Coop Blueprints

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 When deciding what style of coop you want to build for your backyard flock, it can quickly become overwhelming with all of the GORGEOUS designs shared on social media! After diving down our own rabbit hole of endless coops from toss-together-repurposed "trash" to Taj Majal showstoppers, Pop's and I came up with a straightforward, simple design that meets the needs of our flocks here in Utah. As an added bonus, even with the exorbitant cost of lumber right now, it was still less expensive to build than to purchase a prefabricated coop that was missing many of the features we knew we wanted.

But how do you know what you want in your own built from scratch coop? Check out our post here on what we recommend for building or purchasing a coop. 

When considering the size of your chicken abode, consider how much time they'll spend "cooped up". In our area of Utah, we have hot, arid summers that can stay in the triple digits for weeks at a time, then dive down into below freezing temperatures during the winter month.Most chicken people recommend interior space at about 1 square foot per chicken for common breeds such as Road Island Reds, Orpingtons and Australorps, a little more for larger breeds such as Brahmas, Jersey Giants or Cochens. That being said, our Grand Sunflower Cottage blueprints may be too much coop for your birds! We have 12 hens and our rooster, Indi, in an open space that's approximately 32 square feet. Which is more than enough, especially with the feeder, waterer, and nesting boxes built on the outside.

But we don't call ourselves the "crazy coop" for nothin'! We opt for big or just go home.

Below are the example files for the three coops we have designed. The best part? They're completely customizable! Just because we took the time to add a separate box for the food and water doesn't mean you have to. If you want your feeders hanging, then skip that step and save yourself some work! If the door is in the wrong place for your space, cut it out where it makes sense for you. 

Most important to us is that you enjoy building and customizing your own chicken coop so that you can have happy, healthy birds that produce wonderful, nutritious eggs for you and yours. :)