Carolina Coops Chicken Coop Comparison

When choosing the perfect home for your flock, understanding the nuances between our two flagship designs can help you make the right decision. Both the Carolina Coop and the American Coop are built with unwavering quality and functionality, but each brings its own distinct character to your backyard.

The Carolina Coop: Where Our Legacy Began

The Carolina Coop is the original design that started it all—a timeless classic that blends beauty, function, and craftsmanship into one stunning structure. With its classic farmhouse aesthetic, this coop immediately evokes the charm of traditional rural America.


Distinctive Design Details: The Carolina Coop showcases meticulous attention to detail at every turn. The windows feature muntin trim that adds visual interest and old-world character, while the board-and-batten style siding creates that quintessential farmhouse look. The roofline is finished and polished, presenting a refined silhouette that looks equally at home in a cottage garden or a sprawling homestead.


What truly sets the Carolina Coop apart is the level of handcrafted precision. Each 2x4 used in construction is planed to create a clean, perfectly squared board—a testament to traditional craftsmanship that's increasingly rare in modern construction. These thoughtful details combine to create a coop that's not just functional, but genuinely beautiful.

Add-Ons for Your Coop

The American Coop: Rustic Charm Meets Value


Born from the Carolina Coop's proven design, the American Coop carries the same DNA while embracing a more rustic, "old world" aesthetic that many find irresistibly charming.


A Different Kind of Beauty: The American Coop features a more open, honest construction style. The windows have less trim, allowing the natural materials to speak for themselves. The roofline reveals exposed trusses, gable ends, and purlins, creating an architectural interest that celebrates the structure's bones.


Throughout the coop, the eased edges of the framing remain visible, and with siding applied inside the framing, the result is almost Tudor-style. This look feels both rustic and sophisticated.


This streamlined approach isn't just about aesthetics. By reducing the amount of trim work and lumber, the American Coop offers the same exceptional quality at a more accessible price point, making it perfect for those who appreciate authentic construction and want to maximize value.

Despite their aesthetic differences, both coops are built with identical materials and feature the same robust construction standards.

Chicken Coop Comparison: What They Share — Uncompromising Quality

Despite their aesthetic differences, both coops are built with identical materials and feature the same robust construction standards:

Premium Materials:

  • Handcrafted from premium Douglas fir lumber

  • Sustainable Acre™ material for durability and weather resistance

  • Black PVC hardware cloth for predator-proofing

  • Exterior-rated hardware throughout

Signature Features:

  • Deep litter bed system allowing for easy, once-a-year cleaning with a naturally composting environment

  • Dedicated deep litter cleanout door for quick maintenance

  • Functional windows that open to three positions, providing excellent ventilation

  • Cantilevered windows backed by predator-proof hardware cloth

  • Spacious runs with 7-foot peak height and 6-foot high walls

  • Walk-in accessibility for easy daily care

  • Egg hutches lined with sustainable Acre™, featuring removable dividers and front-access drop-down doors

  • Pocket-screwed and glued joinery throughout the Douglas fir structure for lasting durability

  • Ample ventilation even with windows and doors closed

Both coops are fully customizable, predator-proof, and designed to provide a healthy, comfortable environment for your flock year-round.

Carolina Coop

Both coops are fully customizable, predator-proof, and designed to provide a healthy, comfortable environment for your flock year-round.

American Coop

Making Your Choice

The decision between the Carolina Coop and American Coop comes down to personal aesthetic preference and budget considerations.

Choose the Carolina Coop if you:

  • Love classic farmhouse styling with refined details

  • Appreciate traditional craftsmanship and polished finishes

  • Want a coop that serves as a stunning focal point in your yard

  • Value the heritage of our original design

Choose the American Coop if you:

  • Prefer rustic, honest construction with visible structural elements

  • Are drawn to Tudor-style or old-world aesthetics

  • Want to maximize value without compromising on quality

  • Appreciate the beauty of exposed framing and natural materials

DIY Your Own Carolina Coop Inspired Coop

The Bottom Line

Whether you choose the polished elegance of the Carolina Coop or the rustic charm of the American Coop, you're investing in a structure built to last generations. The differences are purely aesthetic—both coops deliver the same exceptional functionality, predator protection, and ease of maintenance that have made our designs trusted by chicken keepers across the world.

Your flock will thrive in either coop. The question is simply: which style speaks to your heart and complements your homestead's character? Both represent our commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and creating homes where chickens—and their keepers—can flourish.


The Author: Ingrid Fromm

Since 2017, Ingrid has been living the backyard chicken dream—complete with what she lovingly calls her "bougie birds." Her journey began with the purchase of an American Coop, which eventually led to her role in marketing for Carolina Coops, where she gets to share her passion professionally. When she's not tending to her pampered poultry, you'll find Ingrid cultivating her permaculture food forest right in the heart of Raleigh, proving that sustainable, organic living thrives even within city limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between the Carolina and American Coop?

The Carolina Coop has extra trim that the American Coop doesn't have. The Carolina Coop has muntin trimmed windows, board and batten style siding, and finished roofline for a more polished look. The handcrafted details of the Carolina Coop go as far as planing each 2x4 it's constructed with to a clean, perfectly squared board. 
The American Coop has the same DNA but it doesn't have the extra trim and siding, giving it a more rustic and Tudor-like quality. 

Are both chicken coops customizable?

Yes! Both the Carolina and American Coop are customizable. There are many add-ons available for each coop to enhance them and make chicken keeping easier. 

Can you do the deep litter method with both coops?

Definitely! Both the Carolina and American Coops feature our signature deep litter beds, allowing you to go over a year without cleaning out the henhouse. Many customers go two or more years between cleaning. 

What size are the coops?

Both the Carolina and American Coop come in 6-foot, 8-foot, and 10-foot widths and 12-foot, 18-foot, 24-foot, and 30-foot lengths. The henhouse can be 4'x6', 6'x8', and 6'x10'. The bigger the henhouse, the more roost bar room, and the more chickens you can house. 

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