Wooden Pallet Mini Coop
The wooden pallet mini coop is designed to be budget friendly, easy to build, and house 2-3 chickens or grow out young chicks.
Other than having a few chickens for a short time as a child, I first started out with chickens about 3 years ago. Our home at the time had a barn with a built in chicken coop. We purchased our first flock from some 4-H kids. The next spring, we bought our first batch of chicks! It was an exciting time for all the kids and myself! When we moved to our current home, my husband and father-in-law built me the perfect hen house.
Fast forward to three more batches of chicks later, I’m obsessed with chickens and raising baby chicks! I came to my husband with a couple of sketches after looking at designs online. I told him my goal was to build something cheap and easy. I wanted it to either house breeding pairs or trios OR hold young chicks ready to move outside (but not quite old enough to free range because of hawks). If it was successful, I’d want to build more for breeding! Being the wonderful husband he is, he took my ideas and ran with it!
While I don’t have plans, this coop is easy enough to build by looking at pictures and tweaking it to meet your own needs!
Most of the materials we had on hand. I’ll go ahead and say, I am no building professional! Far from it! Haha! But if I can do this (with my husbands help), so can you (and maybe someone else)!!
Materials:
3 - wooden pallets (hopefully free!)
8 - 2x4s (8ft long)
Chicken wire
Staples
2 sets of small door hinges
Door handle
Latch for front door
Screws
The Build
Start by taking your three pallets apart carefully to not brake each panel! YouTube has some video tips for this. I personally sawed off the two ends to make it
Place two of your 2x4s parallel on the ground and cutting two pieces of 2x4 for the width of your coop. I’m not sure we even measured these haha! However, cut them about three feet. Make sure your base is square (apparently you use a triangle shaped tool called speed square) and screw each board together. You have your base!
Now the fun part! If you are a builder or math genius you’d probably figure out the exact angles to cut to make your A frames, but we are neither. I homeschool my kids and doing math is out the window after school time! We cut the bottom angles at 35 degrees, roughly. I put those pieces on my base to make sure it fit well, and then literally drew a line on each board for where they met in order to cut the top angles. It’s not perfect, but works! Next, screw in each piece of the A frames.
You’ll want to brace the sides and top with cut pieces of 2x4 on the insides of each A frame as seen below. You could also add a full piece of 2x4 between each side of the A frame at the top, but we decided to be more difficult!
You’ve got your frame built! Easy enough right? Next, you’ll want to cut your pallet wood to cover the entrance into the shelter part of your coop. I chose to go down just below the roost. However, you can go all the way down and make a smaller door entrance. Speaking of roost, go ahead and attach a small roost between your 2x4 braces inside the shelter.
On one side of the shelter, run a piece of 2x4 from your roost to the top of your A frame. This will be where your door is made for collecting eggs!
Staple your chicken wire to the sides of your run. Then, start covering your shelter starting on the back. Cut each angle starting at the top and screw in each piece of pallet wood into your 2x4 frame. Next, cut each pallet wood piece to cover your sides, starting at the top and screw in. If you have gaps you can fill those in or seal them with a product of your choice.
On the side with the door, make sure you cut the pallet wood where it will meet the middle of the 2x4 piece that is running vertically. These pieces will make your door and meet up with the other pieces. (To make the door, nail the pieces to two pieces of wood running up and down) Attach your hinges and door handle!
Final steps! Frame in your front door with 2x4 pieces. I used a one inch piece of wood I had on hand to make a simple door and stapled on chicken wire. Attach your hinges, and screw into 2x4. My door sits on the outside of 2x4 frame with a latch. You may be more of a professional builder than myself and can make a much better door! Haha!
Lastly, staple some chicken wire to the three triangle spaces around your door!! All done, add chickies!
I would recommend filling in cracks and possibly applying some form of sealer to the pallet wood to protect from weathering. Or paint it any color with good paint! These are ideal for a small budget! Have fun building!
Photo bomb!!!
The wooden pallet mini coop is designed to be budget friendly, easy to build, and house 2-3 chickens or grow out young chicks.
Other than having a few chickens for a short time as a child, I first started out with chickens about 3 years ago. Our home at the time had a barn with a built in chicken coop. We purchased our first flock from some 4-H kids. The next spring, we bought our first batch of chicks! It was an exciting time for all the kids and myself! When we moved to our current home, my husband and father-in-law built me the perfect hen house.
Fast forward to three more batches of chicks later, I’m obsessed with chickens and raising baby chicks! I came to my husband with a couple of sketches after looking at designs online. I told him my goal was to build something cheap and easy. I wanted it to either house breeding pairs or trios OR hold young chicks ready to move outside (but not quite old enough to free range because of hawks). If it was successful, I’d want to build more for breeding! Being the wonderful husband he is, he took my ideas and ran with it!
While I don’t have plans, this coop is easy enough to build by looking at pictures and tweaking it to meet your own needs!
Most of the materials we had on hand. I’ll go ahead and say, I am no building professional! Far from it! Haha! But if I can do this (with my husbands help), so can you (and maybe someone else)!!
Materials:
3 - wooden pallets (hopefully free!)
8 - 2x4s (8ft long)
Chicken wire
Staples
2 sets of small door hinges
Door handle
Latch for front door
Screws
The Build
Start by taking your three pallets apart carefully to not brake each panel! YouTube has some video tips for this. I personally sawed off the two ends to make it
Place two of your 2x4s parallel on the ground and cutting two pieces of 2x4 for the width of your coop. I’m not sure we even measured these haha! However, cut them about three feet. Make sure your base is square (apparently you use a triangle shaped tool called speed square) and screw each board together. You have your base!
Now the fun part! If you are a builder or math genius you’d probably figure out the exact angles to cut to make your A frames, but we are neither. I homeschool my kids and doing math is out the window after school time! We cut the bottom angles at 35 degrees, roughly. I put those pieces on my base to make sure it fit well, and then literally drew a line on each board for where they met in order to cut the top angles. It’s not perfect, but works! Next, screw in each piece of the A frames.
You’ll want to brace the sides and top with cut pieces of 2x4 on the insides of each A frame as seen below. You could also add a full piece of 2x4 between each side of the A frame at the top, but we decided to be more difficult!
You’ve got your frame built! Easy enough right? Next, you’ll want to cut your pallet wood to cover the entrance into the shelter part of your coop. I chose to go down just below the roost. However, you can go all the way down and make a smaller door entrance. Speaking of roost, go ahead and attach a small roost between your 2x4 braces inside the shelter.
On one side of the shelter, run a piece of 2x4 from your roost to the top of your A frame. This will be where your door is made for collecting eggs!
Staple your chicken wire to the sides of your run. Then, start covering your shelter starting on the back. Cut each angle starting at the top and screw in each piece of pallet wood into your 2x4 frame. Next, cut each pallet wood piece to cover your sides, starting at the top and screw in. If you have gaps you can fill those in or seal them with a product of your choice.
On the side with the door, make sure you cut the pallet wood where it will meet the middle of the 2x4 piece that is running vertically. These pieces will make your door and meet up with the other pieces. (To make the door, nail the pieces to two pieces of wood running up and down) Attach your hinges and door handle!
Final steps! Frame in your front door with 2x4 pieces. I used a one inch piece of wood I had on hand to make a simple door and stapled on chicken wire. Attach your hinges, and screw into 2x4. My door sits on the outside of 2x4 frame with a latch. You may be more of a professional builder than myself and can make a much better door! Haha!
Lastly, staple some chicken wire to the three triangle spaces around your door!! All done, add chickies!
I would recommend filling in cracks and possibly applying some form of sealer to the pallet wood to protect from weathering. Or paint it any color with good paint! These are ideal for a small budget! Have fun building!
Photo bomb!!!
