There are several free coop plans and drawings scattered across the internet....some going back to the early 1900's. Most are from state and educational agricultural departments. There's good and bad designs and most of the designs have a bit of antiquity about them but are still good building plans as a whole. Matter of fact, theres probably some BYC members using coops that were built from some of the plans when the plans were relatively new!
One area that many of them can be improved on, though, is ventilation.
Anyhow, here is a list of some that I've found by rambling around. One thing to note is that a single plan may be hosted at several websites....so if you think you're having a deja'vu episode you probably are, you just probably saw the plan at a different website than the one that I have the plan linked to. Hope somebody can use this list...Ill add more as I stumble upon them. If you find one you want me to add just leave a message or pm me and Ill add it to the list here.
Oh, and if you find one of the links not working *please* let me know...I hate dead links!
FWIW
,
Ed
P.S. All coops are walk-in coops unless stated otherwise.
P.P.S. ETA: And don't forget the Coop Designs here on BYC for some good inspirational ideas!!! https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
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Plan #71-1 A small backyard coop - This is a plan for a small coop with a footprint of 4'x8'. It is built well off of the ground at about 3 but the sidewalls are only around 28 tall, though it does have a gabled roof giving it a bit more headroom. I had thought of building a 4x8 coop to use as a brooder and then transition it to a coop for the juvenile birds. If I was to build this coop I would build the sides a full 4 tall. The height of the bottom at 3 is pretty good it should give you room enough to hang a feeder from the bottom is you want to while not being so tall that I can still bend into the box for cleaning, gathering eggs, checking on chicks, etc.,. That brings us to another item not much access to the coop I would have to figure some more/larger access ways. The plans a good base to start from, though. This is not a walk-in coop.
8x8 Layer coop Im getting that dejavu feeling with this one, though the plans have some building tips and information along with them and the drawings are very easy to read. Looks like another nice, compact house with a framed floor.
Plan #727-15-1 Victory Pullet House 6x8 coop built on skids.
Plan #6187 is for an 8'x12' Pole-building layer house - Description says for 24-40 layers but that's kind of cramping things doncha think?
Anyhow...dirt or concrete floor, raised roost/feed area.
Plan #74-7 Summer Range Shelter A heavy duty looking range shelter on skids. Food for thought if your pasturing birds.
Plan #6188 11'7"x15'7" Pole-building hen house - Stated as being for 50-80 layers, again...a bit over populated but would be good for around 40 layers if you go by the "4-foot rule". Looks much similar to an upscaled version of plan #6187 above.
USDA Misc. Publication #1403 A couple of plans in one publication. A decent 10x10 hen house and a 10x10 brooder house.
Plan #6248 10' x 12' - Construction plans for a small (10' X 12') wooden frame poultry house with plywood sides. This is a good simple plan with a wood framed floor and shed/lean-to roof.
Plan #6232 8x8 Poultry & Pigeon House Interesting 8x8 house with holding pens. Interesting design, though I think I would add more ventilation. Looks like it would make a nice small coop or a great brooder house.
Another link to Plan #6232 This one seems to be more detailed and maybe with some options. Or maybe theyre exactly the same...the way Im writing this I cant immediately check.
Plan #6195 10x 10 coop Small, compact design. Pole building w/dirt floor but you could use cement or frame a floor up for it. I like the alternate layout the best...the first one seems too crowded.
Plan # 74-3 - This is a larger house (20x 20) for what it states to be up to 100 grown layers. Looking at the roost area, unless the roost area is elevated and chickens are allowed underneath the number of chickens would drop to 80. Nice looking plan.
5'x10' Portable House, Leaflet 21023 - From the University of California, this is a bottomless house (could be floored) built in 5' wall sections...stated as housing 20 layers which is a little bit over-populated in my book, but a neat plan none the less. Open-air type of construction looks almost like a "curb market" type of hen house. For a cold weather location it would definitely need some removable/installable covers for most of the windows...looks very good for a warmer location, though. This is a newer design, 1983, is fairly detailed, and comes with a materials list.
MSU Extension Bulletin No. 48, Michigan Shed Type Poultry House 18'x20' - (Printed 1926) This is a large house that should hold a maximum of 90 large fowl. It has large windows in the front with a central ventilation chute. Roosts hang by chains over dropping boards. Some good ideas to pick from, though I'm not sure about the ventilation chute...I'd rather use more venting at tops of walls, more windows, etc.,. Anyhow, this is an indepth set of plans and discussion. I've got a copy of a later version of this bulletin that is more detailed, a bit more updated, and 20'x20' (printed in 1930) but for the life of me I can't find a link to it on the internet.
Ah well, this one has some good food for thought.
BuildEazy 6'x6' 6' foot tall coop - Good plans, instructions, illustrations, and material list for a nice coop. As was mentioned above by Schroeder, you might want to raise it up a bit being as it is built on 4x4 skids... 2 or 3 concrete blocks high would give the chickens some shade and shelter under it and also keep the rats or ? from deciding to set up housekeeping under it. Modifications for hot or cold climates (ventilation) might be considered. Give's 4.5 sq ft for 8 chickens, the 9" of roost space seems a little on the sparse side, and includes 3 nestboxes in the plan. Overall looks good pretty good. This coop is tall enough to stand up in with a top-plate of 6'2".
Popular Mechanics Sept 1944 - Poultry Houses You Can Build - This is a six page article showing details of building several different sized houses/coops...50'x50' run-coop combo, 16'x20' coop, what looks like a small brooder house, along with some nestboxes, feeders, waterers, etc.,. Interesting reading with good 'food for thought'.
Wikihow - Framing a Shed / 12'x8' - This is not really a plan for a coop but rather framing plans for a generic 8'x12' shed. I think it will be a good building help for folks building their first big coop. This page shows the floor/foundation framing along with walls and the roof framing. It isn't a complete set of plans and the Wiki isn't completed yet, but still looks like good useful information to me.
Shed King "How to Build a Shed" - This article somewhat compliments the above article in giving some hints and tips on putting things together. Not great, but helpful along with the above plans.
eHow: How to Build Wooden Duck Houses - I figure there are lots of BYC'ers that have ducks along with chickens and a BYC member offered this link to me. The webpage has instructions for ubilding a small house for maybe a trio of ducks. It looks to be a straight forward design that is built at ground level that they simply walk into (rather than going up a ramp). Might not be a bad spot for those water crazy quackers to bed down.
Thanks, gryeyes!
Small 6'x8' Layer House - This is more a planning/idea/info page than actually plans to build by though there are line drawings for ideas. It touches briefly on on dlm, waterers, feeders, rat proofing, etc. The plan could be used for a grow-out house, brooder house, broiler house, layer house, etc.,. Beware that it tells you to face the front of the coop to the *north* and to put the nestboxes on the cooler *south* side.....info is from Australia.
Edited to change url of plan #6195
Anyhow, here is a list of some that I've found by rambling around. One thing to note is that a single plan may be hosted at several websites....so if you think you're having a deja'vu episode you probably are, you just probably saw the plan at a different website than the one that I have the plan linked to. Hope somebody can use this list...Ill add more as I stumble upon them. If you find one you want me to add just leave a message or pm me and Ill add it to the list here.
Oh, and if you find one of the links not working *please* let me know...I hate dead links!
FWIW
Ed
P.S. All coops are walk-in coops unless stated otherwise.
P.P.S. ETA: And don't forget the Coop Designs here on BYC for some good inspirational ideas!!! https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plan #71-1 A small backyard coop - This is a plan for a small coop with a footprint of 4'x8'. It is built well off of the ground at about 3 but the sidewalls are only around 28 tall, though it does have a gabled roof giving it a bit more headroom. I had thought of building a 4x8 coop to use as a brooder and then transition it to a coop for the juvenile birds. If I was to build this coop I would build the sides a full 4 tall. The height of the bottom at 3 is pretty good it should give you room enough to hang a feeder from the bottom is you want to while not being so tall that I can still bend into the box for cleaning, gathering eggs, checking on chicks, etc.,. That brings us to another item not much access to the coop I would have to figure some more/larger access ways. The plans a good base to start from, though. This is not a walk-in coop.
8x8 Layer coop Im getting that dejavu feeling with this one, though the plans have some building tips and information along with them and the drawings are very easy to read. Looks like another nice, compact house with a framed floor.
Plan #727-15-1 Victory Pullet House 6x8 coop built on skids.
Plan #6187 is for an 8'x12' Pole-building layer house - Description says for 24-40 layers but that's kind of cramping things doncha think?
Plan #74-7 Summer Range Shelter A heavy duty looking range shelter on skids. Food for thought if your pasturing birds.
Plan #6188 11'7"x15'7" Pole-building hen house - Stated as being for 50-80 layers, again...a bit over populated but would be good for around 40 layers if you go by the "4-foot rule". Looks much similar to an upscaled version of plan #6187 above.
USDA Misc. Publication #1403 A couple of plans in one publication. A decent 10x10 hen house and a 10x10 brooder house.
Plan #6248 10' x 12' - Construction plans for a small (10' X 12') wooden frame poultry house with plywood sides. This is a good simple plan with a wood framed floor and shed/lean-to roof.
Plan #6232 8x8 Poultry & Pigeon House Interesting 8x8 house with holding pens. Interesting design, though I think I would add more ventilation. Looks like it would make a nice small coop or a great brooder house.
Another link to Plan #6232 This one seems to be more detailed and maybe with some options. Or maybe theyre exactly the same...the way Im writing this I cant immediately check.
Plan #6195 10x 10 coop Small, compact design. Pole building w/dirt floor but you could use cement or frame a floor up for it. I like the alternate layout the best...the first one seems too crowded.
Plan # 74-3 - This is a larger house (20x 20) for what it states to be up to 100 grown layers. Looking at the roost area, unless the roost area is elevated and chickens are allowed underneath the number of chickens would drop to 80. Nice looking plan.
5'x10' Portable House, Leaflet 21023 - From the University of California, this is a bottomless house (could be floored) built in 5' wall sections...stated as housing 20 layers which is a little bit over-populated in my book, but a neat plan none the less. Open-air type of construction looks almost like a "curb market" type of hen house. For a cold weather location it would definitely need some removable/installable covers for most of the windows...looks very good for a warmer location, though. This is a newer design, 1983, is fairly detailed, and comes with a materials list.
MSU Extension Bulletin No. 48, Michigan Shed Type Poultry House 18'x20' - (Printed 1926) This is a large house that should hold a maximum of 90 large fowl. It has large windows in the front with a central ventilation chute. Roosts hang by chains over dropping boards. Some good ideas to pick from, though I'm not sure about the ventilation chute...I'd rather use more venting at tops of walls, more windows, etc.,. Anyhow, this is an indepth set of plans and discussion. I've got a copy of a later version of this bulletin that is more detailed, a bit more updated, and 20'x20' (printed in 1930) but for the life of me I can't find a link to it on the internet.
BuildEazy 6'x6' 6' foot tall coop - Good plans, instructions, illustrations, and material list for a nice coop. As was mentioned above by Schroeder, you might want to raise it up a bit being as it is built on 4x4 skids... 2 or 3 concrete blocks high would give the chickens some shade and shelter under it and also keep the rats or ? from deciding to set up housekeeping under it. Modifications for hot or cold climates (ventilation) might be considered. Give's 4.5 sq ft for 8 chickens, the 9" of roost space seems a little on the sparse side, and includes 3 nestboxes in the plan. Overall looks good pretty good. This coop is tall enough to stand up in with a top-plate of 6'2".
Popular Mechanics Sept 1944 - Poultry Houses You Can Build - This is a six page article showing details of building several different sized houses/coops...50'x50' run-coop combo, 16'x20' coop, what looks like a small brooder house, along with some nestboxes, feeders, waterers, etc.,. Interesting reading with good 'food for thought'.
Wikihow - Framing a Shed / 12'x8' - This is not really a plan for a coop but rather framing plans for a generic 8'x12' shed. I think it will be a good building help for folks building their first big coop. This page shows the floor/foundation framing along with walls and the roof framing. It isn't a complete set of plans and the Wiki isn't completed yet, but still looks like good useful information to me.
Shed King "How to Build a Shed" - This article somewhat compliments the above article in giving some hints and tips on putting things together. Not great, but helpful along with the above plans.
eHow: How to Build Wooden Duck Houses - I figure there are lots of BYC'ers that have ducks along with chickens and a BYC member offered this link to me. The webpage has instructions for ubilding a small house for maybe a trio of ducks. It looks to be a straight forward design that is built at ground level that they simply walk into (rather than going up a ramp). Might not be a bad spot for those water crazy quackers to bed down.
Small 6'x8' Layer House - This is more a planning/idea/info page than actually plans to build by though there are line drawings for ideas. It touches briefly on on dlm, waterers, feeders, rat proofing, etc. The plan could be used for a grow-out house, brooder house, broiler house, layer house, etc.,. Beware that it tells you to face the front of the coop to the *north* and to put the nestboxes on the cooler *south* side.....info is from Australia.
Edited to change url of plan #6195
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