Great Depression Chicken Coops

Take a peek at numerous historical images that show several different types of homemade and hand-built coops for every type of climate. From roomy hen houses on sprawling farms to clever shanty town coops made entirely of repurposed items, here is a visual history of the Great Depression era chicken coops:

white leghorn hens outside of an all wood build great depression chicken coop on a large farm

Great Depression Chicken Coops

Chickens accompanied Pilgrims on the Mayflower and have needed housing right along side us ever since. The quest for the “perfect” chicken coop is still underway as climate and ease of cleaning are taken into account. Let’s jump in and view some of the most visually appealing and ingenious hen houses from the 1930’s:

Luxurious Hen Houses

Before the onset of the Great Depression of the 1930’s, the Roaring Twenties was a time of prosperity. If a farm family wanted a new, modern hen house, it only required time and money to build it. Chicken wire had been available since the mid-1800’s and hardware cloth was being manufactured in 1/2 and 1/3 inch sizes so constructing predator-proof, breathable coops was possible.

black & white image of a painted great depression chicken coop from Marshall Texas 1939 — This enormous poultry house, with storm shutters that could be closed, is of the best construction. Lots of ventilation is needed in the Texas heat and the White Leghorns shown are a great breed for handling hot summer temperatures. (Marshall, Tx 1939) Image source: Library of Congress

This white hen house in Chocot Farms, Arkansas would have been considered very modern. Its concrete footings, roof construction, and painted siding are still familiar to us today. (1939) Image source: Library of Congress

Backyard Hen Pens

After the Stock Market crash of 1929, some city-dwelling families made the wise decision to purchase auctioned farms at reduced prices. Sometimes the original larger parcel of land and pasture had already been split and sold off, leaving the farmhouse and a few acres. Livestock animals had generally been sold off as well. These smaller acreage farms were ripe for fixing up. Adding a cute new hen pen for the family was often at the top of the list.

a black & white image of a 1930's backyard hen house chicken coop with a girl tending to chickens in the run — A girl tends her family’s flock of white pullets on a farm in Coffee County, Alabama (1939). Image source: Library of Congress

This large, comfortable hen house on a farm in Fairbury, Nebraska has windows that protect the hens from driving snow and winds. (1936) Image source: Library of Congress

The Common Farmyard Coop

Many farms would allow hens to free range during the day because the 1 acre kitchen garden was fully fenced to keep the chickens out. After feasting on bugs, sprouting seeds, green weeds and spilled grains all day, the flock would return to the coop to roost. Alternatively, some flocks would be fenced in a large chicken yard while the vegetable gardens remained un-fenced.

This coop in Amite, Louisiana is up on stilts, which are wrapped with sheet metal to stop rats from climbing them. (1938) Image source: Library of Congress

This poultry house with a fenced yard is housing a gaggle of turkeys. (1939) Image source: Library of Congress

Shanty Town & Dust Bowl Chicken Coops

When Americans down on their luck were moving frequently, looking for work, or trying to eek out an existence on a spot of land, they generally traveled with a handful of laying hens. Coops were made with repurposed lumber and salvaged wire found along the way. The ramshackle coops would be guarded closely to prevent predators and people’s dogs from killing the entire flock. Chickens, and the protein their eggs provided, were considered essential to survival.

This coop in Creek County, Oklahoma was photographed shortly after the dust bowl years. Tin roof scraps and an old metal sign have been repurposed to attempt to house these birds. Image source: Library of Congress

This homemade coop in a shanty town in Dubuque, Iowa appears to be housing a hen and at least one rabbit. (1939) Image source: Library of Congress

Nest boxes for free ranging hens on the side of a barn near Pace, Mississippi. (January 1939) Image Source: New York Public Library

Poultry House Interiors

A few photos of chicken coop interiors have been preserved through the Library of Congress. It gives us a glimpse of 1930’s farm life and the ingenuity of many poultry keepers.

The interior of a large hen house on a farm (location unknown). Image source: Library of Congress

Interior of the Chicken House at Royer Farm, Lancaster County, PA (1938) Image source: Library of Congress

Interior of a very nice and roomy hen house on an egg producing farm (location not recorded; 1937). Image source: Library of Congress

Did You Know?

Wildlife, including opossums, raccoons, and other chicken-killing wild animals were over-hunted during the Great Depression as a source of food. This was of some benefit to poultry flocks who experienced less nocturnal predator pressure. Hawks, who were protected by the Migratory Bird Act of 1918, were still a daytime threat, as were starving stray dogs whose owners could no longer feed them. Some coops, which have large gaps that raccoons would exploit today, safely housed hens in the 1930’s because of how scarce some wildlife had become.

A woman holds a pet raccoon in front of her chicken coop on a Great Depression era farm. Image source: Library of Congress

Why So Many White Leghorns?

You may notice that a majority of images of Great Depression flocks contained White Leghorn hens. There are a few reasons for this. First, this Mediterranean breed is a highly productive egg layer. Families needed eggs and these hens delivered. My great-grandmother insisted the Leghorn’s lighter weight bodies were better for making fried chicken because the pieces would cook all the way through before the dipped-and-battered outside burned.

Another reason for there being so many leghorn images is that the US government was encouraging farms to keep their hen houses full so struggling families could be fed. The Farm Security Administration was tasked with photographing farms from 1935 onward and some of the farm addresses they were sent to were ones that had received shipments of sponsored chicks, mostly containing white leghorns!

War had broken out between Germany and Poland by 1939 and the US was providing Europe with food, which included powdered eggs. Leghorns would be a very popular breed to keep through the 1940’s as well.