I bet you thought the coop was finished last year didn't you? So did I.
And it was. There was just the small matter of the chickens eating every plant in my backyard and then crapping it back onto every surface imaginable. And just for good measure, if there was a small area in the backyard that didn't get pooped on, one of the chicken would make sure to walk through it and track it all around. Chickens are very considerate that way.
Apparently so am I, because I too made sure to track the crap everywhere too.
So this spring I decided I was going to have to section off a portion of the yard for chicken pooping purposes. The side yard where their coop is located was the logical place. If I could somehow keep them in that area they could poop to their heart's content and at least it would all be in one area. They could walk around in the sun, take their dust baths, hold their weekly poker games and what not, without turning my backyard into a poo pavilion.
As a reminder, here's where the coop is and what it looks like.
My first thought was to station a scary monster robot in the side yard. Right at this close end of the coop. Scary monster robot would make sure the chickens didn't get past a certain area, therefore containing the poop.
My second thought was to stack wood in an aesthetically pleasing manner, with some sort of doorway in the middle of it. That was bad idea #1. Chickens can jump REALLY high, so the stacked wood would need to be around 6 or 7 feet high. Besides, I burned up all my wood by April 15th. Scary monster robot idea was in the lead.
My second thought was to stack up bales of straw. I was into the whole stacking thing apparently. Stacking is easy you see. Much easier than hammering and drilling and sawing and screaming. Bales of straw would be easy to stack high but you wouldn't be able to see through them. Half the fun of having chickens is watching them. No to the straw.
My final thought was to use swinging wrought iron fence gates. Like this ...
But for some reason, the idea was a bit "off" to me. It wasn't quite right. You know when you look at something in your house and you think That's not right (I find this is often the case whenever I try to dress up my coffee table with a vignette, or put my cats in period piece costumes.)
Sick of making generally all decisions in my life, I sent a quick email off to my Internet friend, interior designer Carol Reed.
Yeah. That's right. I called in an internationally renowned interior designer. For my chicken coop. What of it?
I sent her this remarkably fantastic sketch. YES! It is a sketch. I know. Totally looks like a photograph. I'm a talent. I told Carol I had thought of using wrought iron fence gates, but wasn't sure about it for some reason. Could she please help me? Please, please, interior designer, help this wretched amateur in her time of need.
Within 2 days Carol had sent me back these "quick sketches" of 4 options including materials needed and colour options that were the best. (She knew right away what was wrong with the wrought iron fence I thought of by the way. All of the lines in my backyard are horizontal. The fence, the coop, even the square cut flagstone on the ground.)
THIS is what separates a professional from ... me. I knew something was wrong and there had to be a better idea out there, I just didn't know what it was. I looked over her sketches for about 5 minutes and decided on one design. The next day I went out to get my materials, and the weekend after that I built the gates.
I will reveal which design I chose, how I did it and the gates themselves in Thursday's post.
But for now ... which one would you have chosen? And which one do you think I chose? I will give you one hint. Against my better judgement I decided not to go with the chicken robot.
What color paint did you use? Love it!
Hi Megan! I had the stain custom mixed to match the slate that was in my backyard at the time. So it's a very heavily blue shade of black. :) ~ karen!
Any idea where we got the inspiration for this Coop? Holli raised chickens with her Grandma in South Dakota. She found your Coop on-line about a year ago and out of nowhere told me "this is what you're going to build for me." Our neighbors were moving and needed to place their six 2 year old hens with someone. They found Holli. I thought she had lost her mind. When I staked out the perimeter of a coop the same size as yours, she laughed and took the hammer away from me and started pacing 25 feet long and 10 feet deep and driving the stakes in on the corners. That'll be just about the right size for my girls she proclaimed. It took me 2 months to build as I learned how to hammer and frame and roof and become a master of the double compound miter saw. It's not a coop, it's a tiny home filled with art, games, AC, storm windows, a solar powered hen house door, misters, swings and a jungle gym. We love our girls (12 in all now) and can't even imagine life without them. Thanks for inspiring us in such a profound way.
That. Is. Great. Holli was right. My coop was that particular size because it was all I could fit into the space I had designated for it. Technically that coop of yours could house ... well ... a lot more than 2 hens, lol. But the bigger it is the easier it is to maneuver around to clean. It looks really fantastic. So happy to have inspired you. ~ karen!
I am totally drooling over your chicken coop. I love this design style although it does not quite fit in my rustic style house. I have to say this is the most beautiful coops I have seen!
Thanks Leigh Ann - My house is actually an 1840 cottage, but the backyard where the coop is, is very contemporary. So .. I did what fit the area. I love rustic coops, and if it had fit in with the surrounding area it's the way I would have gone. :) ~ karen!
I cheated....since I'am way behind so I already know which one you went with :) ..... and I love it btw!
Option #3, but with barn door track. Have some history with the door-it is so farmy and works well! can't wait to see what you do with this!
Definitely #4!
Entertainment Value: They're such great fun to watch you just have to have the whole view.
Safety Value: They should be safer than #3 if anyone "forgets" to close them up.
Mental Health Value: #3, is more permanent looking, but it does point out on first viewing that they actually are in prison and you need a clear conscience to do all your other wonderful bloggy things.
Can't wait to find out!
#4. Doi. Wanna watch the chickens!
#4. Best visibility, least expensive and the sliding "barn" door takes up less space. Open and airy design is a plus and it visually echos the double mesh doors on the coop itself.
I would flip a coin.....2-heads or 4-tails.....
Numero 3 all the way. It's a "reference" thing, but not too matchy-matchy... And I wish Carol Reed was my friend! Now I have chicken envy and friend envy :).
I'm just bitter because I'm still not able to do my stupidly-huge-summer-project-bread-oven...and I have to stare at concrete blocks neatly stacked by my wood shed (mocking me!). Could be worse though--I could have chicken poop and feathers on them :).
Wow, she has some good ideas. And most of them will keep chickens in/out. The thing that struck me about the swinging wrought iron gate was: But that wont' stop a chicken. They will walk right through or under that. They mostly see barriers as something to perch on. And no amount of explaining it to them will make a bit of difference.
My vote goes to the rolling barn door designs with mesh.
I think #4. That version has the rolling door and most visibility. I don't think you will be able to pass up the chance to build a rolling door. So industrial. So spacesaving too. The other doors are so normal and common.
I'm picking #3 but I have an idea you went with #4 although I hope you didn't. I've dealt with screen doors many times and I know how easy it is to push it just enough that it comes loose around the sides. The metal bars will give you visibility but be strong enough to be long lasting. My problem with screen doors has mostly been with cats and dogs jumping on them and that might not be a problem for you if you keep your cats in all the time. I don't think you have a dog. Or little kids. I've always ended up with the metal protecters you can buy to put across the screen door although I hate how they look. Then there was the time I caught my foot and fell through the screen myself. Since stairs seem to be a challange for you, you could probably fall through screen too. Just saying........
I really like 2 but given you want to see the chickens I think it is going to be 3 or 4 and I am leaning more on 3 for as one you would pick.