Walk-in chicken coops offer large, open spaces for your chickens and make it easy to clean and maintain the coop. Owners that want the best for their hens will find that a tall chicken coop offers:
- Added safety
- Durability
- Weather resistance
If you’re just starting to keep your own chickens or want to upgrade your current setup, there are a lot of benefits to these walk-in models.
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Benefits of Walk-in Chicken Coops
If you’re looking for a way to give your chickens the best life possible, then it’s time to consider building a walk-in chicken coop. Walk-in coops are designed to provide your chickens with a safe and secure environment.
These coops offer numerous benefits, including:
Easier to Clean
Chickens take a lot of work to raise. The coop requires a lot of attention to keep your chickens happy. Cleaning is one of the most time-consuming tasks, even if you cover the floor with straw and install dropping boards.
Entering a small coop means you have to hunch over or even crawl to enter the space.
Walk-in models are tall with large openings that make it easy to enter the space. You’ll still need to clean:
- Nesting material
- Droppings
- Etc.
But you won’t have to contort your body and struggle to move in the coop to clean it. You’ll spend less time cleaning, and your chickens will be happier, too.
Easier Maintenance
If you have to make repairs or want to add accessories inside of the coop, it’s much easier with a coop that you can walk in rather than crawl in. You won’t have to dread making repairs, nor will you find yourself pushing off maintenance tasks because they’re a hassle to perform.
Safety from Predators
Larger coops require better building practices to keep the coop structurally sound. Better building practices means that the chickens will be safer from predators. Coyotes and wolves can smell chickens from far away, and if your coop isn’t well-built, your chickens will be easy prey.
Due to their better building style, the larger coops will offer more protection.
But some predators can still get into coops, so it’s important to take the utmost precautions to keep your chickens safe.
Better Health for Your Chickens
Cramped spaces are not good for your chickens. If your coop requires the chickens to crouch down to enter or exit the coop, it’s not offering your birds the best health options. Crammed spaces can lead to:
- Unsanitary conditions
- Heat stroke
Larger coops provide the freedom to roam around and your chickens will enjoy the health benefits of having more open space.
Keeping the space cool for your birds can be difficult with larger coops that are 10’ x 12’ or larger in size. Some owners will put in cooling fans or air conditioning to keep their birds more comfortable in these environments.
We’ve listed a variety of walk-in options for you to consider:
- Walk-in chicken coop kits
- Walk-in chicken coop plans
- Walk-in chicken runs
Our Top 3 Walk-in Chicken Coop Kits
Kits provide everything you need to put together a coop that is perfect for your birds. We’ve reviewed three of the best kits available so that you can find one perfect for your needs.
1. Petmate, Superior Construction Chicken Coop
Dimensions
- Foraging Area: 3.5′ L x 6′ W
- Roosting Area: 40” L x 21.5” W
- Nesting Box Area: 40” W x 12” H (3 boxes)
- Door Height: 5′ 11″ Feet Tall
Petmate’s chicken coop is made with wood panels that are twice as thick as competing models to offer superior construction and durability. The roof is made from durable plastic, and all wood components are unstained to make it fully customizable for your chickens.
This model features:
- Extra tall cleaning tray that makes it easy to clean and allows for a deep layer of bedding
- Durable plastic wood; the remaining material is solid wood
- Three nesting boxes included
- Rear box door to make collecting eggs easy
- Two internal, and one external roosting bar
- Rear ventilation
The door height is 59”, and the overall weight of the coop is 158 pounds. Run area length is 72” and 42.25” wide. The unit is two levels high with four doors and a 12” nesting area.
A ramp makes it easier for hens to enter.
Depending on the breed, you can fit 6 to 10 chickens in the coop.
2. Little Cottage Company’s Walk-in Chicken Coop with Nesting Box for Up to 24 Chickens
Dimensions
- Total Area: 8.1′ Long by 7.25′ Wide
- Roosting Length: 6 feet
- Nesting Boxes: 6
- 1 Window & 1 Door
- Chicken Ramp & Door
Little Cottage’s model looks more like a barn than it does a chicken coop, which is perfect for a farm setting. This kit is massive, with a weight of 1,150 pounds and 59 square feet of space for chickens to run.
From side to side, the nesting bar is 72”. This kit offers the following features:
- Six nesting boxes are included
- All wall sections are panelized
- Full pine wood design
- Ramp included
- One-level
Customers must purchase shingles and a drip edge. The kit also doesn’t include paint. All materials are weather-resistant, and the coop is well ventilated. When purchasing, step-by-step instructions are provided.
Depending on the type of chickens you’re keeping, you can fit 14 to 24 birds in the coop.
3. Amish Heritage 8′ x 12′ Coop
Dimensions
- Total Area: 8′ x 12′
- Double Door: 5 Feet Tall
- 4’ paneled wall sections
- 3 nesting boxes 18” from the floor
Amish Heritage’s coop is a lot larger than the previous two models, with a size of 8’ x 12’. Solid wood and real glass windows help make the coop extremely predator-proof. Key features include:
- Decorative hinges
- Roof sheathing and rafters
- Walls are 6’6”
- Standard, 60” doors
An electrical package can be purchased to include pre-wiring, a 15-amp fuse, lighting, and even a wall outlet.
Want to keep even more chickens? This kit offers the most capacity, with the coop confidently fitting 24 standard-size chickens or 40-50 bantams.
Our Top 3 Walk-in Chicken Coop Plans
If you would rather not purchase a kit, you can purchase plans that allow you to source your own materials and build a coop. The following plans are among the best that we’ve found:
1. The Garden Coop Walk-In Chicken Coop Plan eBook (PDF)
Dimensions
- Total Area: 10′ Wide x 6′ Deep
- Height: 8 Feet Tall
- Interior Henhouse: 15 sqft
- Run Area: 50 sqft
- 2 Nest Boxes
Found on Etsy, the Garden Coop design plan has rave reviews. The plan offers excellent protection against predators and rodents, and options for a full-sized door.
The design is suitable for 4 to 8 hens in the coop, depending on the breed. You can customize the coop to hold more chickens by extending exterior walls and run.
This eBook features:
- 45 detailed pages
- Photos and diagrams
- Hardware quick kit
- Open roof design (optional)
- Tips on construction
- Support from the designer
Customers tend to love these plans and claim that they’re simple and easy to incorporate your own customizations.
2. Shed Chicken Coop and Run
Dimensions
- Shed: 4′ L x 8′ W x 8′ H
- Run: 12′ L x 8′ W x 6′ H
- Window: 1.8′ W x 3′ H
- Door: 5.8′ W x 2.5′ H
The Shed Chicken Coop and Run is easy to build, but there are a few things that you should know:
- Raise the coop a foot or so off the ground
- Estimated costs to build are $800
- Build time is 20 hours or more, depending on skill
- Run offers ample room for chickens to roam
Concerns with these plans are that there’s no ventilation. The plans are free, and you can hold six to eight chickens inside, depending on the type of chicken.
3. The “Mod” Coop
Dimensions
- Interior: 3’ W x 6’ L x 4’ T
- Total: 3’ W x 18’ L by 6’ T
The “Mod” Coop is a great plan that is designed to be modular. You can easily take the coop apart and move it, and there are options to isolate and raise chickens. The unit is designed to be lightweight, so 2×2 beams are used to reduce weight but also make it less durable.
In an effort to avoid needing a permit, the building height is under 6 feet, which may or may not be tall enough for you to stand inside easily.
The coop is divided into three, six-foot sections. The length is a little over 18 feet which offers more than enough space for your chickens to roam. While the plan is complex, you’ll be able to build the coop using the materials you choose.
In total, the unit can confidently house 3 to 6 chickens and has a ramp, large doors, and a metal roof design.
Walk-in Chicken Runs
Even if you have a smaller coop, you may want to make a walk-in chicken run that keeps your chickens safe and can be added to your existing coop. A good example is this chicken run from Omlet.
When using this chicken run, you’ll be able to choose from multiple pre-configuration models to find a size that matches your needs.
The smallest model has dimensions of 7’3” W x 3’9” H x 7’3.” The largest model has dimensions of 10’3” W x 6’8” H x 13’3.”
A built-in lock system and the run fitting flush on the ground with additional material in the front of the run to keep predators out keeps chickens safe from even the most intelligent predators.
Stable-style doors are included to allow for easy access, and you can customize the inside with swings, perches, and other fun additions for your birds.
Final Thoughts
Walk-in chicken coops are a great option for anyone that wants to raise their chickens with a tall chicken coop that is easy to enter, clean and durable. Your chickens will be happier with a larger space that’s roomy, well-ventilated, and safe.