In this fifteenth episode of the Krewe of Coops virtual coop tour, we visit ten fantastic coops built using The Garden Loft large walk-in chicken coop plans.
Posts tagged with ‘Hardware Cloth’
“Krewe of Coops” Chicken Coop Tour, No. 15 — Ten Garden Lofts
Friday, March 19th, 2021How to add a window to your chicken coop
Tuesday, December 8th, 2020
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.
(more…)“Krewe of Coops” Virtual Chicken Coop Tour No. 11, Seven Garden Lofts
Thursday, December 20th, 2018
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…)
Make It Your Own: “Krewe of Coops” Virtual Chicken Coop Tour No. 8 — A Dozen Garden Coops
Wednesday, November 15th, 2017
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…)
Keeping bees with chickens
Monday, January 25th, 2016
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…)
Make It Your Own: Matt’s Copper-Top Garden Coop, Raleigh, North Carolina
Monday, January 18th, 2016
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…)
How to predator proof the open floor of The Garden Ark mobile chicken coop
Monday, August 4th, 2014
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…)
7 tips for building a garden-friendly chicken coop
Tuesday, July 15th, 2014In 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. . . .
1. Let it breathe.
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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Make It Your Own: Marc’s California Garden Coop
Monday, May 26th, 2014
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…)
Make It Your Own: Abby and John’s Garden Coop (Lafayette, California)
Friday, March 16th, 2012
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…)
How to build grazing frames for your backyard chickens
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
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…)
Make It Your Own: Colin and Faye’s Australian Garden Coop
Saturday, February 4th, 2012
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. . . .
Our Garden Coop build
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…)
Make It Your Own: Cindy’s “Hen Hilton,” Southern Rhode Island
Monday, December 26th, 2011
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…)
Make It Your Own: Morgan’s Garden Ark, Portland, Oregon
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
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:
- I used poultry fencing instead of hardware cloth, for no good reason other than I’m a cheap bastard and I like little tiny cuts on my hands.
- Instead of clean, straight cuts made with a good saw, I decided to go with a more organic-wavy-line cutting style made with a jigsaw. I think I’m in a Frank Gehry phase.
- Instead of “reading all the text,” I often proceeded based on the photos and blind, baseless confidence in my abilities to intuit what you intended. Doors may be in the wrong place, extra 2x2s may not have been used, mistakes may have been made.
All in all, very happy. Getting three eggs a day. –Morgan
Make It Your Own: Michele’s Garden Coop, Massachusetts
Monday, September 12th, 2011
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…)
