Chicken Coop Must-Haves
Building a chicken coop doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You DO NOT need Pinterest-ready housing and accessories to have poultry or livestock.
To keep your flock safe, healthy, and happy, every functional coop just needs: Proper Ventilation, Predator Protection, Nesting Boxes, Water & Food, Chicken-Door.
Whether you are designing a DIY build from scratch or upgrading a pre-fabricated model, creating the perfect environment for your feathered family makes chores easier and more efficient.
Aside from necessities, these are our PERSONAL “Must-Haves” :
1. Hardware Cloth (Not Chicken Wire)
First things first: predator protection is everything. While it’s tempting to use traditional chicken wire, it really only keeps chickens in—it won't keep determined predators like raccoons or stray dogs out. Always opt for heavy-duty hardware cloth. We used ½-inch. The welded mesh is fairly impenetrable to predators, making it the most important security measure you can install over windows, vents, and the entire run.
2. An Automatic Chicken Door
If there is one upgrade that will change your life as a chicken owner, it’s an automatic door. We have ours set to automatically open at sunrise and close securely at sunset, which means we no longer have to rush out to the coop at the crack of dawn or worry if we are running late in the evening.
3. Walk-In Accessibility
Save your back! When designing or buying a coop, make sure it is tall enough to walk into comfortably. Being able to stand upright while gathering eggs, adding fresh bedding, or doing a deep clean makes coop maintenance infinitely easier for us. Plus, it gives usa great space to hang out with our birds despite the weather.
4. Nesting Boxes
Your hens need a cozy, private, and dark place to lay their eggs. A good rule of thumb is to have one nesting box for every 3 to 4 hens. Be sure to pad them generously with soft wood shavings or straw so your eggs stay clean and protected. (The hens also just don’t like it being hard and uncomfy)
5. A Dependable Waterer
Clean water is an absolute essential for egg production and flock health. We opted for a gravity-fed system. Not only do these keep the water free from dirt, hay, and chicken poop, but they also cut down on spills that can cause a soggy, unsanitary coop floor.
6. High-Up Ventilation
A very common mistake in coop building is not allowing enough airflow. Chickens produce a lot of moisture and dust, which can lead to respiratory issues (for them and you!) if trapped inside. Place your vents near the roofline (covered with hardware cloth) to let fresh air in and eliminate ammonia buildup, without creating a draft directly on your roosting birds.
7. Washable Flooring (Coming Soon to Ours!)
Tired of scraping stubborn droppings off bare wood? We hear you! We are thrilled to announce that washable flooring is coming soon to our coop. Upgrading to a surface like linoleum makes cleaning an absolute breeze. We will be able to simply sweep it out, wipe it down, and be good to go.