Matt’s Copper-Top Garden Coop Walk-in Chicken Coop, Raleigh, North Carolina
Matt in Raleigh used The Garden Coop walk-in chicken coop plans and coop hardware quick kit to create a beautifully customized copper-top coop. It looks stunning new, and the copper will only gain character as it ages. The photos and notes that follow come directly from him. . .
Our copper-top chicken coop
The coop roof is actually galvanized 5V crimp panels, primed and then coated with a special copper paint. Because the paint is actual copper, it will oxidize and get a patina over time.
I set all of the hardware cloth inside the two-by-fours (rather than wrapping it around) and then “buttoned” the sections with pennies + brass wood screws. I also painted all of the angle brackets and hinges with the copper paint.
The exterior henhouse walls are 3/4″ Brazillian Koa hardwood left over from flooring our house (hinges shown before painting).
Due to the weight of this flooring, my door opens vertically and attaches to the roof of the coop to keep it open when needed.
I knew right away that I wanted the external nesting boxes, so I built it with that in mind from the get-go. I think I’ll paint the outside of the boxes a shade of red that compliments the copper/wood. . .
These 10″ x 12″ windows are secured with hardware cloth. . .
I also built two dual-pane glass windows to install during colder seasons.
Thank you for the chicken coop plans! The coop hardware kit was also a huge time saver for me.
A big thanks to Matt for sharing his pictures and notes. If you’re inspired by what he’s built, let us know with a comment below.
4 thoughts on “Matt’s Copper-Top Garden Coop Walk-in Chicken Coop, Raleigh, North Carolina”
I would like to see some plans for very northern climates. Our temps range to as high as 100 degrees in the summer (average 85) to as low as -10 in winter. (average about 20 above). Please consider my request. Thank you, Sandy
I appreciate the feedback, Sandy. Many, many folks have built our coops in far northern climates, with great results. Essentially, they modify the henhouse part of the coop with insulation or supplemental heat as needed, then wrap or add siding to the run portion to keep snow and wind out during the coldest months. Ours are very flexible designs that provide the ventilation and security chickens need all year round, but especially in the winter.
There are coops that are fully enclosed out there — they resemble a shed or small barn — but your hens still need a covered, secure outdoor space where they can scratch in deep litter, breathe fresh air, see the sun, get some exercise, etc. With The Garden Coop and The Garden Ark chicken coop designs, the outer space is built in and fully secure. Even The Basic Coop stand-alone coop can be made indoor/outdoor easily by attaching The Garden Run.
There are lots of things you can do to make your chickens more comfortable in the winter. A good place to start is our series on winter chicken and coop care. Some key takeaways:
» Get cold hardy breeds. Ask around what types of chickens do well in your climate.
» Heat their waterer so they always have liquid water.
» Keep snow out of the run portion of the coop. You can wrap the coop for the season (with plastic sheeting, removable panels, etc.) or add permanent siding on two or three sides of the run.
» If you choose to add supplemental heat to the henhouse, add very little, and only then consider adding rigid insulation to the walls. The plans allow for this. You still want to keep the ventilation above the henhouse open in the winter. You can rest a panel above the roost to help block drafts, but if you enclose things too much, you’ll get too much humidity which can lead to respiratory issues and frostbite.
Take a look at our blog posts tagged with “winter”, which will give you more ideas from many different climates/perspectives. Also look at these recent photos/videos from customers, showing The Garden Coop design in the midst of some extraordinary winter conditions (customer in Northeast US) (customer in a remote village in Alaska).
Hope this helps.
I like your coop. The way it read in my browser was just “Raleigh North,” and I thought, “WOW! Raleigh, North Dakota, only about 20 miles from where I grew up.” Oh well, enjoy your chickens. We have 5, and our son has 10.
Nice job Matt! You have some carpentry skills. I like how you installed the roosts around the windows. The hardware cloth inside the frame and the button pennies is a nice touch.