If you had told me back in March that in six short weekends we’d have completed the fancy farmhouse DIY chicken coop, I’d have called you crazy.
Plans Now Available At Bottom of Post…
In that time, we’ve finished up the school year, unexpectedly buried two pets, suffered a death in the family, worked for weeks in the rain and then through sub-tropical storm Alberto. But here we are all finished up and my baby chicks, who aren’t babies at all anymore, have a gorgeous new home.
This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
In case you missed any of the details, here’s Part 1: The Plan, Part 2: Framing It Out, and Part 3: Finishing Touches.
You guys, I’m telling you, this was a ton of hard work. A TON! But I am so proud of how it turned out.
Let’s take a tour, shall we?
In addition to the coop and run, I also wanted a storage section so that I could keep my chicken keeping supplies with my chickens instead of in the garage.
I wanted it to be easy to clean. My last coop required me to crawl underneath it to clean. Or to use a pressure washer through one of the nesting box windows. It was virtually impossible.
If it’s not easy to keep clean you won’t keep it as clean as you need to.
And this one is pretty. I’ve always thought that the prettier something is, to begin with, the more motivated you are to clean it.
The storage side is really for me. It’s a practical space where I can store food and also where I can brood future chicks without having to keep them in our garage. But it’s also a space where I can come just to visit.
It’s so much easier having the food right here and easy at hand. I use these galvanized storage containers to store their food and keep out pests.
We created a DIY wood plank floor. It’s just plywood on top of subflooring with a homemade white stain. I used a sealer on top to help make it easier to clean. I just love it!
You can access the coop from the storage side. This old door came from my childhood home. I’ve had it for over a decade waiting for the perfect way to make use of it. I definitely think I’ve found it.
We used real branches to create roosts and a ladder. Roosts are most comfortable for mature chickens if they’re about 2″ in diameter. These will be easy (and cheap!) to change out should we need to.
The partitions in the nesting boxes are removable to make them easier to clean and to also accommodate a community laying box should our hens prefer one.
I’ve talked about why I use herbs in my laying boxes before. You can find more on that in my Barbie Dream House Chicken Coop post.
I will eventually do more landscaping around the coop but for now, I’ve added herbs in the coop (rosemary and lavender) and lemongrass on the outside. These have pest control properties.
We have two nesting boxes on either side of the coop with five nesting boxes each. Both of them have these latches and pins for added security. I also added these black T-hinges to the nesting box tops for a little added decorative flair.
The box tops lift for easy access for both cleaning and egg collecting.
I am completely obsessed with these black doors. We built these in the same way as we built the barn door for our laundry room.
I painted this barnstar to match the other black accents. It probably comes as no surprise that I love black and white and, also, that I’m a big fan of board and batten.
I used these old windows I had on hand for the coop. As with every opening, we used this hardware cloth to cover them. I can lift them for better air circulation in the summer and keep them closed for extra warmth during the winter. But no matter what, nothing can get in.
The coop has a spacious run attached.
This cast iron bell came off of our old coop.
We put these latches on all of the doors for security. All of our outside door latches also have pins, like the nesting box latches, for added security. On our last night of work, a snake snuck up alongside the coop. After I got over the initial fright, I enjoyed watching him try to find a way in and failing.
You can find the rest of our door hardware here: black door pull and black door hinges.
We used sand as coop litter as I find it easier to keep clean. It’s kind of like a giant cat litter box which probably doesn’t sound like much fun but, I’m telling you, it beats the alternative. It’s also easy to keep dry which is key to keeping chickens clean and healthy. It’s also unlikely to attract pests like flies.
We put one set of little chickens into the coop and allowed them to explore for a day before putting in the other group. The mature hens won’t get to share the coop with them for awhile, as a precaution, which kind of breaks my heart. They really enjoyed checking out the coop as we were building it.
It only took a moment, and a very helpful, seven-year-old, for them to figure out how everything worked.
And we have thoroughly enjoyed watching them explore their new home!
Watching them explore and seeing their natural instincts take over was kind of amazing.
The only thing I could ask now is to be able to share the fancy farmhouse DIY chicken coop with my big girls. Soon, sweet girl. Soon!
To purchase these plans, click here:
If you’re looking to get chickens of your own, you don’t have to wait until spring. You can get live birds year-round from Tractor Supply. And if you’re not down to DIY your coop, these are my fav pre-fab coops.
This is a sponsored post written in collaboration with Tractor Supply. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Southern Revivals possible.
Click here for a series of posts all about our new coop build as well as basic chicken care that lead up to the reveal of the DIY fancy farmhouse chicken coop! Here’s what you’ve missed so far:
It is awesome and I’m so glad the snake failed to get inside the coop.
I’m also sorry for the loss of your two pets and family member.
That is so beautiful. Congratulations on a job well thought out and well done. Tons of great ideas! I’m thinking garden shed for myself. All I have to say is WOW!
Thanks so much, Connie! I really appreciate it! It would make a spectacular garden shed and without the need for a run could be completed so much more quickly. I hope you go for it! 🙂
do you happen to have a price list for building the coop? measured plans also? that would be helpful in talking my husband into such a beauty as this. I would like to put a nice looking one in the yard if I’m going to do this, I don’t care about the Jones’s view …just mine. and like you said when it’s pretty to start, it stays pretty. you do a bang up job on your projects. you are sooo inspiring…and cute as a button. have a great day sweetheart.
Hi Donna,
Thank you so much! We are working on plans for the coop and will post those along with the total cost soon. We hope to have hit posted by the end of the month.
I would also love to have the plans for this! It is exactly what I have wanted to build for a chicken coop. Please keep me posted on when they come out and how to get them! Thanks?
Plans will be available soon! If you’re not already, sign up for my newsletter. That’s the best way to get notified first! Thank you!
This is hands down the best chicken coop I have seen. I am also curious as to the cost of building this dream coop. I cannot say enough how much I love love love every detail. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Angela! We are hard at work on the budget and building plans. We plan on having that available by the end of summer. Stay tuned!
Awesome Coop! Do you have the plans you could share?
Hi Eddie,
We’re working on the plans right now! Hope to have them available by the end of summer. Thank you!
Please let me know if you have the plans ready yet. I love this and my brother in law is going to build me one next month but wants a plan to go by. What is the size of it?
Hi Antonette,
We are working so hard on completing the plans! It was more of an undertaking than we realized. We plan to have them available in plenty of time for folks to build for spring. Thanks so much!
I’d love plans for this as well… Are they absorbing yet?
Thanks, Todd! We’re hard at work on them!
Where did you get your market fresh organic sign? I need it!
The clearance section at Hobby Lobby! 😉
I searched and searched.. finally found it on eBay! Love it!
Hi there – just came across your site while scanning chicken coops. We have the same ones on our inspiration board 🙂 Looking forward to see your plans/cost for this. Hoping to break ground on ours soon – your is gorgeous.
Thanks, Jami! Getting the coop plans together are taking longer than we hoped but we plan to have them available ASAP. Thank you!
I would like the plans to your coop please! It is exactly what I am wanting to replace the store bought hard to clean one I have.
Thanks, Deana! Hopefully, we’ll have those available soon.
What is under the sand in the coop and in the run?
Hi Cassandra!
It’s just a dirt floor underneath the sand. That and wire to prevent anything from digging under.
How beautiful! I am also wondering if your coop plans have been shared yet? I am in LOVE with this! Wonderful job! So pretty, clean and fresh! My farmhouse is black and white and I love the idea of sand! I have seen many cheap coops and I feel like over time they seem so dirty and I don’t want that for my girls. I will be a first time chicken Momma come spring! 🙂
Hi Kristen,
Thanks so much! Our plans aren’t quite finished. We overestimated the amount of time putting together plans for something of this scale would take. And it’s our first time doing so! We plan to have them available prior to spring in plenty of time for chicken coop building. I hope you’ll check back with us soon! Thanks again!
How do you winterize the coop with the gap between the wall and the roof?
Hi Kay,
That’s a great question! Where we live, winterizing isn’t really an issue. Today for example (Jan 1st) it’s 80 degrees out! It does get cold from time to time but our biggest temp concern here is the deadly heat. A chicken’s body temp is already about 104 degrees, plus they have feathers so, for us, these gaps are a necessity. Regardless of where you live though, a breathable coop is a healthier coop – because of the buildup of ammonia from waste. Of course, keep the coop clean is your first line of defense. If you live in a cold climate where your birds (combs and wattles) might suffer from frostbite, you can use plexiglass to cover up any drafty areas. I hope that helps! Happy chicken keeping!
I can’t wait to see the plans , I didn’t miss them did I? Love the coop! Thanks
Hi Danelle,
You didn’t miss them! We’re still hard at work on them. We plan to have them available in plenty of time for folks to build for the spring.
Hi JAmie,
I know you mentioned you have the plans ready for spring. Do you have the detentions I would like to see if I have space in the back yard, also do you have electricity running to the coop? Looking forward to you plan.
🙂
Hi Claudia, Thanks for being patient with me! Our coop is a total of 8′ x 26′. The storage area is 8′ x 7′, the coops is 8′ x 5′ and the run is 8′ x 14′. And we have the coop set up for electricity but we haven’t run it yet. My plan is to landscape around it this spring. We’ll run the electricity when we start that project.
I love this! Have the blueprints been posted?
Thank you! Not yet, Miranda but we are working on wrapping them up. We hope to have them ready very soon. I’ll post them as soon as we do!
I absolutely love every single thing about this chicken coop! I am dying to see your plans and budget!
Thank you, Lauren! We hope to have them available no later than March. Thanks for your patience!
I am not sure when this was published….. simply…. like
everybody else I WANT THIS COOP! I also want 20 chickens so the size is perfect. Plans?? Hubby needs to get started on the build!
Hi Kim,
Thanks much! We started building our coop last April. We are working hard to have the plans available by March. I hope you’ll check back!
I have pinned many chicken coops over the past year. And then I came across yours! By far the best I’ve seen. It’s everything I’ve been looking for. So glad it takes me so long to make a decision!?
Now all I need are the plans. Hope they will be available soon….
Thank you so much, Kathy. We are finishing the plans as I type. They will be posted this month (March ’19).
We ADORE this Coop! Plus It’s March ?? and we would love to have these plans too! It would save my marriage a lot of arguments, as my husband loves to “eyeball” things!
We are finishing the plans as I type. They will be posted this month (March ’19). Thanks so much!
I’d LOVE to get the plans as well!!! Hope they are ready soon!
We are finishing the plans as I type. They will be posted this month (March ’19). Thanks so much!
Any idea when the plans when the plans will be ready? My husband says he “should be able to just eye-ball it”! HELP!!!!
Where do you have your feeder and waterer placed? I didn’t see them anywhere
The waterer and feeder were not in place when I took these pics. I will include those in my update post this month (that will include plans). The feeder is hanging from the center rafter and the waterer is mounted to the wall in the run.
Love the coop, trying to get something built similar in the UK re the plans etc ready yet? thanks
We are finishing the plans as I type. They will be posted this month (March ’19). Thanks so much!
Hi! I’m also interested in the plans. This coop is beautiful. I wasn’t to build mine very similar.
We are finishing the plans as I type. They will be posted this month (March ’19). Thanks so much!
Will you have them today? I’m about to build out coop.
Hi Nathan,
I’m sorry I can’t be more specific but the plans will be available by the end of the month – so not long now. We are finishing up some video content to go along with the plans and also determining the best way to make the plans available once they’re complete. Thank you for your patience!
I can’t wait to see the plans! I love the blog and have been following along on your journey!
That means so much to me! Thank you!
Do you know when plans might be coming out? Should I expect to see them in email or will you plan to make a post? Thanks again!
Both! I will notify my email list first but I will also be doing a blog post as well as social media posts. Our goal is to have them posted by the end of the month. We have finalized the graphics and now I’m working on the write-up and editing some accompanying videos!
I absolutely LOVE this and this is exactly what I want to try and build for my imaginary chickens ?. My husband wants to have chickens and my stipulation was a coop that looks like this one. My question is do you have issues with water getting in the nesting boxes or does the roof overhang cover well enough?
I know just what you mean! The overhang and the angle of the nesting boxes keep most of the rain out unless it’s torrential – like when we have hurricanes or a particularly wild rain. I don’t find it happens enough to be a problem though. Some weather stripping could easily solve the problem but then you always run the risk of curious chickens pecking at it so I don’t feel it’s worth it. In our plans, we will be addressing tidbits like these more in-depth in our building plans!
OOH!! Videos! Fancy 🙂 Thanks for all you do!
Do you have the plans for this? My family wants to make it exactly the same as you did!
We are finalizing them this week and I will post an announcement everywhere once they’re available. Thanks so much!
Just wanting to know if the plans are ready? If so where can we find them? This is exactly what we are wanting so we are excited!
We are finalizing them this week and I will post an announcement everywhere once they’re available. Thanks so much!
I LOVE this coop! I know you have been asked this a lot, but have you published the plans yet. It is the beginning of April and I wasn’t sure if I just haven’t found them. So many people love your coop and we are all just so excited about building our own! Thanks!
We are finalizing them this week and I will post an announcement everywhere once they’re available. Thanks so much!
I’ve been anxiously waiting for the plans to be posted, but haven’t been able to find them. Did I miss them? My little ladies will be out of the brooder in another 6 weeks and I’m anxious to start on their beautiful new home! Thanks for all the great tips and ideas!!
You haven’t missed them! We are finalizing them this week and I will post an announcement everywhere once they’re available. Thanks so much!
I need to build this week, my ladies are getting too big for a crate, any chance the plans are coming in the next day or two?
I have been waiting for these plans for a while. I know you said March but now we are almost to the end of April. Will they be available soon? We wanted to get started on it.
Do you have a actual release date for the plans for this coop? My chickens are currently inside…not sure how much longer they will be able to stay in there. I was really hoping to build this coop. 🙁
Hi Everyone!
Thanks so much for all the love for this coop! I could never have imagined the wonderfully overwhelming demand for the plans that our fancy farmhouse coop would generate!
I know so many of you are anxious for the plans and I am happy to say that they are complete. Currently, we are working on the best way to deliver them to you which is not as straightforward as you might imagine.
I hesitate to put a date on their availability as I have done so in the past and we missed that mark. I wll say that we will make them available as soon as we have all the kinks worked out. We want them as easily available, accessible, and usuable to you as possible. Creating the plans for this coop was just about as daunting an undertaking as building it in the first place and we just want to make sure we get it right.
Once they become available, I will first notifty my mailing list and then update this post. Thanks so much!