The Garden Coop and The Garden Ark chicken coop plans give you the foundation — and the freedom — to build the perfect pair of chicken coops for your backyard flock. Whether you're new to chickens or to building, these plans get you closer to raising your own farm-fresh eggs, without turning your backyard into a barnyard.

This listing is for a combo set that includes both The Garden Coop and The Garden Ark chicken coop plans. Purchase together for a significant savings! You may also purchase them separately and learn more about each design by viewing our other listings.


SOME KEY FEATURES OF EACH DESIGN

The Garden Coop walk-in chicken coop:

» Houses up to 8 hens, or customize it for more (scroll down for size details)

» Walk in through the full-sized door

» Spread your wings in the spacious run

» Know your flock is safe with a 360° protection against rodents and predators

» Easily modify the design to suit your flock, climate, and needs

» Offers ample ventilation and light with a unique "open" roof design

» Secure, integrated run with open floor, nice roosts, and grazing area

» Simple cuts, easy-to-find materials, and straightforward coop assembly


The Garden Ark mobile chicken tractor:

» Ideal for 3 standard laying hens

» Offers ample ventilation and light with a unique "open" roof design

» Easy access through the egg door and larger double doors

» Know your flock is safe with tough protection against predators

» Move it around for grazing and/or fertilizing your garden (it has wheels!)

» Measures about 3'w x 6'd x 4'h (0.9 x 1.8 x 1.2m)

» Fits perfectly in the bed of a small pickup

» Simple cuts, easy-to-find materials, and straightforward coop assembly


About the chicken coop plans themselves:

» Written for beginners. These 45-page downloadable e-books include detailed tools and materials lists, measurements, photos, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions to show you how to build a coop that you and your chickens will love. (You print at home.)

» Include extra details, photos, and construction tips based on years of customer feedback

» Compatible with iPad and other PDF-friendly tablets, phones, and readers

» Password protected for security. You will receive your file-open password after checkout. (Visit your Etsy Purchases page and click the Download button next to the order. Guests may find it easier to create an Etsy account and log in first. More details here: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/3949)

» Come with email support, directly from the designer


The Garden Coop and The Garden Ark are original, proven designs that have been built by backyard chicken keepers around the world since 2008. So when you set out with these plans, you not only get responsive, email support from the designer, but you also enjoy the benefit of the collective knowledge, ideas, and examples from The Garden Coop community of builders.


ACCESSING YOUR DOWNLOADS: After your purchase, a link will be made available to you for downloading your files. If you have any trouble accessing your files or your file-open password, please follow the easy steps shared by Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/help/article/3949. Feel free to contact us as well.


MORE SPECS AND DETAILS ON THE GARDEN COOP:

SIZE:
The outer dimensions of The Garden Coop measure about 10'w x 6'd x 8'h (3 x 1.8 x 2.4 m). You also want to leave about 2–3 feet (1 m) of working space on all sides.) Inside, the run offers about 50 square feet (4.6 sq m) of space. The henhouse offers 15 square feet (1.4 sq m), including room for a couple roosts and a double nest box, the instructions for which are included in the plan. You can build exterior nest boxes with our free online plans, the link to which you'll find in your eBook.

COST AND MATERIALS:
The coop is made primarily of lumber, hardware cloth, polycarbonate roofing, the siding of your choice, and the hardware to bring it all together. Purchased new at a big-box store like The Home Depot or Lowe's, these materials should run you roughly $1,000–$1,350 USD, pre-tax (priced at $1,150 in January 2023). A complete, detailed materials list is in the plan — as well as info on ordering a pre-packaged hardware quick kit.

All of the materials are common in the U.S., and we've done quite a bit of homework to make sure they're available around the world as well. It's a flexible design, so if you have to make some substitutions, you should be fine. Lumber (timber) dimensions do vary somewhat from country to country, and you can adjust measurements accordingly. The roofing material is made by Palram and is available globally. Hardware cloth comes in various size rolls depending on location. The right fasteners, hinges, latches, etc. should be easy to come by.

TIME TO BUILD:
About 2–3 weekends, if you're working mostly alone. But it's even more fun to build with a partner and/or kids!

TOOLS:
This plan is written for beginners. The cuts are all straightforward (no tricky angles to measure), and the tools are pretty standard ones that you likely either have or can easily borrow or buy. Here's the tool list from the plan:

» Tape measure
» Pencil
» Circular saw
» Jig saw (optional, for special curves, e.g., windows)
» Handsaw
» Pair of sawhorses
» Hammer
» Cordless power drill/driver, with various bits
» Level
» Wire snips
» Leather work gloves
» Shovel
» Ladder
» Combination square or speed square for marking crosscuts
» An extra pair of hands, on occasion (best if attached to a strong body)

CLIMATE:
You'll find The Garden Coop at home just about everywhere — from sunny Florida, Australia, and Texas to chilly Wisconsin, Alaska, Germany, and even the Rockies at an altitude of 7,000 feet (2.1 km)! That's because what chickens need most of all is proper ventilation and fresh air. In the winter, the henhouse section of The Garden Coop offers refuge from the bitterest cold, and it's designed so that you can easily add insulation, windows, electric heat, or whatever your climate demands.

For more pictures of The Garden Coop, please view our other listings.


MORE SPECS AND DETAILS ON THE GARDEN ARK:

SIZE:
The Garden Ark measures about 3'w x 6'd x 4'h (0.9 x 1.8 x 1.2m) at the frame. Add a half foot or so all around for the upper dimensions, including the roof overhang. Inside, the ark offers 7+ sq ft (0.65 sq m) in the henhouse and 15 sq ft (1.4 sq m) in the run. There's one nest box indicated in the plan, just right for 3 hens to share. You can also build exterior nest boxes with our free online plans, the link to which you'll find in your eBook.

COST AND MATERIALS:
The coop is made primarily of two-by-two lumber, hardware cloth, polycarbonate roofing, plywood siding, and the hardware to bring it all together. Purchased new at a big-box store like The Home Depot or Lowe's, these materials should run you roughly $350–$475 USD, pre-tax (priced at $475 in January 2023). A complete, detailed materials list is in the plan — as well as info on ordering a pre-packaged hardware quick kit.

TIME TO BUILD:
If you've read through the plan and work at a comfortable pace, it can be built in about 5 or 6 days. This includes time for shopping, sanding, cutting, sealing/painting, and assembling. If you add your own customizations, it may take a little longer.

TOOLS:
The plan is written for complete beginners. The cuts are all straightforward (no tricky angles to measure), and the tools are pretty standard ones that you likely either have or can easily borrow or buy. Here's the tool list from the plan:

» Tape measure
» Pencil
» Circular saw
» Handsaw
» Pair of sawhorses
» Hammer
» Cordless power drill/driver, with various bits
» Adjustable wrench
» Two clamps (3" capacity)
» Sandpaper, power sander optional
» Paintbrush
» Wire snips
» Leather work gloves and eye/ear protection
» Combination square or speed square for marking crosscuts
» An extra pair of hands, on occasion

CLIMATE:
You'll find The Garden Ark at home just about anywhere. That's because what chickens need most of all is proper ventilation and fresh air. In the winter, the henhouse offers a cozy place protected from drafts. It's easy to wrap the run for more warmth or add a flat panel heater or heated waterer if the mercury really dips.

OPEN FLOOR:
This is the real advantage of a chicken tractor, right? The ability to move the chickens around so they can graze, till, and fertilize your veggie gardens or yard. I have many tips to share on how to incorporate this coop into your backyard garden, including building garden beds that you set the coop right on top of.

For more pictures of The Garden Ark, please view our other listings.


NOTE: The Garden Coop LLC is the legal copyright holder of the content on this shop and in our plans, including all designs, photos, descriptions, and text. It is intended solely for the use of the purchaser and may be printed for personal use only. No images or content from this Etsy shop or our eBooks and plans may be published, resold, shared, or distributed without written consent from the copyright holder. (That's us.)


Have other questions? Please get in touch anytime!