Your questions, answered

Plan for 3–4 square feet per hen inside the henhouse and 8–10 square feet per hen in the run, about 1 foot of roost bar per bird, and one nesting box for every 3–4 hens. Bigger is better, especially in hot summers like Texas. Each coop page lists the flock size we recommend for it.

Our runs are wrapped in ½" rubber-coated hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, and the doors have secure latches. Chicken wire keeps hens in but doesn't keep raccoons out; hardware cloth is much harder to tear or reach through, and the coating keeps it from rusting. To stop diggers, add a hardware cloth apron around the outside of the run.

Treated lumber, Smart Panel siding with a 50-year warranty, and 26-gauge R-panel metal roofing with a 50-year fade warranty. The hardware cloth is rubber-coated so it won't rust.

Every walk-in coop comes with a four-box nesting gang, two windows and roost bars. The henhouse floor is dirt unless you add a floor: treated plywood, or plywood with laminate on top.

One nesting box for every 3–4 hens. Our walk-in coops come with a four-box nesting gang, enough for 12–16 hens, and you can add a second one for a bigger flock. The Roaming Roost has two boxes for its 3–5 hens.

Yes. We call it a chicken house: the henhouse on its own, for hens that free-range or for a run you already have. Ask for one on our custom build form.

Up to 12' wide. Coops go from 6' x 10' up to 8' x 24' in the builder, and greenhouses from 6' to 12' wide and 8' to 30' long. Bigger coops, sheds and loafing sheds are quoted to order.

Yes. We can run one water line to the building with a faucet, so filling waterers or watering plants is easy.

Every build is made to order. Most are ready in 2–3 weeks, depending on how many orders are ahead of yours. We'll give you a date when we confirm your order.

Yes. Every design can be customized: siding, trim and roof colors, add-ons like an automatic door, and sizes from 6' x 10' up to 8' x 24' (and other sizes on request). Colors outside our usual range cost extra. Use Build Yours to put together your coop and send it to us for a quote.

Yes. Besides walk-in coops we build chicken houses (a henhouse without a run), chicken tractors, duck houses, quail pens, rabbit hutches, goat shelters, dog houses (including insulated ones), loafing sheds for goats, sheep, cattle and horses, greenhouses and barn-style storage sheds. Tiny barns and playhouses are coming soon. Use our custom build form to ask for one, or give us a call.

Yes. We ask for 50% when you order, and the rest when your build is delivered. We take cash, check, card (with a 3% card fee), Venmo, Cash App and PayPal.

Every build is made to order for you, so we don't offer refunds once it's ordered. If you're unsure about anything, talk to us before you order and we'll help you get it right.

Absolutely. We build several coops or shelters at a time for farms, schools and businesses, and we'd love to work with farm and ranch stores. Give us a call.

Yes, by appointment at our shop in Waco. Call or text us to set a time.

We look over every build that's sent to us and send your quote by text or email. If anything needs a closer look, we'll reach out first.

No. Sales tax is added to your quote.

Prices can change from time to time with the cost of materials. Your quote has the current price for your build.

Get in touch as soon as you can by calling or texting us, and Ryan will let you know what can still be changed.

Not yet. For now, add-ons are built in with a new coop.

Yes. Delivery and setup are free within 40 miles of Waco, Texas or Benton, Arkansas. Past that, delivery is charged by the mile, depending on the size of your build, and the price comes with your quote. Most of our deliveries are within about 3 hours, and we can go farther. Enter your address on our Delivery page to see your miles.

Yes. Pick it up from us and we'll load it for you. Tell us your trailer type and size when you order, and we'll set the pickup time with you.

We build in our shop and deliver the finished build. If it won't fit through your gate or there's no way to get the trailer in, we can build it on site instead, for an added charge on your quote. We don't do concrete work.

Yes. Call or text us and we'll set it up.

A good starter flock is 3 to 6 hens. Chickens are social and do better in groups. Plan on 3–4 square feet per hen inside the henhouse and 8–10 square feet per hen in the run.

No. Hens lay eggs without a rooster. You only need one if you want fertilized eggs to hatch chicks.

Chickens are by far the easiest. After that, consider ducks, rabbits or goats, depending on your space and goals.

Airflow and shade matter most. Our gambrel roofs give heat room to rise away from the birds, and a solar ventilation fan adds more airflow. Place the coop where it gets afternoon shade, and keep plenty of fresh water available.

About 1 foot of roost bar per bird. Hens like to sleep side by side up off the ground, so set the bars higher than the nesting boxes, or they'll sleep in the boxes.

Most hens start laying at 5–6 months old. A healthy laying hen gives about 4–6 eggs a week at her peak, depending on the breed. Laying slows in the short days of winter and as hens get older.

Usually not here. Healthy, fully feathered hens handle cold well if the henhouse is dry and free of drafts, with ventilation up high. Heat lamps start a lot of coop fires, so we don't recommend them.

Scrape out droppings every few days (a sliding poop shelf makes this quick), add fresh bedding as needed, and do a full clean-out every month or two.

Pine shavings are the most common choice for the henhouse floor and nesting boxes. Straw works too. Skip cedar shavings: the strong oils can bother chickens' lungs.

Many cities limit how many hens you can keep, and some don't allow roosters. HOAs can have their own rules too. Check with your city, county or HOA before you order.