If you have been thinking about getting chickens, here are 15 budget-friendly DIY chicken coops to you can build yourself!
There are many GREAT reasons to keep chickens as pets. They’re entertaining, help teach kids responsibility, they’re fairly low maintenance, they lay eggs that you can scramble for breakfast, and they can also be processed for meat.
Everyone has a different idea what the perfect coop and run is… there are tractors which are movable coops so your birds will always be on fresh grass. Then there are traditional coops that are stationary.
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I have 30+ birds right now so I use a large coop, a small predator-proof run, and I built a chicken moat around my garden. The chicken run has an automatic door that opens when the sun comes up and lets the chickens into the moat. The door closes after the chickens go to sleep at night. During the day, the chickens roam around the perimeter of my 60×70′ garden, eating bugs and keeping grass from growing into the garden.
I’m putting cattle panel arches around the garden (over the moat) this year so I can use them as trellises. Currently I have four of these arches that I use for grape vine trellises, but I’d like to use them all the way around for everything from growing luffa to cucumbers to pumpkins. Chickens will help keep bugs off the bushes and eat produce and greenery that falls off or ends up in their zone. This helps cut my feed costs.
If I had a smaller flock, I’d consider one of the Omlet coops (see photo on the left). I didn’t discover the brand until long after I had a ton of chickens, but I bought similar style setups for my rabbit and guinea pigs through the company.
They’re easy to clean and you can move them each day to a fresh spot. This reduces how much you’ll spend on bedding (which can get costly) and how much time you’ll spend cleaning.
We move my son’s rabbit each day in one of these hutches with the attached run and it’s been an easy job for him (he’s 11) or for me to do. We haven’t had issues with predators getting into the run, but if you have a high predator load, I’d suggest buying the automatic door as well. You can buy the biggest coop (for up to 10 chickens) with a 12′ attached run, automatic door, wheels, and handles for under $1800 which is, in my opinion, a really good price for something that will both retain value and is made of a material that won’t decay. And with the price of good currently (sigh), you might come out ahead.
A lot of the coops I’ve seen at the local farm store are poorly made and sell for somewhere in the $500-1200 range and I doubt they’d last a year. I keep hoping to find someone selling one of these Omlet chicken tractors used, but I get a sense that people hold on to them as I rarely see them listed. When I do find them, they seem to hold value well as I never see the steal that I’m hoping for (wink).
For my personal use, where I keep such a large flock, I love the idea of trading in my wooden coop for two or three of the hutches with wheels and an automatic door that I could move around the chicken moat.
I do feel that finding the RIGHT coop matters- I’ve seen so many people who started to keep chickens, then had their flock wiped out by a fox or raccoon… usually they give up heartbroken. I’ve seen people get frustrated because their coop was difficult to clean or they needed to relocate it.
I really hope that if you take anything away from this post, that it’s that getting the RIGHT COOP is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. It can reduce how many chores you have to do, how much time you spend enjoying your pets (and free breakfast!), and how much money you spend overall… and with livestock, sometimes you save money by spending MORE MONEY upfront. If you save $100 on the coop, but then lose 5 chickens to a fox, you’re not ahead (laying hens seem to run around $20 in my area).
Depending on your plans for your birds and how many you’d like to raise, some coops are better for certain purposes. Here are 15 DIY chicken coops and tractors that you can make for your backyard poultry.
15 Budget-Friendly DIY Chicken Coops That Are A Must See!
Whether you have 2 chickens, or 12, there is a DIY chicken coop idea for everyone. From converted coops to pallet coops and more. If you have been dreaming of having your own chickens, now is the time to plan your coop!
This chicken coop not only looks great, but it won’t break the bank. It’s big enough for 12 chickens and includes 4 nesting boxes, and has a gorgeous arched front door.
If you are looking for a small chicken coop, that is absolutely adorable, this is it! There are free plans included so you can make your own.
Creating a chicken moat around your garden allows your chickens to have more space to roam, to get plenty of exercise, and to help keep bugs and weeds from growing into your garden space. NO weed whacking the garden fence. This was the first year that deer didn't jump into my garden as well... I think the double fencing did the trick.
This photo is from when I initially added my birds- there's almost no grass in the moat area any more and I move the electric fence in a bit to mow where the fence sits.
Building a chicken coop can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. You can save money by using old pallets and any scrap lumber that you can find. This DIY chicken coop is the perfect example of mixing old and new.
Learn how to build your own portable chicken tractor with this detailed DIY tutorial. This is so convenient and also a great way to keep the chickens safe and move them around to get fresh grass if you live in a city and can't free range.
This urban chicken coop is such a great idea, especially for smaller spaces. It is a cool modular build, and the best part is you can take it with you if you move!
This easy DIY chicken coop is made from simple 4×4 posts and 2×4 lumber. They dug a trench around it and added a barbed wire fence in the trench to keep out predators.
This is just about the prettiest DIY chicken coop ever! The best part is it was repurposed from their kids old playhouse. Such a great way to make use of something that kids have outgrown.
See how to convert a kids playhouse into an adorable DIY chicken coop. Since you already have the base, you just have to make a few adjustments to turn it into a fully functioning chicken coop, complete with electric!
This pretty DIY chicken coop was built using 22 standard oak pallets, so it is extremely budget-friendly. It looks great painted red too.
Build a free chicken coop using recycled doors. This coop is such a great idea, especially if you live in a climate with harsh winters. This coop is in another building so it keeps the chickens out of the elements. Plus, it uses recycled materials.
This DIY chicken coop will house about 12 chickens, and includes 4 nesting boxes, and a 6′ run. It is such a beautiful coop and I love the lantern too!
This under the deck chicken coop is such a great idea! It makes it easier in harsh weather to care for the chickens. Get the details and build your own!
The DIY chicken coop is one for FREE-RANGE chickens. Would you believe this coop was made from an old crib? The best part is it can be made for under $50!
Build a predator proof outdoor area to keep your ducks or chickens safe.
We love this DIY duck coop that has attached storage. While we use this for ducks, you could easily use this for chickens too.
This huge chicken tractor is perfect for keeping meat chickens on pasture.
Need an easy shelter and don’t want to DIY? Here’s what you can buy.
Omlet makes a ton of chicken shelters and runs that are movable and have lots of accessories available. You can add wheels and handles to move the run as needed which is nice. The cages look like they’re well predator-proofed, and you can get an attached run up to 13′. They even sell an automatic coop door that opens and closes when the sun rises and sets. The Eglu Go is their easily movable shelter and run. They have perches to add on, swings, treat holders, and even chicken clothing. Totally worth checking out if you like to geek out over your poultry.
Here’s a video of our Omlet Automatic Chicken Coop Door and Light!
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Google Web Story: DIY Chicken Coop Ideas