This is the 29th post in a series on cool coop builds: from the first timers to the professionals, some using new materials, salvaged finds or repurposing existing structures like kids’ playhouses.
Tanya and Jayme’s coop combine some of things I love about keeping chickens: how folks come together to care for their flocks and how creative those keepers are in providing shelter for their birds. Together, with Jayme’s dad Scott, the couple built a shelter to be proud of that combines both new and upcycled materials.
We’ve had chickens for almost three years. We moved from a subdivision to acreage last summer and our small coop wasn’t working.
We currently have five hens: Jubilee Orpington, ISA Brown, Buff Orpington, Black Australorp and a Plymouth Blue. I have just ordered Ameracaunas, Olive Eggers and Speckled Sussex.
Both my husband and his dad are very handy and have built several home projects throughout the years as well as doll furniture, cabinets and pergolas.
I had been pinning and collecting coop ideas for months and months. I gathered things I liked such as poop shelves, built-in brooders and storage. We had planned to build completely from scratch, but we found a 10’x16’ repo shed for almost half price. We measured and drew up plans to divide it two sides: storage and coop.
We had to be creative with the run because our land is very uneven. I found a hoop coop plan and my husband modified it to work. My main desire was that it be easy to clean and could be modified to add more hens. We added vinyl flooring, can change the roosts to ladder style and add onto the run, when needed.
My husband Jayme and his father Scott did all the work. I mostly painted. From empty shed to move in took nine days.
Budget
Including the shed and run: $5000. We were able to reuse materials we had: metal roofing for the run, several full sheets of plywood from the shed, wire panels and the auto door from our old coop and run.
Shed: 10’x16’ Coop: 10’x8’ Run: 8’x20
Features
- 4 roosts in an L-shape with poop shelf underneath
- Built-in separation/brooder cages
- 6 nest boxes
- Auto coop door
Plans for the future?
We’re adding outdoor roosts and plan to make large feeders and an auto waterer with a rain catchment system. We may eventually add onto the run once we establish cover plants for them.
This coop turned out better than we could’ve imagined: functional, easy to clean, beautiful. It was a labour of love that went from rough sketches on paper to reality in nine long days.
Thanks to Tanya, Jayme and Scott from Woodbury, Tennessee for sharing their story and photos, used with permission.
Bitchin' Chickens 
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