Name the place where your chickens live. Is it a chicken coop? A hen house? Or do you have a more creative name for the place where your chickens live?
Stationary Buildings
A stationary building where chickens live is usually either a chicken coop or a hen house. The word coop comes from the Old English word “cype”, meaning a small structure for confining birds.
The term hen house originated in the days when farmers kept a rooster only long enough to produce spring chicks for the next year’s flock. After that, the rooster became Sunday dinner. So for most of the year, the chicken coop housed hens only; hence: hen house.
Today we use the term hen house whether or not the flock includes a rooster. However, when a rooster is present, the name of the place where your chickens live may be a more inclusive chicken house.
Portable Buildings
Portable structures go by a variety of names, including chicken tractor and hutch. A structure that lacks a floor allows chickens to scratch in the soil. In that case it is a chicken tractor.
An ark may or may not have a solid floor. A small coop with a solid floor is also a chalet or a hutch.
Many portable structures confine chickens at all times. The entire structure is periodically moved to provide the flock with fresh ground.
An alternative option is to move the chickens daily. During the nighttime they stay in a coop. During the daytime they enjoy the outdoors in an enclosed run, such as the Peck and Play pen.
Pens and Runs
Stationary structures usually adjoin a fenced yard, also called a run or a pen. Some chicken keepers refer to the building itself as a pen.
If the run is predator resistant, the chickens might come and go as they please between their shelter and the yard. If predators are likely to gain access during the night, the shelter door is usually secured after the chickens go in to roost for the night.
Creative Names
In addition to traditional terms used to designate coops and runs, chicken keepers like to give their coops more creative names. Such names usually incorporate a chicken pun.
Famous places are a popular source of inspiration. Some examples include:
- Cluckingham Palace
- Coopacabana
- Coop Mahal
- Eggs-Mart
- Eggsploratorium
- Hen Hilton
- Henway Park
- Taj Macoop
- Taj Mahen
- Waldorf Eggstoria
Styles of coop construction also provide inspiration. For example:
- Bantam Bungalow
- Banty Shanty
- Cackleberry Castle
- Chick Inn
- Clutch Hutch
- Egg Chalet
- Hen Hut
- Poultry Palace
Some coop names are made up just for fun. Here are a few inspiring examples:
- Biddy City
- Casa de Huevos
- Egg Plant
- Eggspert House
- Hen Den
- Maison d’oeufs
Cackle Hatchery® houses chickens in a Cackle Coop. What is the name of the place where your chickens live?
Helpful Links
8 Things to Know Before Building a Chicken Coop
Buying a Ready-Made Chicken Coop — 10 Things to Consider
Why You May Need a Bigger Chicken Coop than You Thought
And that’s today’s news from the Cackle Coop.
Gail Damerow has written numerous books about keeping poultry, many of them available from the Cackle Bookstore.
