this chicken shed idea may be limited to what you already have in your backyard or other open space, this is the perfect idea for reusing an old children's play space and breathing new life into it, by making it your chicken's home! This is perfect, especially if your kids have started aging up and out of using their old playhouse.

We love this idea because it allows you to make something useful out of something that was just sitting around collecting dust.

Plus, it adds another fun element to your child's backyard, whilst still giving them plenty of room to roam about outside.

So, when it comes time to decorate, you can add whatever theme suits your family best – whether it's a farm theme, a pirate ship theme, etc.

You can either use found items that you have lying around or buy everything new.

This is a great way to give back to the environment while adding a bit of character to your yard.

You could use the same design for a large enclosed chicken coop too, so it would work well for any type of smaller animal.

If you’re looking for a chicken shed for just a few chickens, 2 or 3 at most, then you may want to take a look at this miniature coop design.

Whilst it might have a somewhat small size to it, the floor plan means that your chickens won't even know that their home is anything other than cozy, and fit for purpose!

They’ll be able to scratch around, run through the grass and enjoy a nice comfy bed.

It is quite easy to construct too, and if you do decide to go ahead and build one, then you’ll find yourself having a lot less hassle than if you were going to build a full-sized version.

There's no reason why you couldn't put in a garden or vegetable patch to grow your food, and feed your flock of hens as well. If you’ve got the space, why not?

This is a beautiful, modern chicken shed that feels like a palace, especially for any chicken lucky enough to live in one! It's got a lovely green roof that provides shade for your chickens and also protects them from the rain.

If you’d prefer to have a traditional chicken shed, then you don't need to worry about finding extra storage space.

You can simply leave the door closed during the night, and keep it open during the day to allow your chickens access to fresh air.

Plus, it's made from wood, so you can easily wash off any bird poop stains too!

This particular design is perfect for those who live in cooler climates, where they want warmth, but don't want to spend money heating the whole thing.

It does mean that you will need to provide some sort of heat source though, which you can do with a simple heater, or you could opt for a solar-powered option.

It has a removable top cover, which makes cleaning the inside easy, plus there are two doors, both of which slide along tracks, making it easy to get into and out of.

This is a fantastic chicken coop that looks great in its natural surroundings, and even better when it's finished.

It's got a real barn look to it, with a lovely red roof, and a large, solid-looking door.

The roof isn't flat though, which means that it won't be letting in much light unless you make sure you place it near a sunny spot.

It seems to block the sun and may become a bit gloomy inside. But there are small vents on each side, which should help to prevent this.

You could plant flowers and shrubs around the outside of the shed to give it a more homely feel, and add a touch of nature to your backyard.

If you’re going to use this type of coop, you’ll need to find somewhere safe to store your eggs.

Some people like to put them on shelves, under the nesting boxes, while others put them in a bucket, which is placed beneath the nest box itself.

Looking for the perfect suburban chicken coop that you can build yourself? Then this design is perfect for the person who wants to keep their chickens cozy and comfortable in a modern chicken coop design.

There are three separate sections here; a hen house, a roosting/nesting room, and a storage section.

All of these are open plans, meaning they’re not enclosed by any walls whatsoever.

This is a very contemporary style chicken coop plan and would suit someone who likes to be able to walk around freely amongst the different areas.

They also come with a few extra features too, which include:

A floor made from recycled materials, which is specially treated to ensure no harmful chemicals pass through, and it's also anti-slip.

If you’re looking to keep your chicken coop looking rustic, or trying to recycle some old wooden pallets, then this is a build idea that you’re going to want to take a look at.

It comes complete with a roof made from corrugated iron, which gives it an authentic feel and also stops the rain from getting into the building.

There are two windows for ventilation, as well as a door to access the rest of the yard.

This will be suitable for both indoor and outdoor chickens, and you’ll be able to move it indoors during the winter months if you wish.

Another thing you might want to consider is adding a skylight, to allow more sunlight into your chicken coop.

This is something that many people have done, and it helps to reduce the amount of artificial lighting required.

For another great chicken shed concept from Backyard Chickens, we have a great barn aesthetic, coupled with a great little space for your chickens to feel safe in.

It has a nice open plan interior, with plenty of space for your hens to roam around, and a nesting area where they can lay their eggs.

You can see how easy it is to clean because all of the surfaces are smooth, and therefore don't get dirty easily.

When designing this kind of structure, you’re going to need to think about what size coop you’d like, as this one comes in four sizes.

The smallest version only holds six birds, but the largest version is capable of holding up to 25.

As well as being able to sit comfortably inside, this chicken garden coop design also allows you to walk around freely without having to worry about stepping over the edge of the nesting area.

This chicken shed concept we’ve got for you today is one that's going to work well for those who live in colder climates, because it's designed specifically for them.

It includes a heat source, so you won't have to worry about your chickens freezing to death!

You’ll notice that this chicken shed is quite large, and there's a lot of space available for your chickens to run around in.

This means that you could potentially fit a lot of birds in!

This particular chicken coop plan is suitable for both indoor and outside chickens, but it does require a bit of maintenance when using it outdoors.

Next, we have a colorful chicken coop idea that was inspired by Kate Richards. They wanted a chicken coop that was not only functional but also looked good.

They chose to use bright colors to make his chicken coop stand out, and it looks fantastic against the green backdrop of their backyard.

If you decide that you do want to go down this route, make sure you buy enough paint to cover the entire surface of your chicken coop.

Based on the chicken houses of the 19th century, this design puts a modern spin on an old favorite of many chicken keepers.

While the traditional style chicken house may look simple, it takes a fair amount of time and skill to construct.

Many of these traditional chicken structures were made from wood, which provided strength but also meant that they took a long time to build.

With the Tarter Farm Chicken House design, you’ll save money, time, and effort.

It's built from concrete blocks, making it much easier to build, and it will remain strong and stable for years to come.

A wide variety of styles and sizes are available, allowing you to choose the perfect home for your flock.

And there you have it! These are just some of the amazing ideas out there that people have created for the perfect poultry penthouse.

Whether you prefer something more rustic, minimalist, or even medieval, there's bound to be a design here that will fit your tastes.

What do you think? Do any of these chicken coops look particularly interesting to you? Or perhaps you have another favorite chicken shed design that you’d like to share with us? Get in touch, and let us know!

Chief Building Officer at Green Building Elements, joined us after a successful career and business owner at Alexander Architecture, which served the New York City Metropolitan area. Prior to running his own firm, John was an architect working for Gensler projects in Boston which is the largest architecture firm in the United States. John holds both a bachelors and masters degree in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. John is the current contact for InformeDesign and The 1 Percent program of Public Architecture.