All of our chicken coop designs have an open-air ceiling in the henhouse, so there’s typically no need to add windows for ventilation. But if you’re in a really warm climate, want to look in on your flock from time to time, or just like the look of a window, there are a few easy ways to add one to your chicken coop.
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In this eleventh ride of the Krewe of Coops, we tour seven super-duper coops built using The Garden Loft large walk-in chicken coop plans. (more…)
In this eighth installment of the Krewe of Coops, we’re featuring a dozen examples of The Garden Coop backyard chicken coop design from all across the country. Enjoy! (more…)
Bryan in Atlanta sent in photos of his finished Garden Coop, which he expanded so that he could keep bees and chickens together. I found the idea fascinating, so I asked him to explain how his plan to incorporate a bee hive informed his chicken coop build. The rest of this post comes directly from him. . . . (more…)
Matt in Raleigh used The Garden Coop walk-in chicken coop plans and 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. . . (more…)
I’ve been working for some time on a solution to predator-proof the open floor of The Garden Ark mobile chicken tractor. The challenge has been finding a way to secure the floor without closing it off completely or permanently. After all, you need the open floor for mobility, cleaning, and access to grazing. After much trial, I finally came up with an elegant solution (essentially a version of one of these turned upside down) then put it to the test. It works perfectly, and now I’m excited to share it. (more…)
In the urban or suburban garden, limited space, pests, wary neighbors, and the like can make the idea of keeping chickens seem like more hassle than it’s worth. But by designing and building the right kind of coop, you can quickly get past these hurdles and add a whole new dimension to your garden.
Here are seven tips to put your coop project on the right path. . . .
A well-ventilated chicken coop helps keep your hens from suffering and your neighbors from complaining. Of course, you do need to stay ahead of any odors, making sure you balance out their poop with plenty of high-carbon bedding like straw, wood shavings, leaves, or shredded paper. We use the deep-litter method and continue to add straw as the chickens add droppings. This mixture begins to compost in place, and the volume builds only slowly. From time to time we move it all to a compost bin to finish doing its thing, then incorporate the rich fertilizer into the garden.
NOTE: The pictures in this post feature coops built by us and by customers of our chicken coop plans. Click on them to learn more about each DIY chicken coop build.
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Marc in Los Altos, California, built this great-looking chicken coop using The Garden Coop walk-in coop plans. He added some nice touches and sent a lot of pictures to illustrate what he’s built. The rest of the post comes from him. . . . (more…)
Abby and John used The Garden Coop chicken coop plans to build this gorgeous coop for their California backyard. It’s a wonderful example of how something as functional as a chicken coop, when done right, can add beauty to an already beautiful outdoor garden space.
I’ve actually been meaning to post this coop profile for some time, so without further delay. . . (more…)
Allowing your chickens to graze on fresh grass is a good thing — not just for them, but for you as well. The nutrients in green vegetation enhances the quality of their eggs and meat. And since fresh greens can make up about 20-30% of a chicken’s diet, providing them for your chickens can save you on feed costs.
But keeping your chickens supplied with fresh greens can be a challenge. When chickens have plenty of room to roam, they will graze a little off the top, then move on. When forage space is limited, however, as in a small urban or suburban backyard, chickens will continue to graze and scratch in the same spot until the vegetation is torn down to the roots.
An easy solution? Grazing frames! (more…)
Colin and Faye sent in this inspiring story along with pictures of their beautiful, rustic Garden Coop build and tips for other chicken coop builders in Australia. The rest of this post comes from them. . . .
We have finished our chicken coop and our six eight-week-old chickens took up residence last Saturday. Thank you for such easy-to-understand plans. For my husband Colin and I, this was our first venture in building anything, and we are very pleased with the outcome. (more…)
Cindy in Rhode Island sent us this picture of her Garden Coop build, all decked out for the holidays. The rest of this post comes directly from her: (more…)
I got this note from a friend the other day:
John, just wanted to say thanks for The Garden Ark plans. I finally have it done and four hens happily residing. The plans were great. I made a few modifications though:
All in all, very happy. Getting three eggs a day. –Morgan
Michele sent a few pictures of her backyard chicken coop in Massachusetts, a really nice example of what you can build straight from The Garden Coop plans. Here’s what she wrote. . . (more…)
You can build The Garden Coop on a slope fairly easily because the frame of the chicken coop rests on piers. As long as your piers are tall enough on the lower end of the slope, you can use those to compensate for the height difference and keep the frame level. I recommend 16″ (400 mm) cinderblocks positioned vertically for this purpose. Our coop plans describe this in greater detail.
You also want to make sure that the hardware cloth is long enough to still be buried on all sides of the chicken coop by a foot or more. This is part of the process of making sure your chicken coop is predator proof and secure from tunneling critters. Again, our coop plans describe how to do this. If your slope is drastic, you can add some framing on the low end below the basic frame to help attach the hardware cloth to.
Above is a picture of a Garden Coop that Christine S. and her son built on a slight slope in their backyard near Seattle. The photo is a little grainy but should give you an idea of how to use the piers to keep the frame level. The picture below is of their finished chicken coop, wrapped with hardware cloth and chicken wire.
Have you used The Garden Coop chicken coop plans to build a coop on uneven ground? What worked for you, and what didn’t? Share your tips and suggestions below.
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