Life with the Ladies in the Chicken Coop

Time for a long awaited chicken coop update!

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Coming Home to Chick Coop Dreams

While I was away my amazing husband printed out my coop design plans and got to work making the fairytale-cottage-coop dream, a reality.

Obviously, we're still not done, but all my hub did on his own is absolutely stunning :))

I'm in awe of it every morning when I look out my bedroom window to my yard.

Since I've been home we got the run built and added a roosting pole into both the coop n run, the quirky 20-something yr. ol' (7-8wk old) chicks love it! and So do my babies Chulo and Chica!

What's left to do:
Well I already ordered the small operable window and that should be arriving later this week.
We're going to place it on the front rightside of the coop.
Then I'm going to make shutters & a window flower box.
Siding n lots of paint.
Inside- we're adding 2 more roosting poles and insulating the inside walls in Sept.
A few nesting boxes still need doors and the run/coop door needs a pulley system...
then I think we can call it done. Hooray!

Final Coop Plans

The Coop designs changed and changed and changed again - thanks to all who gave me feedback! Basically, many of the changes occurred based on further and further education. It may seem obvious, but if you are planning on starting to raise chicks -its not enough to explore chicken coop building texts and plans- I highly encourage reading as much as you can, (NOT just about coop plans but) about chicken behavior, needs and space requirements. Helpful sites were the Manna Pro Webinar, MyPet Chicken.com's free Chick raising guide, and Backyard Chickens Coop Designs.

This final design may seem the most traditional of all, but why mess with a tried and true working design? This little elevated cottage will provide extra shaded run space below the coop (and include a ramp that is not shown here) and will be an attractive little fairytale-like structure for my yard. Since chickens provide such great garden fertilizer the run you see on the right may be duplicated on the left and therefore alternated with extra garden space on alternating years.

final coop design by m. diaz Complete Final Coop design integrated into yard by m. diaz

Chicken Coop Plans - Dreams

As I research, learn and price materials at Home Depot, I continue to modify, change, throw out and start over with designing my chicken coop.

My goal is to get started building in the next two weeks. But before I do that I have to commit to a style and well - I have commitment issues- As my hub knows I have to REALLY love something to commit - hence he is in the picture!!

Coop Plan Idea number 2 drawn with Google Sketchup by m.diaz Idea number 3 The Classic by m.diaz

So PLEASE TELL ME - WHICH COOP PLAN

#1- The Chicken Adirondack throne Coop,
#2 The Zen Den or
#3 The Classic Garden Duplex Coop
DO YOU LIKE so FAR????

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Ciao Amarettogirl

Water and Weed Wednesday - Strawberries & Coop Dreams

Wednesday's fresh strawberries- whipped cream anyone?? My yard and where the chicken coop is going to go! an original sketch of a shape that is as close a proximity to what is in my head for a coop that I want