From dream to coop: designing your perfect chicken haven

Deciding on a chicken coop can feel like stepping into a world full of endless options; from charming prefab coops to an abundance of DIY plans scattered across the internet. We began with a prefabricated coop that got our feet wet. But soon, we found ourselves scrolling through design ideas, gathering inspiration, and sketching plans to tailor a coop that would perfectly suit our space and dreams.

Inspiration & effective designs

Over the years, as bylaws and new neighbours nudged us to rethink our coop's location and our coops design. We jotted down notes after every season, what worked and what we wished was easier, and what our flock seemed to love most. That ongoing process led us to our third coop design.

Build with confidence

As a few more years went by, our cicumstances changed for a little bit which resulted in us moving our chickens and our coop to my parents farm. During that time, my father realized he enjoyed taking care of chickens so we decided that we would leave the coop and chickens there for him to continue to enjoy and we would go back to the drawing board with all the knowledge we had gained over the years and design, yet again, another coop. A coop designed not just for the chickens, but with the whole family in mind.

More inspiration

One of the greatest joys in this journey has been watching my children learn alongside us. Every nail they hammered in, every screw, every measurement they took, and every problem we solved together became lessons in creativity, safety, and perseverance. Seeing their confidence grow and knowing that they helped build a safe, cozy haven for our feathered friends fills my heart with pride. It didn't hurt that they have an uncle that is a contractor who was able to help guide and check our deigns and our measurements so our dream could become a reality.

Creating and Designing A Chicken Coop That Fits You Like a Glove

Building a chicken coop isn't just about creating shelter for hens; it's about crafting family memories, teaching hands-on skills, and celebrating the victories that come with DIY projects. Wheather you opt for a ready-made coop or design one from scratch, remember that the best coop is the one that works beautifully for your life, space, and flock.

There's something increadibly special about dreaming up design ideas, drawing out plans, making adjustments, and eventually opening the door to a coop that your entire family helped bring to life.

A well-designed chicken coop is crucial for the health and safety of your flock. Here are some tips for building a functional coop:

  • Size: Ensure your coop is spacious enough for your chickens. A good rule of thumb is to provide at least 4 square feet per bird inside the coop.
  • Ventilation: Proper airflow is essential to keep your chickens healthy. Include windows and vents to allow fresh air in.
  • Security: Protect your chickens from predators by using sturdy materials. Ensure the coop is secure and has no gaps where animals can enter.
  • Nesting Boxes: Provide nesting boxes for your hens to lay eggs. A good number is one box for every three to four hens.

By creating a safe and comfortable environment, your chickens will thrive and provide you with fresh eggs.

Here Is A Look Into Our Chicken Coop Journey

Our very first chicken coop was a prefabricated one, proudly advertised to comfortably house up to 6 hens. Since it was our first time raising chickens in the city, we decided to start small, with meat chicks, and let the warmer months teach us what we needed to know. We spend that season taking notes on what worked, what didn’t, and how best to care for our feathered friends when winter’s chill set in. It was the beginning of a wonderful learning adventure that shapped all the coops we’ve built since.

We quickly realized that our first prefabricated coop, though advertised for six hens, was just too snug for our growing flock. So, we grabbed some notebooks and sat down together, exploring DIY coop designs online and weaving in what we’d learned so far, plus the unique needs of our little space. We added a patio stone floor and expanded the outdoor run, creating a chicken haven that became one of our kid’s favorites. It was spacious enough for them to sit inside with the chickens, sharing quiet moments and laughter. Later, when neighbourhood bylaws shifted, we adapted both the coop’s design and its spot in the yard, turning challenges into opportunities to build something even better, a true family project full of love and learning.

We found ourselves back at the drawing board once again, diving into new ideas and coop designs that caught our eye. This time, we carefully blended everything we had learned with the changes needed to make caring for our chickens easier, all while adapting to the unique challenges of their new location. What made this project truly special was how our kids stepped up and took part in every step; measuring, planning, building, painting and problem solving together.

A feature we added was a poop drawer. Because the location of the coop was in the middle of our yard and not much space. A poop drawer was the answer to easily keeping the coop clean. Also having multiple layers for the chickens to purch and hang out was important. A dust bathing area was also included. As the seasons changed, additional weather proofing and winterization was added to the coop to add to the comfort of the hens.

This coop ended up being relocated to my parents farm along with the chickens where my father has further altered and perfected the design. It works very well in his space and the chickens are very happy.

This resulted in us going back to the drawing board and designing an even better coop.

Equiped with two poop drawers, dust bath, feeder, waterer, roosts in and outside, two nesting boxes, a window, lots of doors, insulation, coverings to keep rain out of the run and lesson drafts and snow during the colder months. This coop has everything we could think of to make this a cozy coop for our hens and easy and convenient to clean, collect eggs and fill their feeding and watering systems. This design fits so nicely into our backyard and is both functional and aesthetically pleasing as well. We all love it. Thanks to the assistance of my contractor brother, this coop design came together flawlessly and better than I imagined.