Makeover Takeover: Colonial Comeback

Plant These Easy-to-Grow Flowers This Spring

Dress Up Your Door With These DIY Spring Wreaths

Speckled Malted Coconut Cake

Dad Jokes To Keep the Whole Family Laughing

Country Living editors select each product featured. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. More about us.

48 DIY Chicken Coops That Are Easy to Build

Your fine-feathered flock will appreciate a safe, functional, and stylish coop.

By Rebecca Shinners and Rebekah Lowin

Jan 22, 2021

Courtesy of Amy Whyte

Backyard chicken coops are popping up everywhere! If the idea of raising chickens has piqued your interest, but the thought of building your own chicken coop seems overwhelming or too expensive, you’ve come to the right place. We promise: It's easier than you think to build a home for your flock. Check out these real life DIY chicken coops for fun and easy chicken coop ideas, plus simple step-by-step tutorials, and even chicken coop plans you can buy. From small to large coops, rustic barn-shaped coops to pretty cottage-style coops, these chicken houses offer tons of chicken coop inspiration. As you’re designing your dream coop, remember, no matter the style or size, every chicken coop needs to include basic essentials such as nesting boxes, a roosting bar, and a feeder and waterer to ensure your flock stays happy and healthy. If you have the space, consider adding an enclosed run to give your hens a spot to stretch their legs while staying protected from predators. Design details like hinged lids will give your coop character and easy function, while your choice of paint color or features such as shutters or a salvaged door can help match it to the overall design of your own house. (And if you decide DIY isn’t for you, no fear! Check out these ready-to-go chicken coops you can buy right now, as well as these barn and farmhouse style coops. Then get your coop outfitted with all of the necessary accessories with our chicken coop buying guide.)

🌻 Join the Country Club today and enjoy exclusive access to home tours, seasonal craft projects, recipes, and more!

Once your coop is in place, it's time to bring in your new fine-feathered friends. To help you decide what chicken breed or mix of breeds is right for you and your coop, check out our guide to the best chicken breeds. If you're raising chickens for the first time, we encourage you to first educate yourselves on how to best care for chickens. Our handy guide to raising chickens answers all your questions regarding food, safety, and even how to get those pretty colored eggs!

Courtesy of Mel Ridley/@countryfirsts

Childhood Playhouse Turned Chicken Coop

Built by her grandpa in 1964, Mel Ridley’s childhood playhouse is now the happy home to Lou and her other feathered friends.

See more at @countryfirsts.

Courtesy of Lee Kleinhelter

City-Worthy Chicken Coop

Designer Lee Kleinhelter (@pieces.inc) made sure her Atlanta coop was in keeping with her home’s exterior by sticking to a chic black-and-white palette (Black; sherwin-williams.com) and hanging modern sconces.

Courtesy of Chloe Mackintosh/Boxwood Avenue

Cottage Style Chicken Coop

Chloe Mackintosh (@boxwoodavenue) and her dad designed and built her small cottage-style coop that's home to her eight hens.

See more at Boxwood Avenue.

Courtesy of Kate Richards/Drinking With Chickens

Colorful Chicken Coop

Author and self-titled chixologist, Kate Richards utilized every inch of her small Los Angeles backyard for her bright and colorful 5'-by-12' stacked chicken coop and run.

See more at Drinking with Chickens.

BUY KATE'S BOOK

Our Town Plans

Country Living's Chicken Coop Plan

Measuring 29 sq. ft., our charming 4'4"-by-7' Country Living Anniversary Chicken Coop features louvered gable vents, two roosting dowels, and a hinged roof on the nesting boxes.

Purchase the Country Living Anniversary Chicken Coop plan through Our Town Plans.

A White Chicken Coop Made With Architectural Salvage

Courtesy of Amy Whyte

Chicken Coop with Vintage Appeal

Thanks to a saved stash of architectural salvage, what started as a simple chicken coop quickly grew into a “fit for an antiques dealer” home for Amy Whyte’s flock of 15.

See more at @amycwhyte.

A Cute Farmhouse-Style Chicken Coop With Blue Door

Courtesy of Jessica Parker/Whimsical Treasures Decor

Charm-Packed DIY Chicken Coop

A pretty blue upcycled door is one of many salvaged elements Jess Parker incorporated into her "Mint Homestead" chicken coop. The interior is planked with old barn wood, the roof is reclaimed corrugated metal, and an old shipping pallet is now a welcoming porch. For an added vintage accent, she topped the door with a vintage awning she found at an estate sale.

See more at @whimsicaltreasuresdecor.

Ray Kachatorian

Cape Cod-Inspired Chicken Coop

This Cape Cod-inspired structure belonging to photo stylist Heather Bullard (@heatherbullard) is prettier than most human dwellings! You can build Heather's "Chez Poulet" for your own chickens using stock building materials and hardware from the home improvement store.

See more and order plans here.

Courtesy of Shannon Latham

Church-Inspired Chicken Coop

Situated behind her circa-1850s Kentucky home, Shannon Latham’s (@littleenglishclothing) 5'W-by-10'L-by-4'H “The Chicken Church” was inspired by a centuries-old local church, Pisgah Presbyterian Church, and hand-built by Amish craftsmen.

A Classic Chicken Coop with a Green Door

Courtesy of Melissa Caughey/Tilly's Nest

Charming Chicken Coop

Chicken expert and author Melissa Caughey of Tilly's Nest (@tillysnest) built a house-worthy chicken coop that is as charming as it is functional. How fun is that green (Herb Garden; Benjamin Moore) front door?

Courtesy of Karen Bertelsen/The Art of Doing Stuff

Chic Black Chicken Coop

A dark stain elevates the wood planks of Karen Bertelsen's stylish chicken coop, while elongated door handles and house-worthy sconces deliver even more high style. But she also made sure the function matched the style with lots of components such as an exterior nesting box (which the chickens have access to from inside the coop) and tucked away storage components. To keep her coop predator proof, Karen installed Rare Earth Magnets on all the doors.

See more at The Art of Doing Stuff.

A Pretty Chicken Coop with Shutters and Metal Roof

Courtesy of Caroline Scott/Wild Feather Farm

Well-Appointed Chicken Coop

A standing seam metal roof and board-and-batten shutters (not to mention the shiplap walls inside!) bring tons of farmhouse detailing to Caroline Scott’s enviable chicken coop.

See more at @wildfeatherfarm.

Courtesy of Shannon Vrtiska

Silo Chicken Coop

An unused grain bin finds a second life repurposed as a unique chicken coop. The attached large enclosed run gives the chickens plenty of outdoor space.

Courtesy of Sneed Acres

House-Inspired Chicken Coop

Matthew & Alysha Sneed looked to a farmhouse they spotted in Country Living for inspiration for their cozy chicken coop that is complete with windows and a front door. Using scrap wood and windows and a door from a second-hand store kept costs down.

See more at Sneed Acres.

A White Carriage House Style Chicken Coop

Courtesy of Erin Schaefgen/Three Little Blackbirds

Room for All Chicken Coop

Deep in the heart of Texas, this dream-worthy large chicken coop—with more than 900 sq. ft. of run space—keeps Erin Schaefgen’s 50-plus chickens in scratching bliss.

See more at @threelittleblackbirds.

Courtesy of Callie Richardson/The White Magnolia Farmhouse

Well-Appointed Chicken Coop

Fashioned after the guest cottages on her Mississippi farm, Callie Richardson's (@thewhitemagnoliafarmhouse) 140-square-foot chicken coop boasts shingled siding and a pair of barn-style sconces. The spacious coop includes a potting area in the front half, while the 14-foot vaulted ceiling makes for plenty of room to incorporate roosting bars and nesting boxes for her flock of 12.

Courtesy of Tone Alexander

A Tony Chicken Coop

With its thatched roof and decorative oeil-de-boeuf frame, this plaster-wrapped beauty by Tone Alexander (@tonealexander) references Cape Dutch style. The large chandelier provides a fun, unexpected finishing touch.

Annie Schlechter

Pretty and Simple Chicken Coop

Antiques dealer Christi Wilson (@thebrownshed) designed a pretty backyard coop that both complements her own farmhouse and provides function with easy cleaning. The 8'-by-12' structure (with an attached enclosed run of the same size) is divided with the front area providing space for feed and supplies and the back area housing the nesting boxes and roost. Its roomy walk-in design is ideal for six to nine chickens.

See more and buy the plans at The Brown Shed.

A Chicken Coop Made From a Salvaged Cupola

Max Kim-Bee

Cupola Chicken Coop

Look to architectural salvage, such as this large cupola, for a one-of-a-kind chicken coop. Outfit the inside with nesting boxes and places for food and water and you're all set.

Courtesy of Kristi Reed/Windy Peak Vintage

Rustic Chicken Coop

Kristi Reed picked a rustic cabin-style chicken coop to make her chickens feel at home on her Montana ranch. Natural wood siding, iron strap hardware, and a corrugated metal roof add rustic detailing that blends with the wide-open landscape.

See more at Windy Peak Vintage.

Courtesy of Happy Days Farm

Carriage House Chicken Coop

Take your design clues from Happy Days Farm and incorporate design details such as x-doors, iron strap hinges, and a cupola for a chicken coop that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional. When designing their large chicken coop, owners Penny Ausley and Brittany May started with these plans, altering as needed for space and function.

SHOP PENNY'S BOOK

Brooke and Steve Giannetti

Dreamy DIY Chicken Coop

Brooke and Steve Giannetti, designers and authors of Patina Farm, built a henhouse worth clucking about. When choosing materials for your chicken coop, Brooke recommends cedar wood as a great option because of its all-weather durability. It's naturally resistant to rot and insect damage, and it won’t warp when exposed to moisture.

Get the tutorial here.

White Barn-Style Chicken Coop Plans

CoopExpert

$18 AT ETSY

Two windows, a large access door, roost rails, and a hinged lid make this DIY coop a winner. The detailed 31-page plans seal the deal.

One Tree Photography

Colorful and Homey Chicken Coop

When we first saw this brightly painted coop, we only had one question—can we move in? With colorful shutters and a picket fence, these lucky chickens live in high style.

Get the tutorial and order plans at TrevorMade.

Courtesy of Ana White

Chick Brooding Cabinet Coop

While this upcycled vintage cabinet isn't quite large enough to be a full chicken coop, it's the perfect spot for brooding your backyard chicks. Just replace door insets chicken wire to a vintage armoire.

Get the tutorial and plans at Ana White.

6-Backyard-Chickens-Sign-Redeem-Your-Ground2

Courtesy of Redeem Your Ground

DIY Chicken Coop Signs

This Georgia family didn't stop at just designing their own large chicken coop—they added DIY decor as well. Bonus: The cute "On the Farm" sign lists the fun names of all the resident chickens, from Rosie Mae to Hazel.

Get the tutorial at Redeem Your Ground.

Courtesy of Backyard Chickens

Cheery Yellow Chicken Coop

Thanks to some bright yellow paint and blossoming flowers, this cheery coop—it even has its own window boxes—looks like a tiny house.

Get the tutorial at Backyard Chickens.

Red Barn Chicken Coop Plans

$18 AT ETSY

A classic red barn-style coop is a welcome addition to any farmhouse backyard. The downloadable—and cheap!—plans for this one are easy to follow.

Courtesy of Backyard Chickens

Petite and Pretty Cedar Chicken Coop

There's a lot to love about this backyard coop for four chickens—the pastel trim details make it as pretty as it is functional.

Get the tutorial at Backyard Chickens.

A Swing Set Repurposed into a Chicken Coop

Courtesy of Goods Home Design

Repurposed Swing Set DIY A Frame Chicken Coop

Give your old swing set's A-frame structure a new life as a chicken coop by attaching sheets of metal roofing and covering it with mesh netting.

Get the tutorial at JoJoChooks Blog.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Rebecca Shinners Social Media Editor Rebecca was the social media editor at CountryLiving.com and WomansDay.com.

Rebekah Lowin Senior Editor Rebekah Lowin is a Senior Editor at The Pioneer Woman, covering home décor, food, entertaining, crafting, gardening, and holiday.