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Building a chicken coop – step-by-step guide and tips

A chicken can be seen pecking about in the green grass in front of a farmhouse.
Chickens need a place to roam and fresh air to be happy – and adequate shelter for the night and for nesting.
  • Difficulty
    easy
  • Cost
    €300–500 (coop for three chickens)
  • Duration
    1–2 days (coop for three chickens)

Introduction

What could be better for breakfast than fresh eggs from happy chickens from your own garden? Besides home-grown fruit and vegetables, a fresh egg at breakfast is the next step towards partial self-sufficiency with quality organic food. You can turn this dream into reality more easily than you might think. All you need is a free weekend and a little bit of craftsmanship. You will not only learn how to build your own chicken coop here, but also which chickens are particularly suitable for beginners and what needs to be taken into account when keeping them in a manner that is appropriate to the species.

Check out our many other ideas for animal lovers in the DIY area for dogs, cats, birds and other animals! If you keep chickens, you will certainly have room for rabbits: Check out here how to build your own rabbit hutch.

 

You need

Planning

Do you want to build your own chicken coop? The best way to start your planning is to determine the number of chickens you want to keep in your garden. This is important not only in terms of the coop’s location and run/outdoor space, but also for the furnishings.

What regulations do I have to observe when keeping chickens in the garden?

You should get to know the applicable regulations in your area before starting to build your own chicken coop.

  • Do I need a building permit for my DIY chicken coop?

We decided on a mobile chicken coop for this DIY project. Please check the animal welfare and building permit regulations valid in your country and make sure you comply with them. Likewise, if you want to build a stationary chicken coop, check with your local building authority first. The regulations for this differ from area to area.

  • The Animal Welfare Act

In Germany, the same animal welfare guidelines apply, regardless of whether the chickens are kept in a person’s garden or in battery cages. One square metre is considered sufficient for nine chickens. However, we have based our DIY chicken coop on recommendations for keeping chickens in a more species-appropriate manner, such as those issued by numerous animal welfare organisations. That’s why we offer our chickens a comfortable roost and a cosy nest box for laying eggs, in addition to sufficient outdoor space.

  • Vaccination and reporting requirements

Every chicken in Germany must be registered with the competent veterinary office. In addition, registration with the animal disease prevention fund is also required. All chickens must be vaccinated regularly (every three months) against Newcastle disease. However, you don’t have to collect your chickens four times a year and take them to the vet. You can easily administer the necessary vaccination through their drinking water. And it won’t be expensive for you either. You can buy 500 doses for as little as €7, which provides 20 chickens with the necessary vaccination protection for six whole years, for example.

  • Noise pollution and local laws concerning the interest of neighbours

You shouldn’t keep a rooster in your DIY chicken coop unless you live in a very remote area. They unfortunately have one major disadvantage – they are extremely noisy, even if they are particularly magnificent and beautiful to look at. A few chickens won’t be a nuisance for your neighbours, especially if there is a tasty egg to share with them at breakfast every now and then, but the mood can change if there is a lot of noise in the early morning. Your hens won’t hold it against you either. It is not uncommon for a rooster’s favourite hens to look a little dishevelled. Anyway, a missing rooster does not affect egg production.

 

Which chickens are particularly suitable for people just starting out?

You want to build your own chicken coop, as well as decide who moves in, but not all types of chickens are suitable for beginners. We have compiled a list of a few species that are considered particularly easy to care for and are comfortable around humans. Some of them don’t like to fly much either, which makes it easy for them to run around in a fenced-in enclosure. If there are many birds of prey in your region, you should still consider closing off the outdoor run from above.

 

Name Attributes

Weight

Egg production

Minimum weight of hatching eggs

Egg colour

Araucana

resilient, comfortable around humans, easy-going

Chicken 1.6–2 kg

Rooster 2–2.5 kg

180 eggs/year

50 g

green

Dwarf Wyandottes

resilient, comfortable around humans, suitable to cold climates

Chicken 0.9–1 kg

Rooster 1.1–1.3 kg
180 eggs/year

40 g

cream-coloured

Plymouth Rocks

resilient, comfortable around humans, easy-going, lay in winter, roosters have easy temperament

Chicken 2.5–3 kg

Rooster 3–3.5 kg

180 eggs/year

55 g

yellow-brown

Barnevelder

resilient, comfortable around humans, easy-going, lay in winter, don’t fly

Chicken 2.5–2.7 kg

Rooster 3–3.5 kg

180 eggs/year

65 g

brown

Barnevelder dwarf chickens

resilient, comfortable around humans, easy-going, don’t fly

Chicken 0.9–1 kg

Rooster 1.1–1.2 kg

150 eggs/year

40 g

brown

New Hampshire

resilient, easy-going, sensitive to cold

Chicken 2.25–2.7 kg

Rooster 3–3.5 kg

250 eggs/year

55 g

brown

Vorwerk chickens

resilient, comfortable around humans, easy-going, roosters have easy temperament

Chicken 2–2.5 kg

Rooster 2.5–3 kg

160 eggs/year

55 g

cream-coloured

Cochin chickens

Feather-footed, resilient, easy-going, do not fly

Chicken 3–4.5 kg

Rooster 3.5–5.5 kg

160 eggs/year

54 g

yellow-brown

 

There are also dwarf varieties of nearly all the chickens listed here. These are much smaller, but usually lay almost as many eggs as their larger counterparts. You can keep chickens of different breeds together, but make sure they are about the same size. Especially large chickens should not be kept together with bantams, for example. The chickens in our list also make great pets for young and old.

Tips
Keep in mind
Chickens are very social animals and should never be kept solitary. So if you decide to keep chickens, you need at least two.

How much space does a chicken need?

Chickens don’t need much to be happy: water and food, obviously, but above all a coop that is regularly cleaned and an outdoor run that is big enough.

The rule of thumb is that you should keep a maximum of three animals per square metre of coop space. Naturally, larger species need more space. Also remember that you need to fit the coop with a water trough, feeding station, sand bath and nest boxes. Chickens like to spend their days outdoors, while at night they sleep on roosting bars that are high off the ground. A larger chicken coop should be set up so that you can stand and work in it comfortably. A smaller DIY chicken coop should have a clearance of at least 80 cm.

Number of chickens

Floor space

Window area

3

1–1,5 m²

0,2 m²

5

2 m²

0,4 m²

8

3 m²

0,6 m²

10

4 m²

0,8 m²

20

8 m²

1,5 m²

 

You should allow five to ten square metres per chicken if you want to give them enough outdoor space in the garden.

Tips
Free range
Happy and healthy chickens lay more eggs. The more free range your chickens have, the better.

Which material is best suited for building my own chicken coop?

Pre-made kits made of all kinds of materials are available in shops. Plastic ones are particularly easy to clean, but they are not very durable.

If you want to use more natural materials, you should opt for a chicken coop made of wood or stone.

And you don’t need much previous knowledge to build a chicken coop out of wood. However, the wood must be treated to better withstand the elements, and it requires regular maintenance so that the coop will last a long time for your chickens. Plywood is particularly interesting if you’re going to build a mobile chicken coop. The structure itself is much lighter than a similar one made of standard wooden beams, which makes it easier to move. If you want your chickens to live outside permanently, however, you must provide good insulation for the winter.

If you want to build a stationary chicken coop, you should use stone. Stone is robust, durable and offers your chickens more protection from the weather and predators. However, you also need to know how to lay bricks, use mortar and lay a concrete foundation, as all of this is necessary for a chicken coop made of stone.

We love to build, craft and hone our DIY skills. Once you’ve finished building your  DIY chicken coop, check out our many other garden projects: Check out our step-by-step guides on how to build  a greenhouse from old windows . Your children will love having their very own tree house, but there are also easier projects, for example, your own colourful DIY garden bench.

Let’s get started – step-by-step instructions

We will explain in the following how to build a mobile chicken coop using plywood board. The exact size, number of windows and all other details should be adapted to the number of chickens.

Step110

Measuring and planning

Make a detailed plan first, including a sketch, that takes into account the necessary size for the number of chickens. Mark the ground for the location of your own chicken coop, taking into account the direction of the sun (facing south provides more warmth and sunlight). If possible, place your coop and run on a slightly elevated spot in your garden to avoid problems with water pooling and mud.

Step210

Building the base structure

A woman saws through a board with a NanoBlade saw from Bosch.

A NanoBlade saw is suitable for cutting beams and boards, for example.

 

Cut the wooden beams according to your sketch using a saw.  Your structure should rest on stilts so that your chicken coop does not lie directly on the ground. The optimal height is between 25 and 30 cm. This offers better protection for your chickens from predators and pests. Once you have put the final screws in the base structure and stabilised it with wedges in the inner corners, you can attach the wooden floor board(s) and screw them in place.

Step310

Building the top structure

Proceed in the same way with the top structure (without installing a floor board). Remember that the roof should have a certain slope and the top structure and side walls are therefore shorter at the back than at the front. Place the top structure flush on the base structure. Now in each corner, attach wedges that you previously cut, and then screw them to the base structure only, and not to the top structure. You can remove the top structure at any time, which is very helpful for cleaning and transport. You can use brackets to screw the top and base structure together for additional stability. These give the chicken coop more stability against stronger winds, while still being easy to remove.

Step410

Attaching the rear and side walls

Now, attach the side walls to the top structure. Saw the boards to fit the length of the wall and make sure you include windows and an exit for your chicken coop. Position the door so that you can easily reach and harvest the eggs.

Step510

Installing window panes

It is best to use plexiglass for this. Insert the plexiglass pane into the previously sawn out window openings. This should be around one fifth of the total wall area. Then attach beams to the inside and outside of the wall to serve as window frames. You can fit the window pane with wire mesh from the outside for additional protection against predators. Use the window frame to conceal the screws of the wire mesh, so it does not stand out visually.

Tips
Tip
Design the window so that you can easily remove the pane from the inside in the summer. This prevents heat build-up, and your chickens are still protected from predators by the mesh.
Step610

Attaching the roosting bar

Ideally, you should place the roosting bar about one metre above the floor in a larger coop. For smaller DIY chicken coops with a clearance of 80 cm, there must be enough space at the top for the chickens perched on the bar, of course. To ensure that the bar is level, the easiest way is to measure from the floor and mark the spot on both walls. First, attach one side of the bar, take a spirit level or line laser and make sure the rod is level horizontally. Then screw the other side tightly. The roosting bar should not be too close to the window; otherwise, it may become too bright for the chickens.

Step710

Assembling the roof

It is best to use roofing felt or corrugated metal for the roof. Make sure there is a slope of at least five per cent to enable rainwater to run off easily. There shouldn’t be any gaps in the roof or walls to keep pests such as mice and rats and predators such as martens or foxes from entering the coop. For this reason, the roof must also be snugly fitted. For smaller DIY chicken houses, e.g. with only three chickens, you could also construct the roof in a way that allows you to open it up and reach and harvest the eggs easily. But remember to attach a latch as well to protect the chickens from predators.

Step810

Sanding and painting the chicken coop

You should sand all corners and edges thoroughly to prevent your chickens injuring themselves. Check out our sanding guide. Also check for protruding screw heads. You also need to varnish the wood to make it as resistant as possible to the elements. It is best to get advice on environmentally and bird-friendly products. Our article on the paint spraying system will help you if you prefer spraying to painting.

Step910

Attaching the door and the chicken coop ladder

Now, attach a small door with hinges to the opening you made. You only need a simple latch to close the door. A board with rungs is suitable for the chicken coop ladder. It is laid at an angle (preferably not too steep) from the door opening to the ground and screwed to the structure.

Step1010

Building the run

Use wooden beams and wire mesh again for your fenced-in enclosure. Screw the beams into place and carefully attach the wire mesh to prevent predators entering the enclosure and your chickens escaping. Then screw the fenced-in enclosure to your chicken coop with angle brackets, and try not to leave any gaps.

Congratulations! Now all that’s left is for your chickens to move into their new home. Make sure you provide them with a feeding station, water trough and a sufficient number of nest boxes. A droppings board under the roosting bar makes cleaning much easier.

Do you want to have even more animals pecking about in your garden? We also have a step-by-step guide for a simple bird feeder . This way you can watch the hustle and bustle in your garden from your window or even from your garden shed. You don’t have a garden shed yet? Well, then it’s about time!  Nocturnal visitors are also an asset to your garden: Check out here how to build your own bat house.