How to Set Up a Chicken Coop

On this page (8 sections)

1. Where should you put a chicken coop?
2. How do you prepare and level the ground?
3. How do you set up the house itself?
4. Should you add a run, and how big should it be?
5. How do you secure the coop against predators?
6. What bedding and nesting do you add on day one?
7. How do you set up feed and water?
8. When should the birds move in, and what do you check first?

To set up a chicken coop, pick a dry, level, shaded spot, raise the enclosed house off the ground, and build a covered run around its door. Then secure the entry, add bedding and nesting, and set up feed and water before the birds move in.

Do the prep work before you start turning screws. A level base and the right spot save more time than any shortcut in assembly.

Where should you put a chicken coop?

Put the coop on ground that drains well and gets morning sun, with shade for the hottest part of the day. Keep it clear of low spots where water pools after rain.

Pick a spot you can reach with a wheelbarrow, a sack of feed, and a hose. Carrying supplies across wet grass every morning gets old fast.

Face the main door away from prevailing wind and where you'll stand to clean. If your property line is close, keep the roost end as far from a neighbor's window as the yard allows.

Avoid the base of large trees where roots make leveling hard and where dropping branches are a risk. A simple test: dig a small hole after rain.

If it fills with water, choose another spot.

How do you prepare and level the ground?

Clear the footprint and make it flat before any frame goes down. Level ground stops a coop from racking and keeps doors and sliding trays moving freely.

Mark the outline with string and stakes, then strip grass and loose soil inside it. Rake and tamp until a straight edge laid across the site shows no rocking.

For a heavy wooden house, set it on concrete pavers or short posts at the corners. This lifts the timber floor above soil splash and keeps rain from soaking the base.

A metal run sits on the soil, so start with firm, compacted ground. Check the ground under the run for dips where water could collect, since a wet run is where coop problems start.

Our guide on how to keep rats out of a chicken coop covers those ground-level gaps in detail.

How do you set up the house itself?

Build the enclosed house first, on its leveled base. Everything else, from the run to the door, lines up around it.

A house like the GOJOOASIS model gives you the full starting kit in one frame. It has a raised main house with a nesting box, a sliding door and a ridged ramp, a removable bottom tray, and a wire enclosure on the front.

The fir wood is finished for rain, and the sloped asphalt roof sheds water off the back.

It measures 80.7 x 26 x 44.5 inches and weighs about 56 pounds as a whole unit. Two people can carry the panels, and the maker says clear instructions make assembly simple.

If your flock will grow, read the best chicken coop for 4 chickens before you commit to a size.

Set the house with the ramp side facing the run, so the birds walk straight out. Check the sliding door and tray move without catching before you add bedding.

Should you add a run, and how big should it be?

Yes, add a run unless your birds free range all day. A covered run gives them outdoor space that stays usable in rain and strong sun.

Plan about 10 square feet of run per bird as a working number. A walk-in run also lets you feed, clean, and catch a bird without crawling.

The covered metal run measures 9.8 x 6.5 x 6.5 ft, so you can stand upright inside. The frame uses corner braces at the bottom and a rear support pole to limit wobble, and the peaked roof carries a detachable, waterproof cover that sheds rain and snow and shades the run.

It includes a 47 x 40 in eucalyptus perch, which gives hens a raised spot to rest. The maker says assembly takes about 2 hours with labeled parts.

Set it so the run's long side meets the coop door, then pin or brace the two together at the joint.

If you keep waterfowl too, check can I use a chicken coop for ducks before you share one enclosure, since ducks want different flooring and water access.

How do you secure the coop against predators?

Treat the door and every ground-level gap as the weak points. Most losses at a coop happen at night, at the entry.

Push down on the wire at the run base and close gaps with buried mesh or paving slabs. Snakes and rats both use small openings, so walk the perimeter once with a torch after dark.

Our guide on how to snake proof a chicken coop shows where to look.

Then decide how the door closes. A manual pop door needs someone home at dusk and dawn, which is where an automatic door earns its place.

The JVR door has an 11 x 12 inch opening in anodized aluminum, driven by a screw-rod actuator that locks shut like a deadbolt. The maker says the pressure sensor reverses the door within 0.5 seconds if a bird is in the way, and a memory chip keeps the schedule through a power cut.

It runs on 12V DC and can take a solar panel and battery. The maker says installation takes about an hour on wood, metal, or plastic coops.

What bedding and nesting do you add on day one?

Add dry, absorbent bedding on the floor and a shallow layer of nesting material in the box. Keep both dry and you'll spend far less time cleaning.

Use wood shavings rather than straw for the floor; shavings drain and compost faster. Skip cedar, which is strong-smelling, and keep the layer a couple of inches deep.

Line the nesting box with soft shavings or chopped straw, with a lip at the front so it stays put. One box serves about 4 hens, so a small flock needs only the single box most coops include.

The GOJOOASIS tray slides out from below, so the bedding change is a quick job rather than a full clean out. Empty the tray often in humid weather.

How do you set up feed and water?

Put feed and water where they stay clean and dry, and not under the roost. Drinker and feeder placement decides how much bedding you throw away.

Hang or stand the feeder in the covered run, raised a little off the ground. A raised feeder keeps feed out of the litter and makes it harder for rodents to reach.

Use a covered drinker or a nipple drinker to keep water clean. Place it in shade, and check it daily in hot weather, since hens drink a lot.

Keep feed in a sealed metal bin well away from the coop. Spilled grain near the run draws rats, which is the first thing to fix if you see burrows.

Then run power to the automatic door only once the layout is final.

When should the birds move in, and what do you check first?

Move the flock in once the coop is secure, dry, and stocked, ideally in the morning. That gives them a full day to explore the run before their first night inside.

Before you open the door, walk the whole setup. Check the roof cover is on, the run base is tight to the ground, the house floor is dry, and the door can't jam.

Close the birds in the house for the first hour so they get used to it, then open the pop door. They'll find the ramp and the run on their own.

Set the automatic door timer to close after dark, and watch the first close cycle. Do that once, and the routine runs itself from then on.

Setting up a chicken coop comes down to four fixed choices: a dry, level, shaded site, a raised house, a covered run that meets the door, and an entry that closes on its own. Sort those and the daily jobs shrink to feeding, fresh water, and a clean tray.

Start with the house if you keep 2 to 4 birds, then add the walk-in run as the flock grows. Fit the automatic door last, once the coop and run line up.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to set up a chicken coop?

Most backyard coops take a few hours to a weekend. A small wooden hutch is a two-person task for a person with basic tools, while a walk-in metal run with a cover takes about 2 hours of assembly once the ground is level.

Do I need to put the coop on a raised base?

Yes, raising the house keeps the floor dry and stops rot. Set it on concrete pavers or short posts on level ground, so the base doesn't sit in soil that holds water after rain.

How much space does a chicken coop need?

Plan roughly 4 square feet of floor per bird inside the house and 10 square feet of run per bird. The GOJOOASIS house is sized for about 2 to 4 chickens, so match the flock to the space you build.

Should I set up the run before or after the coop?

Put the coop up first, then attach or place the run around its entry. That way the run lines up with the door and the ramp, and the flock travels one clear path from house to outside.

What goes inside a chicken coop on day one?

Add dry bedding on the floor, a layer of nesting material in the box, a feeder, and a drinker. Place the feeder and drinker in the run or on the far side of the house so bedding stays dry.