Small Chicken Coops
Don’t let a small space prevent you from keeping your chickens safe, secure and comfortable.
We provide a wide range of compact chicken coops, perfect for chicken owners with only a handful of hens or limited space.
What is a small chicken coop?
If you only have a small space to work with or only a small flock of chickens, you can still treat them to a high-quality chicken coop: strong, sturdy structures that provide a dedicated space to sleep, roost, lay, relax and socialise when they aren’t out roaming.
Outpost Buildings provides a range of chicken coops, including small options ideal for urban chicken owners or those who want to separate a small number of chickens from the rest of the flock.
This includes everything from small, ‘shanty’ style coops that only take up a few square feet of space, to multi-bay options that are perfect for placing against a fence to make the most of your land area.
No matter how big or small your preferred coop may be, our kitset coops are designed specifically for the needs of New Zealanders and their chickens. We use locally sourced, highly durable materials, including sustainably grown New Zealand pine, and designs that make the most of any space you may have for sheltering your hens, no matter the weather conditions.
While all of our kitset coops are portable, our small chicken coops are especially easy to move. They’re built with tough timber skids, and are towable by a 4x4 - or even a couple of strong volunteers. This means you can move your hens’ shelter with them if you prefer to have them elsewhere on your property, or even take your shelter with you if you move home.
Our range of small chicken coops provide everything your birds may need from a shelter, including perches, nest boxes and chicken doors. They’re small - but mighty.
The benefits of having a small chicken coop
Safety, shelter, good sleep and laying space, all wrapped up in a high-quality, durable DIY kitset.
Safety
Stoats, ferrets, possums and dogs will happily make a meal of your chickens. Our small chicken coops keep them safe from these predators, letting them get a good nights’ rest without worrying about being disturbed.
Shelter
New Zealand experiences a wide range of weather that could cause harm to your chicken: wind, rain, hail and even snow can be a real threat to your birds. Give them somewhere to shelter without having to give up a huge amount of space with a small chicken coop. Plenty of comfort in a compact package.
Roosting
It’s a fact: chickens are happier when they have a good nights’ sleep in a comfortable place. Our small chicken coops give your hens room to roost, allowing them to remain in their preferred social hierarchy and resulting in reduced arguments and fighting.
Laying space
Chickens need a dedicated place for stress-free laying. Our small chicken coops make more out of your available space by providing compact nest boxes that don’t just make it easier on your hens, but also make it easier on you. Our angled nest boxes make it simple to collect eggs without disturbing your flock.
Confinement
There will be times when you need to keep the chickens somewhere safe - you may want to separate some off when they’re sick, or you may want to let the dogs run around without the risk of harassing your birds. A chicken coop provides you with the opportunity to confine your hens, keeping everybody - especially the chickens - happy and healthy.
Easy assembly
Outpost Buildings chicken coops are designed as kitsets, made to be simple to assemble either by you or by a hired builder. As a rule of thumb, our smaller chicken coops are also our simplest to build, requiring nothing more than a basic set of tools and a weekend to put it together. Everything else is provided for you: from the materials to the fixings.
Portable
If you need to move your coop, we’ve got you covered. Our kitsets are designed to be fully portable, with our small chicken coops only requiring a 4x4 or even a couple of strong volunteers to shift from place to place on the property. You can even bring your coop with you if you move home, or sell it on if you don’t need it any more. Moving a chicken coop from place to place is as easy as a suitably sized trailer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can chickens live in a small coop?
Chickens are extremely adaptable creatures - the proof is in where they can live! Nearly every country in the world can support chickens, and New Zealand is no different. They survive and thrive everywhere from Northland to Dunedin, from small backyards to enormous commercial farms.
The key to happy chickens isn’t just shelter, but the right shelter. They’ll need enough space to roost, socialise, feed and lay their eggs, and a high-quality chicken coop, even a small one, can provide everything they need - as long as it's designed correctly.
Depending on your design, our small chicken coops have:
Easily accessible nest boxes
Wire mesh for ventilation and light
Corrugated iron roofing for protection from the elements
Chicken doors for easy free-ranging
Timber perches
Roof flashings to keep the rain out
Optional floor kits for maximum chicken comfort & protection from predators
And much more.
Our small coops are great choices for a chicken tractor as well. If your hens are looking for fresh ground, you can simply tow your coops along with a 4x4 - or even just a couple of strong volunteers for our smallest models.
As long as your flock doesn’t exceed the recommended number of birds for your given coop, and they have feed and water available, they can live and thrive in even a small coop.
What are our small chicken coops made from?
Our small chicken coops are built from materials sourced from local NZ suppliers wherever possible, including our famously tough, sustainably grown New Zealand pine framing.
Our support of fellow New Zealand businesses means that you get a high-quality, durable chicken coop that’s built tougher than most and designed with New Zealand needs and New Zealand conditions in mind.
It’s a huge part of why we’re able to create chicken coops with incredible durability, performance and toughness - no matter how big or small they may be.
Whatever your budget, get in touch with us and we’re sure we can find a suitable solution to suit your needs.