Ralf’s Automated Chicken Haven, Kitzingen, Germany

Chicken coop customized from The Garden Coop plans

Ralf used The Garden Coop walk-in chicken coop plans as a starting point for his fully insulated and highly automated chicken coop. The result is both beautiful and functional — and from the sound of it, a lot of fun to put together. The rest of this post comes directly from him. . . 

We just wanted to share our chicken coop result based on your chicken coop plans. We modified the roof and some other details because we had wood with different dimensions available. The coop has an 8cm Pavatex damping (insulation) because sometimes we have a strong winter (-26°C /-14.8°F).

We added a “technical” case for batteries and a charger for a solar panel, LED lights, an automatic door opener, a bottom drawer, an inspection chamber, a window, an “outdoor” perch.

Slide out tray to clean chicken coop

Insulated window on chicken coop

Window into henhouse of Garden Coop chicken coop from plans

Trim around insulated window in hen house

Insulated cleanout door on chicken coop

Hen house doors on chicken coop

Modified roof on chicken coop from Garden Coop plans

External nest box on chicken coop plans

Automatic chicken coop hen house door

In the pictures you can see the WLAN stick outside of the faraday cage, the cabling, the temperature sensors in the “electric box.” Inside the coop: the fans, the batteries, the solar panel, the day and night cameras, and the LED flooder. I have also installed a presence detector (not in the pictures).

Solar panel on chicken coop

LED flood lights inside chicken run

Electronics box in automated chicken coop

Close up of electronic guts in chicken coop Chicken coop automation

Hen cam inside chicken coop

Outside view of chicken coop ventilation fans

Inside view of small ventilation fans in hen house

I have written some Python programs and Shell scripts which are controlling the PiFace module of the Raspberry Linux box. It is creating RRD graphs every 5 minutes for temperature and controlling the fans and lights. There is also implemented a motion detection for the night cam.

It was a great fun to build this chicken coop, especially for our 8-year-old son Vincent!

Garden Coop chicken coop build in Kitzingen, Deutschland

Many thanks to Ralf for sharing his pictures and ideas. He has built and customized an amazing chicken coop using The Garden Coop plans as a starting point!

Like what he has built? Please let him know with a comment below. Then browse more of our Make It Your Own chicken coop profiles.

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2 thoughts on “Ralf’s Automated Chicken Haven, Kitzingen, Germany”

  1. This is my dream coop. I love using technology to automate things. My main things are the ventilation fans, the predator alert camera, and the automatic chicken door. I love it all. I have been interested in using solar since I first read about it in the 70’s in popular science magazine. This was a real treat to see all of Ralf’s innovations, he must be very proud. Great Job!

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