1
Base frame — skids and rungs
The base is the foundation, the floor frame and the tie that stops the A from spreading, all in one.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skid | 2 | 120" | 2x4 | on edge, full length |
| Base rung | 7 | 69" | 2x4 | on edge, between the skids |
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6x10 A-Frame Chicken Tractor Plans for 4-6 Hens (Free PDF)
6x10 A-Frame Chicken Tractor: 19 sq ft of coop and 33 sq ft of screened run for 4-6 hens. Dimensioned drawings, a complete material list, and every cut length across 15 assembly steps. Beginner build, three weekends (22-30 hrs).
Every dimension, spec table and cut list below is free on this page.
Isometric Overview
The cover sheet from the plan book — the accurate geometry behind the image above. Every dimension, spec and cut length on this page is computed from this same model, so the drawing and the tables cannot disagree.
Specifications
| Coop section | 6 ft × 3.8 ft — 19 sq ft of bird floor |
|---|---|
| Run | 6 ft × 5.9 ft (33 sq ft), screened |
| Overall length | 120" coop + run |
| Peak height | 65-7/8" (62-3/8" roof rise) |
| Access | Reach-in — 44-1/2" × 68" hinged panel |
| Capacity | 4-6 hens |
| Nest boxes | 2 in a 24-1/2" bank |
| Roost bar | 60" minimum (10" per bird) |
| Ventilation | 2.5 sq ft |
| Build time | Three weekends (22-30 hrs) |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Materials cost | $800–$1,025 at 2026 prices |
What's Inside the Plans
Sample sheets from the complete 36-page plan book — dimensioned drawings, cut tables and build references drawn at print quality. The previews below are watermarked; the book is not. Everything published on this page stays free.
Material List
The complete bill of materials. Quantities carry no waste allowance — add two or three extra boards if you are new to framing.
| Material | Size | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 1x2 lumber | 8 feet | 10 pcs |
| 2x2 lumber | 12 feet | 6 pcs |
| 2x2 lumber | 8 feet | 17 pcs |
| 2x4 lumber | 12 feet | 2 pcs |
| 2x4 lumber | 8 feet | 10 pcs |
| 1/4" plywood, exterior grade (skins, doors, gussets) | 4' x 8' | 4 pcs (~86 sq ft of parts) |
| 1/2" plywood, exterior grade (floor, nest, tray) | 4' x 8' | 2 pcs (~35 sq ft of parts) |
| Mineral-surface roll roofing | 36in x 36 ft roll | 1 roll (42 sq ft of coop slope) |
| Aluminium roll flashing, ridge cap | 10" x 10 ft | 1 pc (bend to 60 deg over the peak) |
| Roofing nails, galvanised | 7/8" | 1 lb |
| Roof / flashing screws, neoprene washer | 1" | 40 pcs |
| 1/4" hardware cloth, 19 ga | 36" roll | 50 ft (47 ft needed) |
| Fender washers + screws for cloth | 1" washer | 188 pcs |
| Heavy-duty staples | 1/2" | 1 box (1000) |
| Pneumatic wheels, sealed bearing | 10" dia, 1/2in bore | 2 pcs |
| Arm pivot bolts + nyloc nuts | 3/8" x 4" | 2 + 2 |
| Drop pins on lanyards (arms up / arms down) | 5/16" x 3" | 2 pcs |
| Steel axle rod | 1/2" x 78" | 1 pc |
| Axle washers + cotter pins | 1/2in | 4 + 4 |
| Angle brackets, rafter feet | 3" galvanised | 14 pcs |
| 2-1/2" exterior screws | 5 lb box | 1 boxes |
| 1-1/4" exterior screws | 5 lb box | 1 box |
| 1/4" x 3-1/2" lag screws (handles) | — | 8 pcs |
| Screw-in earth anchors + turnbuckles | 15" auger | 2 + 2 |
| Anchor cable, galvanised | 1/8" x 4 ft | 2 pcs |
| Exterior primer + paint | 1 qt each | 1 + 1 |
| Hinges | — | 9 (4 openable parts) |
| Two-action latches | — | 5 |
Nominal vs actual: the list uses nominal sizes (2×4), the drawings use finished sizes (1-1/2" × 3-1/2"). Check your own stock before cutting.
The 15 Assembly Steps
Every step, with the cut list it needs. The summaries here are the short version — the complete 36-page book carries the full written instruction for each one, plus the stop-and-measure checkpoints.
Every cut length below is computed from the same geometry that draws the PDF, so the numbers on this page and the numbers in the plan set cannot disagree.
2
Wheels on flip-down arms, and the lift handle
The wheels go on before anything heavy does, because after the cladding you will not want to roll it over.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheel arm | 2 | 14" | 2x4 | pivot bolt one end, 1/2in axle hole the other |
| Arm pivot block | 2 | 6" | 2x4 | outside the skid |
| Lift handle | 2 | 42" | 2x4 | lagged to the skid, 4 lags each |
| Grip bar | 1 | 69" | 2x2 | between the handle ends |
| Axle rod | 1 | 1/2" x 78" | Steel |
3
Rib assembly — the rafter pairs
A rib is two rafters meeting at the peak. Build all 7 of them flat on the ground before you stand any of them, off one set of marks, so they are identical.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rafter | 14 | 72" | 2x2 | 30 deg both ends, cuts parallel |
| Peak gusset | 14 | 9" x 11" | 1/4" plywood |
4
Stand the ribs and add the purlins
Stand each rib on its rung, outside faces of the rafter feet flush with the outside of the skids, and fix each foot with an angle bracket plus one screw skewed through the bevel.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purlin | 6 | 120" | 2x2 | inside face of the rafters, full length |
| Rafter foot bracket | 14 | 3" | Angle bracket |
5
Ridge joint and ridge flashing
The peak is a 60-degree vee, which is sharper than any ridge cap sold for a house roof.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge flashing | 2 | 10" x 60" | Aluminium flashing | |
| Vent screen cleat | 4 | 44-1/2" | 1x2 | staple the cloth to this |
6
Coop floor and the partition wall
The closed end gets a solid floor; the run end stays open to the grass.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coop floor | 1 | 67-15/16" x 44-1/2" | 1/2" plywood | |
| End panel centre post | 1 | 62-3/8" | 2x4 | rung top to the peak, 30 deg point |
| Partition centre post | 1 | 47-7/8" | 2x4 | pointed top, foot on the pop-door header |
| Pop door jamb | 2 | 14-1/2" | 2x2 | either side of the opening |
| Pop door header | 1 | 15" | 2x2 | across the jambs |
| Closed end panel half | 2 | 36" x 62-3/8" | 1/4" plywood | right triangle, half the panel |
| Partition panel half | 2 | 36" x 62-3/8" | 1/4" plywood | right triangle, half the panel |
| Floor cleat | 2 | 44-1/2" | 2x2 | inside the skid, under the floor edge |
7
Slope cladding — the coop skin
Only the coop section gets skinned. The run stays mesh, which is the point of the whole machine.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left coop slope panel | 1 | 44-1/2" x 68", hatch cut out | 1/4" plywood | |
| Egg hatch slab | 1 | 13-1/2" x 19-1/2" | 1/4" plywood | |
| Hatch frame | 2 | 13-1/2" | 1x2 | top and bottom |
| Hatch frame side | 2 | 16-1/2" | 1x2 |
8
Roof covering over the coop
Roll roofing, not metal. On a stationary coop metal is the better roof; here every pound is a pound you lift twice a day, and mineral-surface roll goes on flat over plywood at a fraction of the weight and none of the drumming.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roll roofing, left slope | 1 | 44-1/2" x 68" | Roll roofing | |
| Roll roofing, cleanout door | 1 | 44-1/2" x 68" | Roll roofing | |
| Drip edge | 2 | 44-1/2" | 1x2 | bevelled, at the foot of each coop slope |
9
Cleanout door — the whole right coop slope
The single most useful thing on the tractor. The entire right slope of the coop section lifts, so you clean, catch a bird or change bedding standing up instead of crawling in through a hatch.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleanout door slab | 1 | 44" x 67-1/2" | 1/4" plywood | |
| Door frame, long | 2 | 44" | 1x2 | |
| Door frame, short | 2 | 64-1/2" | 1x2 | |
| Hinge ledger | 1 | 44-1/2" | 1x2 | 4" below the peak |
| Door prop | 1 | 26" | 1x2 | drilled both ends |
10
Nest box bank
Two boxes across the closed end, sitting on the coop floor. There is no wall to hang them from, so they stand on the floor and they genuinely take 2.2 sq ft of it — that is already out of the capacity figure on the cover.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nest bank floor | 1 | 24-1/2" x 13" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest bank back | 1 | 24-1/2" x 16" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest divider | 1 | 12" x 13" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest litter lip | 1 | 24-1/2" x 3-1/2" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest bank top | 1 | 24-1/2" x 14" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Nest cleat | 2 | 13" | 1x2 | under the bank floor |
11
Pop door and ramp
The pop door is the hens' way between the coop floor and the grass, and it is the only opening that gets shut every single night.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop door slab | 1 | 12-1/2" x 14-1/2" | 1/4" plywood | |
| Ramp | 1 | 12" x 8-15/16" | 1/4" plywood | |
| Ramp cleat | 3 | 12" | 1x2 | every 4" |
12
Run hardware cloth — sides, ends and the floor
This is the predator strategy, and it is different from every other plan in this set.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run floor cloth | 1 | 72" x 71" | Hardware cloth | |
| Run slope cloth | 2 | 72" x 71" | Hardware cloth | |
| Handle-end cloth | 1 | 72" x 62-3/8" triangle | Hardware cloth | |
| Ridge vent cloth | 2 | 44-1/2" x 8" | Hardware cloth |
13
Run access hatch
One hatch on the right run slope for feed, water and catching a bird without opening the coop.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run hatch stile | 2 | 30" | 1x2 | |
| Run hatch rail | 2 | 25" | 1x2 | |
| Run hatch cloth | 1 | 28" x 30" | Hardware cloth | |
| Hatch stop | 2 | 28" | 1x2 | inside the opening, for the hatch to close on |
14
Roost bar and droppings tray
2 bars, running the length of the coop, 12" apart and straddling the centreline — 6" either side of it.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roost bar | 2 | 43" | 2x2 | top corners eased |
| Roost support | 2 | 5" x 6" gusset | 1/2" plywood | |
| Droppings tray | 1 | 30" x 24" | 1/2" plywood | |
| Tray cleat | 2 | 30" | 1x2 | under the tray edges |
15
Moving it, and holding it down
Nothing to build here. This is the page that tells you what you have made, and it is the page most tractor plans do not print.
| Part | Qty | Length | Stock | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screw-in earth anchor | 2 | 15" auger | Earth anchor | |
| Anchor cable | 2 | 48" | Cable | 1/8in galvanised, skid to anchor, with a turnbuckle |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these 6x10 chicken tractor plans really free?
The 5-page preview PDF is a free download with no email required, and everything published on this page stays free — every dimension, the spec table, the complete material list and all 15 assembly steps with their cut tables. The complete 36-page plan book — every wall on its own sheet with its own cut table, a board-by-board cut plan and a material buy list — is $4.99 on Etsy.
How many chickens fit in the 6x10 chicken tractor?
4-6 hens. At 19 sq ft of floor, 4 birds get about 5 sq ft each, with 33 sq ft of screened run on top of that. The top of the range (6) assumes the birds spend their days outside rather than shut in.
What's in the full 36-page plan book?
Everything on this page — dimensioned plan and elevation drawings, the complete bill of materials (28 line items) and all 15 assembly steps with per-step cut tables — plus what a web page can't carry: the full written instruction for every step rather than the summary shown here, every wall framed on its own sheet, a board-by-board cut plan, a buy list you can hand to the lumber yard, and stop-and-measure checkpoints at each stage. The free 5-page preview PDF shows the design overview and main dimensions. On-page specs are computed from the same geometry that draws the PDFs, so the numbers can never disagree.
Related Plans
Want a look first? Download the free 5-page preview PDF — no email required.
Different size? See all chicken coop plans, or check the size calculator first.