Man Uses Old Wood Pallets To Build An Impressive DIY Chicken Coop

You don't need to live in the middle of nowhere to keep chickens. Even a backyard in town can become home to a small flock where local rules allow it, but it's a good idea to have a proper coop for your new buddies. Ready-made ones are super convenient, but prices can easily exceed several hundred dollars. But if you have old pallets laying out back, you have materials to make one yourself. Building a chicken coop is one of the more ambitious wood pallet projects you can DIY at home, but that unused pile could supply much of the lumber.

YouTube channel Kitchen Alpha made a pallet-built coop that cost him less than $50, using about 30 free pallets, concrete blocks, milk crates for nesting boxes, and metal roofing. Your total will depend on what you can salvage and which supplies you need to buy, but many of the materials can be sourced secondhand. You can usually find free pallets for DIY projects by asking nearby businesses like hardware or grocery stores for them. Of course, check your town or community's rules before planning your birds' new oasis, as you might need a permit depending on the size of the coop.

A coop is more than a cute backyard addition. It gives your flock a sheltered place to sleep, roost, and lay eggs, and a well-designed one helps protect chickens from predators and bad weather while giving you easy access for collecting eggs. Think of it as creating a comfortable home for your chickens that also makes caring for them easier.

For an 8-by-7-foot coop, you'll need about 30 solid pallets, cement blocks, screws, metal roofing with fasteners, door hinges, and a latch. You'll also milk crates for nesting boxes, along with some tools. Grab a hammer, pry bar, saw, drill, tape measure, and level.

Pry apart around five or six pallets so you can use the reclaimed boards in your base. Start with cement blocks beneath the corners, using a few for additional supports through the center. You'll then join pallets together to form the floor base, covering the gaps with boards from other dismantled pallets. For the walls, connect pallets horizontally, leaving space for a doorway and reinforcing joints with additional reclaimed lumber — and plan enough headroom for cleaning so you're not constantly bonking your head. The creator uses one and a half pallets for the height of the walls, but this can be adjusted based on your needs. Once again, fill in the gaps with dismantled pallet lumber.

The roof should be at a slight slope, so rain and snow can run off. Use some dismantled pallet boards for the framing and install metal roofing with the appropriate hardware, leaving a little overhang to protect the opening. Inside, install supported roosts and nesting boxes — you could use something like milk crates for this, as the creator does. Finally, add a predator-resistant door and latch, and check for exposed screws or sharp edges so your new friends don't get injured. You could also add an attached, securely enclosed run to give your flock outdoor space and help keep chickens out of your garden.