If you are looking to build your own chicken coop you can get some inspiration from this article. But after inspiration you'll need some practical how-to. This is what we have collected here: 11 great guides from Instructables. Enjoy and share your progress!
1. Simple Wooden Chicken Coop
This here is one of the most typical designs of a chicken coop. It's built on supports above the ground to protect the chickens. This guide isn't too detailed and assumes you already have woodworking skills and know how to do cuts, joints, etc.
2. Chicken Coop from a Playhouse
If you have an old playhouse (from a swingset for example), this will be a great idea for you: chicken coop from a playhouse. As the author says it should be used more as an inspiration rather than step-by-step tutorial because it's unlikely that you'll have exactly the same playhouse. That's why he does not go into too much details. But it's still a quite useful instructable.
3. Chicken Coop with Automation
This is a more advanced project for people who can play with some electronics. It uses Arduino to report the temperature in the coop, the water usage, and to automatically close the door at night. This instructable is really good: it covers both the woodworking process and attaching the elctronics. Have a look if you are not afraid to get into some automation.
4. Large Tractor Coop
The idea of tractor coops is to let you move them around in the garden, feeding the chicken with fresh grass and at the same time fertilizing the soil in your garden, and cleaning it up from insects. This instructable shows how to build a tractor coop large enough to store 14 chickens (and maybe even some more of course). 12 steps, lots of pictures and excellent explanation. Congratulations to the author!
5. Reclaimed, Reused, Recycled Hen Habitat and Coop
The main focus of this project is frugality. The author has used mostly reclaimed materials but the result looks almost as good as something newly built. If you are short on cash, this might be very useful for you.
6. Chicken Barrow
Look at this, isn't it cute? It's also quite economical on materials and not hard to build. The author has circular saw, but if you have only hand tools, don't worry - it's simple enough.
7. Chicken Coop Made of Pallets
What if you have some old wood pallets lying around? Here's the answer, you can make a really good chicken coop. You'll need also some particle board / OSB but almost all other materials come from the pallets. No power tools required although a circular saw would come handy.
8.Chicken Coop Temp. Regulator
This project is more specific. It's not about building the chicken coop itself but about using Arduino to build a temperature regulator. Keeping optimal temperature is important for the chickens especially in winter. This project requires skills in electronics and coding so it's not for everyone of course.
9. Chicken Tractor
This is a beautiful and very simple chicken tractor with a barn-style roof. The instructable is short but has enough good pictures so a handy man would have no problems to build something similar.
10. Cable Spool Duck House
A duck house from an old cable spool? Now that's an interesting and frugal project! It looks pretty good too and doesn't require too many power tools. Ideally you'll need a circular saw and a jig saw but if I can do this with hand tools, you can do it too.
11. Homemade Chicken Coop
This instructable shows a bit more complicated and large classic chicken coop. If you have the skillful hands, tools, and materials, I recommend you to build something like this. It's a well done chicken coop.
