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Inspiration Roundup: 10 Pretty and Practical Chicken Coops

When we moved, we brought a handful of hens with us and I converted an existing shed in the backyard to act as a temporary hen house. It works, but it’s not ideal for long term, and I’ve started to work on creating a new one for my tiny flock. There are a bazillion chicken coops on the internet to look at for inspiration, but some aren’t practical, and frankly, many are ugly. In a small urban backyard, it’s likely the coop will become the focal point of your garden. You want it to be both functional AND attractive.

Inspiration roundup! Here are 10 pretty AND practical chicken coops, perfect for backyard hens.

I’ve pulled together what I think are the best out there that are both pretty AND practical. Searching through the internet also helped me determine some features that are important for my next coop. Can you guess what my new coop will be like?

10 Pretty & Practical Chicken Coops:

pretty and functional chicken coop

http://centralcoastgardening.com/2014/03/more-about-a-coop-for-the-garden/

This first practical and pretty chicken coop is one of my favorites, because of the vines growing over it. It ties it into the landscape, instead of making it looked like it was just plunked down. In addition to beauty, the vines would serve a secondary purpose of also shading the run.

 

pretty and functional chicken coop

http://www.countryliving.com/home-design/house-tours/g2301/christi-wilson-budget-home-decorating-ideas/?slide=9

This chicken coop is certainly set out in a country yard, but something similar could be adapted to an urban yard. I like that you can walk into both the hen house and the run, but what I love most is the architectural details on the henhouse. Board and batten siding, a barn light, and that adorable curved door? LOVE!

 

pretty and functional chicken coop

https://saltboxdesigns.wordpress.com/

This pretty and practical chicken coop is perfect for 2 chickens in an urban yard. I love the external nesting boxes, but also the planter box as the run roof. What a great use of space!

 

pretty and functional chicken coops

http://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/2016/01/25/keeping-bees-with-chickens/

I really like the functionality of this coop design, with the hen house raised up but you can still walk into the run. The external nesting boxes make egg collecting easy! If you look closely, you can also see that bees live in the far end of the run.

 

pretty and functional chicken coop

http://rebeccasbirdgardensblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-garden-roof-coop.html

I’m in love with this green roof and the weather vain. Enough said.

 

pretty and functional chicken coops

http://www.wooden-wonders.com/chicken-coops.html

This coop might not make it on the functional scale as much as the others, but LOOK AT CUTE IT IS!!! If you had a forested garden, how insane would it be to have a little hobbit chicken house tucked under a big conifer tree?

 

pretty and practical chicken coops

http://coopplans.bigcartel.com/product/chez-poulet-coop-plans

If you’ve looked at chicken coops on the internet, you’re no stranger to this gorgeous setup. I think it was originally in Martha Stewart or Southern Living or some other fancy person magazine, and it makes regular rounds on lifestyle blogs. Some of the elements that make this coop so pretty are the details, like the hardware and the cupola, and the storage makes it practical.

 

pretty and functional chicken coops

image source unknown- is this yours? Please let me know!

Here is another coop that has the hen house raised, and you can walk into the run. Since chickens aren’t tall and don’t need height, styles like this make the best use of the space, allowing the chickens the entire floor surface without having to expand out farther horizontally.

 

pretty and practical chicken coops

http://www.williams-sonoma.com

This tiny pretty and practical chicken coop would be perfect for a small backyard, plus, it’s movable! Originally from Williams Sonoma, I can’t find it on their site anymore, but it would be easy to build yourself. I love the low profile, perfect for tucking under shrubs or trees, and the shake shingles.

 

pretty and functional chicken coops

Photo source unknown, is this yours? Please let me know!

This coop is just so full of personality, you can’t help but love it! I really like how the hen house is so narrow- tall enough to walk in, but doesn’t take up a big footprint. I also love the architectural details like the siding, and of course, the colors!

Stay tuned for what kind of coop I’m working on, and let me know your favorite! What kind of features are a ‘must have’ for your hen house and run?

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