Update: It's been YEARS now since I got these, my original chicks. And I've added several new ones to the flock including some Marans, an Ameraucana and some F2 Olive Eggers!
It's here. The Coop.
4 months ago my boyfriend presented me with a cardboard box full of baby chicks.
3 months ago I started to build a chicken coop for them. 2 weeks ago, I finished it.
I normally do a lot of talking and funny story telling at this point in my posts, but not today. Today, I'm just going straight to the pictures.
Not 'cause I don't have a lot of funny stories to tell. I do. Lots of em.
It's just that I have the feeling you're gonna skip past all of the writing and go straight to the pictures anyway. So why waste the funny? Funny is a horrible thing to waste.
It is my honour to introduce you to ...
The box attached to the left side of the coop houses the exterior nesting box on top (which the chickens have access to from inside the coop) as well as storage in the larger door below.
Both of the doors have double security features. You can't be too cautious with a neighbourhood full of cats, hawks, raccoons, skunks, neighbours and other egg loving monsters. Each door has a series of small Rare Earth Magnets, PLUS strips of wood that pivot and lock the door in place. That was the fella's idea. It's completely functional and brilliant.
The lower storage compartment holds feed, treats, the egg basket and pine shavings.
The nesting box holds ... well ... eggs eventually. I hope. Oh my God, what if they never lay an egg?
I built a sliding piece of wood into the nesting box to make sure no eggs accidentally roll out. Plus I can slide it up for easy cleaning of the box.
I know what you're going to be thinking when you see this next picture. You're gonna be thinking ... there's EGGS! No. There are no eggs. Those are fake eggs which we put in the nesting box to encourage the chickens to lay their eggs in there, as opposed to some random spot in the coop or run.
This is the door going into the nesting box as seen from inside the coop.
Like my gates, all the coop doors close with Rare Earth Magnets. Definitely predator proof.
To help the coop air out and to give us a better view of all the girls during the day I made pull out screens for both the upper and lower doors. The coop is directly across from my dining room window, so when we're sitting down to dinner we can watch the girls put themselves to bed at 7:30 every night. I love the screens. They're one of those things I didn't intend to make, but ended up whipping up right at the end of the project.
I cannot tell you what the coop cost to build, because I have no idea. Like so many other coop builders before us, we stopped counting when it got scary. Of course, I saved when I could.
Guess you're curious about the ring. It's my pride and joy.
It leads to a little door inside the coop.
The rope runs through a configuration of pulleys and eye hooks.
So to open up the door to the run all we have to do is pull the ring and the door slides open effortlessly. The ring then slides onto the hook below to keep it open. To close it we just remove the ring from the hook and the screen door spring at the top of the door, pulls the door shut automatically. Thanks to Heather Bullard and her coop for inspiring this particular aspect of my henhouse.
The galvanized tub is filled with dirt. The hens LOVE to jump in it and give themselves dust baths. The tub is from my mother's house. When I was teeny tiny she used to use it as a pool for me.
In honour of little Lucky who died early on. Thanks to LeeAnne Bloye who kindly made the little gravemarker and sent it to me.
Looking down into the run from the door inside the coop.
I spent an hour or two at the cottage earlier this year searching for the perfect piece of driftwood to act as a perch in the run. This was the piece I deemed perfect.
Every morning all 4 chickens relax in the sun on the perch.
A skylight. Yes. I installed a skylight made from a sturdy piece of Plexiglass to allow more light into the coop. My house does not have a skylight.
At 7:30 every night like clockwork, the girls head themselves up the ladder to the coop and jump up on their perch to roost for the night.
Bedtime.
And to all a good night.
That's it for now. If you're interested, here's another post with a few more details about the coop experience including shots of me building.
And I'm sorry, but I do not have any building plans for the coop. I made it up as a I went with inspiration from both Heather Bullard's Chez Poulet and Mitchell Snyder's Modern Coop which was featured in Dwell online.
3 months, 2 major injuries and a huge learning curve later the coop is complete. And I couldn't be happier with it.
Well Done,love the detail and thought out plan,I have hens for years now but when the time comes to renew their home I will certainly be taking into consideration some of your ideas! Hope you do not mind! Great Job!
Hi Donna - Thank you! I don't mind you stealing any or all ideas. :) ~ karen!
Wow! This is my dream coop! I plan to get chickens (four actually), in the next few years, and I hope I can make one like this. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Heather! I was just out cleaning up their bedding as a matter of fact. Makes really good compost! ~ karen
Makes me wish I was Chicken living at your house.
Absolutely beautiful coop! Thanks for the inspiration! Hope my coop is half as lovely when it's finished!
Thanks Amber. I'm sure it will be! And remember ... when in doubt ... add bale of straw. Bales of straw make everything look better. ~ karen!
Where did you keep the chicks while you were building the coop?
April - In a makeshift home in my potting shed. ~ karen!
I know this is a crazy old post, but I just saw this on pinterest this weekend, so it's brand new to me! HOLY COW, that is the most gorgeous chicken coop in the history of ever. I want it! ha! ;) Seriously though, I love it so much. I have total coop envy.
Thanks Jennifer! That's how I felt when I saw the two coops that inspired me. I was close to tears I wanted them so bad, LOL. Oh! And you're never too late to give a compliment. :) ~ karen!
This is beautiful. So,much care and consideration has been put into it that I can't help but to feel admiration. I feel the love!
Keep up the attitude!
Thanks Sharon! I'm pretty sure I love it more than the hens do. But that's O.K. I"m the one looking at it all day. They're busy looking in the dirt for bugs. :) ~ karen!
Handing these photos over to my husband, may want it at the top of the "honey do" list...giggle...awesome job!!! I used to raise chickens on our "gentleman farm many years ago... sold the eggs loved them. Do you have a rooster? Love that cockle doddle doo at 5 am every day!
Thanks Alice. NO! Definitely no rooster. If you search "Tuco" in my search bar you'll hear all bout it. :) ~ karen
Hey Karen,
Impressive is an understatement and I love your approach to design! We are in the planning stages of our coop and might *steal* a tip or two from your blog. I am interested to learn what kind of wood you used for the exterior? Is that cedar?
Thanks!
Keith
Hi Keith - Thank! Feel free to steal away. The exterior is spruce fence boards that I stained. Good luck with your coop. ~ karen!
I love tour coop ..... Do you have the design? I want one like this as a gift to my mom
Absolutely beautiful and amazing work. Truly something to be proud of
Thanks Tara! I'm still pretty happy with it. As are "the girls". :) ~ karen!
You are an inspiration !
LOL, thanks Anna. I wish my chickens were as impressed. Maybe they'd be a bit tidier. They just poop all over it. :) ~ karen
Oh my goodness! I L.O.V.E. your coop!!!!!!!!
its so perfect!!!!
I just finished my coop.
I may have to borrow some of your ideas to add more to mine
Please take a look at mine. Id love to hear from you. You have such amazing taste!!!!
http://choresandchandeliers.blogspot.com/2012/10/yes-i-have-wreath-on-my-chicken-coop.html
Thanks Suzi - I *did* have a look. Your coop is beautiful! Love it. I'm jealous of he electricity. I run it to mine with an extension cord. :( It's just not the same. And you're right. You do indeed need electricity for lights at Christmas. The Christmas Coop is a thing to behold. :) ~ karen!
So clever and beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sherry! They're tucked in for the night. :) ~ karen
one thing you should know if you put the water feeder up on blocks4 to 6 inches its easier for the chickens to drink and keeps it cleaner
I came across this on my facebook page I think it was from Better Homes and Gardens (not on my facebook page to verify). Anyway, this is the type of coop I would love to have for my 20 chickens. The man that made mine is 73 years old and he made it out of old wood and tin roof. Really difficult to keep cool in the summer as I have to hose off the rose several times a day and I learned along with the barn fan and jugs of frozen water my chickens also like their ice pools to cool off. Although my coop is large enough for them, I really don't like his idea of a coop. I wanted something cute for them, they are not just my chickens and first chickens they are my pets. I have names for 4 of them. I even sign night night to them and pet them everyday. Also I noticed the fake eggs being white, I have Long Island Reds and the eggs are brownish (all shades). Thanks for such a creative way to make your girls feel special.
Hi Debbie! Thanks. I still love my coop and the girls do too. I'm decorating it for fall today. I'd love to know if my coop was on the Better Homes and Gardens page! I'm gonna have to find out somehow. ~ karen!
This is just amazing. I believe even the evil raccoons could not murder my chickens in this coop. Very neat and very, very organized.
Thanks Peggy! I know the coop is raccoon proof, but I'm still frightened every night for my little chickens. ~ k
WOW! This is simply beautiful! I need to build our rabbits a new hutch and now I have some inspiration!
LOL! Those'll be some fancy pants rabbits. :) ~ k
I love your chicken coop. What are the dimensions of the coop?. How did the chickens handle the winter without insulation? Thanks
Hi Judy - I'm not positive but the dimensions are around 7' high by almost 4' wide by 10' long. Somewhere thereabouts anyway. I think the measurements are in the post (but I could be mistaken). They did fine and dandy this winter, but I did insulate the coop at the beginning of the winter. Just quickly threw up styrofoam insulation (2") and put bristol board over it, LOL. This fall I'll be insulating it properly. The insulation did a LOT in terms of keeping the coop cool this summer. It's been a HOT summer. ~ karen
I'm not normally one to comment on blog posts, but THAT is the most amazing chicken coop I've ever seen! Well done!!!
Thanks Chris. I'm not normally one to build chicken coops. Heh. It worked out well. Best part ... it's really easy to keep clean. Chickens aren't known for their exemplary personal hygiene. ~ karen!