The Garden Coop walk-in chicken coop plans give you the foundation — and the freedom — to build the perfect chicken coop for your backyard flock. Whether you're new to chickens or to building, these plans get you closer to raising your own farm-fresh eggs, without turning your backyard into a barnyard.
>> SCROLL DOWN for dimensions, estimated costs, time, and tools <<
Some KEY FEATURES of The Garden Coop design:
» Houses up to 8 hens, or customize it for more
» Walk in through the full-sized door
» Spread your wings in the spacious run
» Know your flock is safe with a 360° protection against rodents and predators
» Easily modify the design to suit your flock, climate, and needs
» Offers ample ventilation and light with a unique "open" roof design
» Secure, integrated run with open floor, nice roosts, and grazing area
» Simple cuts, easy-to-find materials, and straightforward coop assembly
» Hardware quick kit available (U.S. only, see plans for ordering details)
About the chicken coop plan itself:
» Written for beginners. This 45-page downloadable e-book includes a detailed tools and materials list, measurements, photos, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions to show you how to build a coop that you and your chickens will love. (You print at home.)
» Includes extra details, photos, and construction tips based on years of customer feedback
» Compatible with iPad and other PDF-friendly tablets, phones, and readers
» Password protected for security. You will receive your file-open password after checkout. (Visit your Etsy Purchases page and click the Download button next to the order. Guests may find it easier to create an Etsy account and log in first. More details here: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/3949)
» Comes with email support, directly from the designer.
The Garden Coop is an original, proven design that's been built by backyard chicken keepers around the world since 2008. So when you set out with these plans, you not only get responsive, email support from the designer, but you also enjoy the benefit of the collective knowledge, ideas, and examples from The Garden Coop community of builders.
More specs and details:
ACCESSING YOUR DOWNLOADS:
After your purchase, a link will be made available to you for downloading your files. If you have any trouble accessing your files or your file-open password, please follow the easy steps shared by Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/3949. Feel free to contact us as well.
SIZE:
The outer dimensions of The Garden Coop measure about 10'w x 6'd x 8'h (3 x 1.8 x 2.4 m). You also want to leave about 2–3 feet (1 m) of working space on all sides.) Inside, the run offers about 50 square feet (4.6 sq m) of space. The henhouse offers 15 square feet (1.4 sq m), including room for a couple roosts and a double nest box, the instructions for which are included in the plan. You can build exterior nest boxes with our free online plans, the link to which you'll find in your eBook.
COST AND MATERIALS:
The coop is made primarily of lumber, hardware cloth, polycarbonate roofing, the siding of your choice, and the hardware to bring it all together. Purchased new at a big-box store like The Home Depot or Lowe's, these materials should run you roughly $1,000–$1,350 USD, pre-tax (priced at $1,150 in January 2023). A complete, detailed materials list is in the plan — as well as info on ordering a pre-packaged hardware quick kit.
All of the materials are common in the U.S., and we've done quite a bit of homework to make sure they're available around the world as well. It's a flexible design, so if you have to make some substitutions, you should be fine. Lumber (timber) dimensions do vary somewhat from country to country, and you can adjust measurements accordingly. The polycarbonate roofing material is made by Palram and is available globally. Hardware cloth comes in various size rolls depending on location. The right fasteners, hinges, latches, etc. should be easy to come by.
TIME TO BUILD:
About 2–3 weekends, if you're working mostly alone. But it's even more fun to build with a partner and/or kids!
TOOLS:
This plan is written for beginners. The cuts are all straightforward (no tricky angles to measure), and the tools are pretty standard ones that you likely either have or can easily borrow or buy. Here's the tool list from the plan:
» Tape measure
» Pencil
» Circular saw
» Jig saw (optional, for special curves, e.g., windows)
» Handsaw
» Pair of sawhorses
» Hammer
» Cordless power drill/driver, with various bits
» Level
» Wire snips
» Leather work gloves
» Shovel
» Ladder
» Combination square or speed square for marking crosscuts
» An extra pair of hands, on occasion (best if attached to a strong body)
CLIMATE:
You'll find The Garden Coop at home just about everywhere — from sunny Florida, Australia, and Texas to chilly Wisconsin, Alaska, Germany, and even the Rockies at an altitude of 7,000 feet (2.1 km)! That's because what chickens need most of all is proper ventilation and fresh air. In the winter, the henhouse section of The Garden Coop offers refuge from the bitterest cold, and it's designed so that you can easily add insulation, windows, electric heat, or whatever your climate demands.
NOTE: The Garden Coop LLC is the legal copyright holder of the content on this shop and in our plans, including all designs, photos, descriptions, and text. It is intended solely for the use of the purchaser and may be printed for personal use only. No images or content from this Etsy shop or our eBooks and plans may be published, resold, shared, or distributed without written consent from the copyright holder. (That's us.)
More questions? Please convo me anytime!
