Michelle’s “Hippie Chicks” Chicken Coop, Durham, North Carolina

Michelle built this adorable North Carolina chicken coop using The Basic Coop plans and hardware kit. Her four chicks moved in in the fall, and she wrote recently to say that they made it through the cold, snowy winter with no issues — and no added light or heat (or lava lamps). 

Power to the peeps

The Basic Coop is the perfect canvas for expressing your unique style. It’s also quite adaptable to your particular yard and chicken-keeping situation. Here are some of the things Michelle did to make The Basic Coop her own:

• Painted paisleys on the sides, her daughter’s idea to play off the “Hippie Chicks” theme
• Added external nest boxes working from our free plans
• Designed her own walk-in run, raised the coop higher off the ground, and added a ladder
• Hung one of our 1-gallon nipple waterers inside

“We have four hens, and they have lots of room in the coop,” says Michelle. “In fact, I think we could add two more if we wanted. All four share one roost each night.”

More photos of Michelle’s paisley chicken coop

“Thank you for the great design,” she says. “The plans were clear and easy to follow. I actually enjoyed building it!”

Thanks to Michelle for sharing your photos and notes. If you dig what she’s done, please let her know with a comment below. Peace.