If you’re looking for inspiration to build the most practical and efficient DIY chicken coop, you’re in the right place. At Oak Abode, we’ve just completed a brand-new custom coop designed with functionality, flexibility, and long-term use in mind. Whether you’re just getting started with backyard chickens or looking to upgrade your current setup, this video tour highlights unique design features that break the mold of traditional coops—proving that smart, low-maintenance solutions can also be stylish.
In this video from Oak Abode, we take you on a full tour of our brand-new DIY chicken coop, custom-built with efficiency, functionality, and long-term flexibility in mind. From the very start, our goal was to create a coop that didn’t just look nice—but truly worked well for both the chickens and their keepers. That meant rethinking traditional coop designs and integrating a lot of unconventional, creative solutions to common backyard chicken-keeping problems.
You’ll see how we designed the coop to be fully modular, made up of six separate sections that can be easily disassembled and transported to a new property if needed—perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to rebuild a coop every time they move. The coop sits elevated off the ground to give the chickens a sheltered area to dust bathe and stay dry during harsh Wisconsin weather, and the overall layout emphasizes low maintenance and maximum floor space inside the coop.
One of the most exciting upgrades is our automatic, self-locking chicken door, generously provided by ChickenGuard. This door allows the flock to come and go safely on a timed schedule, giving us peace of mind whether we’re sleeping in or away from home for the evening. It’s a major upgrade for convenience and predator protection, especially after dealing with a possum problem in the past.
The video also showcases other smart design choices like:
A temporary feeder and a future exterior funnel-fed feeding system that keeps the floor clear
A separate, spill-proof water box to reduce mess and moisture
High roosts with proper airflow and ventilation to keep the coop dry in winter without drafts
Two exterior nesting boxes that save space and were quickly accepted by the hens
Black soldier fly larvae treats from GrubTerra used for calcium supplementation and coop training—offering a healthier, more natural alternative to oyster shells
We also share some honest reflections on trial and error, emphasizing that while this setup is working well so far, we’ll keep you posted with updates and tweaks as time goes on. The coop tour wraps up with a preview of our next big project: designing a secure, fully covered chicken run, which will be shared in a separate upcoming video.
Whether you’re a first-time chicken owner or looking to upgrade your current setup, this video is packed with practical tips, lessons learned, and smart design ideas to help you create a more efficient, safe, and easy-to-maintain coop for your flock.
