Chicken coop for 6 hens
Every board for this coop counted, cut and priced before you drive to the lumberyard. The whole plan is on this page. The full plan set to take to the yard is $19.
- Flock
- 6 hens
- House
- 6 x 4 ft
- Run
- 60 sq ft
- Nest boxes
- 2
- Materials
- $1,124
The list you take to the lumberyard
Every board, sheet and box of nails, packed into the stock lengths the store sells, so nothing is a guess at the counter.
- Lumber
- $253
- Sheet goods
- $490
- Hardware and finish
- $381
- 4PT 4x4 x 8 ft$51.92
- 222x4 x 8 ft$95.70
- 22x4 x 10 ft$12.96
- 9PT 2x4 x 8 ft$53.82
- 2PT 2x4 x 10 ft$15.96
- 1Cedar 1x10 x 8 ft$17.48
- 11x4 x 8 ft$4.98
- 1Plywood 3/4" 4x8$54.98
- 3Plywood 1/2" 4x8$119.94
- 9Hardware cloth 1/2" 36in x 10ft$314.82
- 4Corrugated roof panel 26" x 8 ft$111.92
- 1Roof panel screws with washers (100)$16.98
- 1Exterior construction screws 3" (5 lb box)$39.98
- 2Exterior screws 1-1/4" (1 lb box)$21.96
- 8Carriage bolts 3/8" x 4" with nuts (each)$11.84
- 3Galvanized poultry staples (1 lb)$23.94
- 4Heavy strap hinges 8" (pair)$75.92
- 3Gate latch / hasp$38.94
- 1Exterior paint or stain (1 gal)$39.98
Typical Home Depot and Lowe's shelf prices, October 2026. Your store will differ by a few percent.
Cut list
Every piece, how many, and how long. Tape it to the saw.
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | PT 4x4 | 6' 4-1/4" | Front leg / corner postburied 12 in or on a paver, runs up to the roof |
| 2 | 2x4 | 6' 0" | Floor rimon edge, bolted to the legs |
| 2 | PT 4x4 | 5' 4-1/4" | Back leg / corner postburied 12 in or on a paver, runs up to the roof |
| 6 | 2x4 | 3' 9" | Floor joist16" on center between the rims |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2x4 | 6' 0" | Front top platescrewed into the tops of the front legs |
| 1 | 2x4 | 6' 0" | Back top platescrewed into the tops of the back legs |
| 2 | 2x4 | 3' 10-1/2" | Door studframes the cleanout door |
| 2 | 2x4 | 3' 6-1/4" | Side top platesloped, ends cut at 14.0° |
| 2 | 2x4 | 2' 10-1/2" | Nest opening studframes the nest box opening |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2x4 | 7' 0" | Purlinlaid flat across the rafters |
| 4 | 2x4 | 5' 1-7/8" | Rafteron edge, ends plumb at 14.0°, notched over the plates |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar 1x10 | 3' 6" | Ramp boardpop door ramp, cleats every 6 in |
| 2 | 2x4 | 3' 5" | Roost barlaid flat, 18 in above the floor, ends screwed to cleats |
| 6 | 1x4 | 9" | Ramp cleatrip to 3/4 in wide, glue and screw |
| 4 | 2x4 | 6" | Roost cleatcarries a roost bar end |
| Qty | Board | Cut to | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | PT 2x4 | 9' 0" | Run railbottom rail, ground contact |
| 2 | 2x4 | 9' 0" | Run railtop rail |
| 8 | PT 2x4 | 5' 4-1/4" | Run postset on a buried 2x4 bottom rail or in post anchors |
| 2 | 2x4 | 4' 10-1/4" | Run door stilerun door frame |
| 2 | PT 2x4 | 3' 5" | Run railbottom rail, ground contact |
| 2 | 2x4 | 3' 5" | Run railtop rail |
| 2 | 2x4 | 3' 5" | Run top braceacross the top every 4 ft |
| 3 | 2x4 | 2' 3" | Run door railrun door frame, 30 in door |
Which piece comes from which board
41 boards, laid out so the offcuts stay small.
Build it in this order
- 01
Pick the spot
Level ground with afternoon shade and good drainage, close enough to the house that you will walk out in winter.
- 02
Set the legs
Bury the 4x4 legs 12 in or stand them on solid pavers. The front legs are taller than the back ones; the difference gives the roof its slope. The floor sits 24" off the ground.
- 03
Build the floor
Bolt the two floor rims to the legs, fit the joists at 16 in on center, and screw down the 3/4 in plywood floor (6 x 4 ft).
- 04
Frame the top
Screw the front and back top plates onto the leg tops, then the two sloped side plates.
- 05
Skin the walls
Cut the 1/2 in plywood to fit. Leave a 30" cleanout door in the front, a 12 x 14 in pop door in one end, and a 24 in wide opening in the back for the nest boxes.
- 06
Vents
Leave a 4 in gap under the roof along the front and back and cover it with hardware cloth: about 346 sq in of vent for this floor.
- 07
Roost and nests
Screw in 2 roost bars (2x4 laid flat) 18 in above the floor, and build 2 nest boxes 12 in square with a hinged lid you can open from outside.
- 08
Roof
Set the rafters 24 in on center, purlins across them, then 4 corrugated panels with gasketed screws.
- 09
Run
Frame the 9 ft run extension with PT bottom rails, posts every 4 ft and a top frame. Wrap everything, including the space under the house, in 1/2 in hardware cloth, and bury a 12 in apron so nothing digs in.
- 10
Doors and latches
Hang the doors on strap hinges and use two-step latches. Raccoons open simple hooks.
- Every drawing at full page size, dimensions on every member
- The cut list on one page, grouped the way you build
- The cutting diagram for every board
- The materials list ready to hand to the lumberyard or load into a store cart
- The build steps with a check at the end of each
- Your exact size, not the nearest one we had
Before the hens move in
How much space do chickens need?
About 4 sq ft of house and 10 sq ft of run per standard hen. This plan gives 6 hens 24 sq ft of house and 60 sq ft of run. Bantams need about half; heavy breeds like Brahmas need more.
How do I keep raccoons and predators out?
Use 1/2 in hardware cloth, never chicken wire (it keeps chickens in, not raccoons out). Bury a 12 in apron of it around the run, fasten it with screws and washers or heavy staples, and close every door with a two-step latch.
How many nest boxes and roosts?
One nest box for every 4 hens: 2 here. Roost bars need 8 to 10 in per hen and must sit higher than the nest boxes, or the hens sleep in the boxes.
Do coops need ventilation in winter?
Yes. Damp air, not cold, causes frostbite. Vents high under the roof (about 1 sq ft per 10 sq ft of floor) let moisture out while the roosts stay out of the draft.
Can I build it bigger later?
Size for the flock you will have, not the one you start with. Most keepers add birds within a year; the next size up costs a little more lumber now and saves a rebuild.