How to Start a Chicken Coop in Your Backyard

Aug 14, 2025

How to Start a Chicken Coop in Your Backyard

🐓 How to Start a Chicken Coop in Your Backyard (Without Losing Your Sanity)

Fresh eggs, happy hens, and a little barnyard charm—right in your Lane County backyard. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Starting a backyard chicken coop is easier than most people think, and you don’t need a construction crew or a farming degree to pull it off. You just need a plan, some basic tools, and a willingness to get your hands a little dirty.

Here’s your step-by-step guide to starting a fully functional chicken coop, adapted from our Backyard Coop Ebook. This will get you from zero to omelet-ready in just a few weekends.

📝 Step 1: Plan Before You Peck

Every great chicken story begins with the rules. Lane County—and the cities within it—have their own ordinances. Eugene and Springfield both allow hens (no roosters, sorry crow lovers), but the number of birds and property setbacks may vary.

Checklist before you buy wood or birds:

  1. Call your city planning office to confirm the number of hens allowed and any setbacks.

  2. Check HOA rules if they apply—sometimes stricter than city code.

  3. Avoid wetlands and low-lying spots. Oregon rain + chickens = swamp disaster.

Once you know the rules, decide how many birds fit your lifestyle. Two to four hens = enough eggs for one or two people. Five to eight hens = steady supply for a family plus a few dozen to share.

Space math:

  • Inside the coop: 4 sq ft per bird

  • In the run: 8–10 sq ft per bird

🔨 Step 2: Gather Your Gear and Materials

A starter coop for four hens can be built with simple supplies:

  • 2×4 lumber, exterior plywood, roofing, and gravel for the base

  • Galvanized hardware cloth (not flimsy chicken wire) for predator-proofing

  • Hinges, latches, and locks (raccoons are basically furry burglars)

  • Tools: drill, saw, level, tape measure, wire cutters, and safety glasses

Pro tip: Shop local—BRING Recycling, Coastal Farm, Wilco, and Jerry’s are all excellent Lane County suppliers. You’ll get better advice than big box stores, and you support your community.

🏗️ Step 3: Build in Three Weekends

You don’t have to tackle it all at once. The ebook breaks the project into a three-weekend plan.

Weekend 1: Site Prep and Base

  1. Pick a high spot in your yard for good drainage.

  2. Mark a 4×8 ft footprint.

  3. Excavate a shallow base and lay gravel for drainage.

  4. Build a raised platform with 4×4 posts and a 2×4 frame.

  5. Screw down plywood for the floor, seal it against Oregon rain.

Weekend 2: Walls and Roof

  1. Frame walls with 2×4 studs.

  2. Add rafters and install roofing—shingles or corrugated metal.

  3. Cut openings for two nesting boxes and one door.

  4. Add screened ventilation—at least 1 sq ft up high.

Weekend 3: Run and Finishing Touches

  1. Build a 4×8 ft run attached to the coop.

  2. Wrap all sides and top with hardware cloth.

  3. Bury the cloth 12 inches deep with an apron extending outward to stop diggers.

  4. Install raccoon-proof latches and padlocks.

  5. Paint or stain the coop exterior, then add bedding (pine shavings or straw).

🐥 Step 4: Pick Your Birds

You can start with:

  • Chicks – cute and cheap, but need heat lamps and patience (eggs at ~20 weeks).

  • Pullets – “teenage” hens, eggs in a month or two.

  • Point-of-lay hens – ready to start producing eggs immediately.

Best breeds for Lane County weather: Buff Orpington, Australorp, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte, and Easter Egger. All hardy, calm, and reliable layers.

🍳 Step 5: Daily & Weekly Routine

Chickens are low-maintenance, but consistency matters. Here’s a routine that takes 10 minutes a day:

Morning:

  • Refill waterer and feeder

  • Collect eggs

  • Quick scan for predator damage or sick hens

Evening:

  • Lock up the coop and secure latches

  • Top off bedding if needed

Weekly:

  • Refresh nest box bedding

  • Scrub waterers and feeders

  • Check vents and fencing

Monthly:

  • Deep clean with vinegar solution

  • Inspect for rust, rot, or chew damage

🧩 Step 6: Egg Collection and Storage

Collect eggs twice a day to avoid breakage and egg-eating habits. Don’t wash unless dirty—eggs have a natural bloom that protects them. If you must wash, use warm water and refrigerate immediately. Store with the pointed end down.

🛡️ Step 7: Troubleshooting

  • No eggs? Check age, stress, diet, or daylight hours. Add a light timer for winter mornings.

  • Predator problems? Reinforce with buried hardware cloth and stronger latches.

  • Mites or lice? Dust hens with food-grade diatomaceous earth, deep-clean bedding.

  • Sick hen? Isolate, keep warm, and call OSU Extension or a poultry-savvy vet.

🌱 Why It’s Worth It

A backyard coop gives you:

  • Fresh, nutrient-rich eggs

  • Garden-ready compost from chicken manure

  • Pest control (chickens love slugs)

  • A little farm magic right outside your back door

🎯 Final Push: Start This Weekend

The ebook ends with a challenge: don’t overthink it. Pick a start date, buy your first materials, and block out your first Saturday. Within a few weekends, you’ll have a safe, dry coop ready to welcome your hens.

Fresh eggs, lively hens, and the satisfaction of building it yourself—it’s all within reach.

👉 Grab the free How to Start a Chicken Coop in Your Backyard ebook.

Free Ebook!

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