Types of Chicken Coops-What is Best for Your Flock?

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Inside: Learn about the pros and cons of different types of chicken coops so you can build the best coop for your flock.

When we first thought about getting chickens, we figured we would just get a handful. So we looked at plans for different types of chicken coops. We only needed a small coop so we decided on a chicken ark, also known as a chicken tractor.

Unfortunately, I quickly wanted more chickens so we needed something bigger. Read on to see how we use two different types of chicken coops to manage our flock and the pros and cons of each type.

types of chicken coops
Before you spend the money buying or building a chicken coop, make sure you decide whether you want a permanent coop or a mobile coop.

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One Type of Chicken Coop-The Mobile Coop

A chicken ark, also called a chicken tractor.
A chicken ark, also called a chicken tractor.

For our first chicken coop we started out with a moveable chicken “ark.” It is an A frame structure with wire on the bottom and an upstairs where the girls roost at night.

The nest boxes are on the ends of the upstairs and there is a small door that opens on each box to remove the eggs.

chicken opt in box 2

Every few days we move this coop to fresh ground so the chickens have grass and weeds and bugs to eat. We used this for two years with our first 5 chickens. When we decided to get more chickens, we knew we needed something bigger. See below for our permanent chicken coop.

We still use this chicken tractor coop as our “grow out” space for baby chicks. We have 8 “littles” in here right now. Eventually, we will move them into the bigger coop when they are full grown. Want to know when your chickens can be moved outdoors? Check out my post on moving chicks to the coop.

Chicken Ark (Tractor)

Pros:

  • Chickens get fresh ground every few days
  • Easy access to nest boxes
  • Small so it is easy to clean
  • Not as expensive to build as a permanent coop

Cons:

  • Heavy – It takes two people to move it.
  • Only holds about 5 full grown chickens

Permanent Chicken Coops

When we outgrew the ark, my husband built a bigger free-standing coop with an attached run. The coop is 8×8 feet with 3 windows, a pop door for the chickens, and a full-size door for the humans. We currently have 16 chickens in this coop.

These girls are allowed to free-range quite often, as long as someone is outside. Since my garden has chicken wire and an electric fence around it, the chickens can’t easily get in and decimate my veggies. If they did get in, there would not be much garden left when they were done.

On the inside, we have 5 nest boxes and two roost posts.

Pros:

  • Lots of space
  • Easy to expand your flock
  • Lots of customization can be done to a permanent coop

Cons:

  • Costs more to build
  • Once the chickens wear down the grass in the run, it will never grow back (unless you can afford a HUGE run).

So Which Type of Chicken Coop is Best for Your Flock?

I’m so glad we have both types of chicken coops. The permanent coop is easy to maintain and has plenty of room for the chickens. The ark could be used as a sick bay if we have an injured chicken.

Most people that get chickens love them and end up wanting more. That’s why it is recommended to build as big a coop as you can right from the start.

I started out with 5 hens, but we’ve had as many as 24 in our 12+ years of chicken keeping! I enjoy interacting with my girls every day and collecting and eating their wonderful eggs.

Do you keep chickens? If so, I’d love to know more about them. What kind of coop do you have? How many chickens do you keep?

Related Posts

pictures of the quick-start guide to raising backyard chickens

Meet Julie

I’m a farm girl born and bred in North Carolina. I’ve been growing a vegetable garden for over 20 years (and helping my Mom grow hers even longer). I’ve been raising chickens in my bathtub and backyard for 12+ years. I believe that homegrown food can be made simple. Let’s get started.

using 2 chicken coops to manage a flock

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2 Comments

  1. Glad to have stumbled on your site via Pinterest!! We also have a coop/run and an “ark”….though that will need to be rebuilt after a “visit” from the neighbors doggies :-/ Luckily, no casualties, just a few stressed out hens!!!! I think both are great to have available.
    We have 9 hens (from age 10-3) and a new flock of 6 that are almost 6 weeks old. Oh, I love them all!!! We like a nice variety of “fun” looking hens as well as a nice variety of eggs.
    We also have 2 beehives (currently bee-less) but hoping to get restarted in the spring!
    Thanks for the blog!!!!