The new fresh-air chicken coop
There’s still much to be done, of course, but the main part is finished and the birds have moved in. The run will be completed as we have time and money for fencing, adding more and expanding it over the next several months. Eventually, there will be a chicken “moat” surrounding the gardens. (The cornfield in the background will be the main veggie garden. To the right of the chicken house, in the grass you see, will be the herb garden. Raised beds are in progress right now for that.)
The east, west, and north walls, along with the roof, are sheet metal. The front, south-facing wall is expanded metal (think chicken wire on steroids). This allows lots of air movement, keeping the environment nice & dry. With the opening facing south, that also allows the sun to enter and warm the coop in the cooler months while, with the summer’s sun being higher in the sky, much less sun enters, allowing for more shade. When we get a few warmer days, we’ll scrub the accumulated dirt from the sheet metal and paint the front wall to look nicer.
The interior will have a half-wall sheeted to keep out the accumulation of crud. We still have to make a good nest box but, for now, buckets will do. They have one simple 2 x 4 for their roost but we will expand that as we get more birds in the spring. We did manage to bring the cool feeder Steve made from Oklahoma. And see the pumpkin pile? Yummy (and free!) chicken food! We’re giving them a few days to have fun eating up the grass and its bugs. Once they’re through with that, we’ll throw in corn stalks and leaves for some fresh fun & bedding.
That coop is awesome! I wish ours was that nice!
K
Thanks, K! (I keep meaning to email you but get distracted…)
That’s just wicked. I’m totally copying this. We need a new coop for the spring, and have been tossing around different designs, but this one will work just perfect. Simple, easy, cheap. The goat and the chickens refuse to be separated so I need to have something that will accomodate them all. I’ll have to winterize it, but seems way easier to do with this design than other ones. Hell, I can just do removable panels for the front…okay, now the brain’s working, thankyouverymuch, if only the foot and a half of snow would melt.
You need to post pics! (Do you have a copy of the open-air chicken houses book? If not, holler and I’ll see that you get it.)
This is me, hollering. Most of the books and plans I’ve seen just wouldn’t fit my surroundings or my budget, or the temperment of my poultry. My brain has been working 90 miles an hour since seeing your new coop. I can even see replacing the ducks we lost to the fox last year. I’ve held off on raising new ones, because our current coop can’t accomodate them safely enough and any new plans I’ve looked at seem to need a thousand bucks and a doorman.
Emailed ya.
I greatly appreciate you sending me the book. I’m completely sold on the open-air house now. AND, I don’t have to winterize it at all. That’s the coolest part. I’ve talked to a lot of naysayers, who are convinced this will never work in our winters, but after reading this, I think they’re wrong. Looking at my current coop, I can see all the sunlight that’s getting blocked by the southern wall, and to be honest, all my chickens are currently perched in the window. You’ve made me rethink it all, and that’s awesome. The more I read through this book the more perfect this becomes. Thanks Diane.
No prob. I’m glad to have a cohort of sorts in this little experiment. I’ve heard nothing but doubts from others so far but I don’t think any of them have researched it much. I’ve read up on this thing for years now and my gut says it’ll work. Do please keep me updated on your end of it!
Can I get a copy of the open-air chicken house book?
I just got home and am about ready to crawl in bed. Please remind me if I don’t email you in the next couple of days, okay?
Okay, it’s sending now. Just holler if you don’t get it and I’ll resend. Good luck!
Can I get a copy of the book as well? Thanks in advance.
It’s sending right now. Let me know if it doesn’t go through, okay? Good luck!
Okie doke, so it’s finally built! You can see it here http://shesboxingclever.wordpress.com/2011/07/29/poultry-palace/
Not many details in that post, but I’m hoping to a get a chance to post a “tour” when it’s completely finished. Soon. Maybe. Before next year. Oh, and I stole a pic from your blog, because, well, you were the inspiration and I needed a pic for demo purposes!
Yes! So freaking cool!!! I’ll hop over there and holler at you tomorrow.
Oh may I please have the book as well? I’m in the process now of building a coop and I totally think this concept makes sense! I’m hoping to raise meat chickens.
It’s sending right now. Let me know if it doesn’t come through.
Okay, I need a copy of this book too – is it too late to get a copy?
Sending right now. Holler if it doesn’t go through.