The HH and I are going back on forth on what to do about a chicken coop. Our 7 hens are sleeping in their little Eglu at night, and roaming around our fenced backyard during the day. I LOVE the fact that they can roam around the backyard, and so far, they haven’t discovered the vegetable patch. At 13 weeks old though, they have just about outgrown their sleeping quarters. We need a new chicken coop. Like now.
With all the high temps we’ve been having, as soon as the chickens are let out of their coop in the morning, they pretty much stick to exploring the wooded area {that is fully fenced} along one side of our property. It’s nice and shady there, and I’m sure it’s full of bugs to forage for.
Ideally, that spot would probably be a great area to build a coop. But, if we built it the coop there you’d probably be able to see the coop from the road {not ideal in my opinion} in the wintertime. In the summertime though, you’d never see it.
This morning, as I walked out past the potting/wood shed, I began to wonder if somehow turning part of the area would be a good possibility for a chicken coop.
Yes, the woodshed holds about 1 1/4 cords of wood…. BUT we do have plenty of other areas on the property to store wood.
The small woodshed connects to the potting shed {a wall separates them}.
This area with the shelving…. I was thinking the HH could put up a wall there with wire mesh at the top to keep any critters out. The ventilation would be great, don’t you think? The only problem is, the chickens would either need to do their free ranging in the big backyard {with their exit being RIGHT BESIDE the vegetable garden} or the HH could build some sort of little exit door off the woodshed area and they would free range on the side of the house or the wooded area right behind it.
Or, we could just order this chicken coop plan off Etsy {it’s the only one the HH and I can agree on} and build a coop ourselves. Originally I wanted the coop in the lower backyard between the corn patch and the vegetable garden. But the more and more I think about it…. I’d rather let our chickens be able to roam around the backyard rather than be stuck in a chicken run all day. My friend JJ let’s her birds roam around her backyard {in a large fenced area} and they seem to love it.
Obviously, I don’t want the chickens eating out of my vegetable patch, {and the HH doesn’t want to build a ridiculously large fence around the vegetable garden} but I would love to be able to have them free range around the backyard. After all, the pilgrims must have had this problem, couldn’t I build some sort of attractive looking, colonial type of chicken fence out of sticks that would keep the chickens out of the garden?
Maybe, building a coop on the total opposite end of the vegetable patch in our {fenced} backyard {and somewhat near the back porch} would be okay. Lucy would love the daily jaunt out to the coop {even in the wintertime} and maybe the chickens would have plenty of room to explore/eat/scratch that they would leave my {vegetable garden} alone.
Maybe having a cute little chicken coop that was somewhat visible from the road in the wintertime wouldn’t be a big deal after all? What do you think?
Should we…
- Build a chicken coop and place it near the front of the fenced yard OR
- Somehow remodel the potting/woodshed into a chicken coop?
We need you to weigh in…. we’re having a hard time deciding.
~Mavis
Jamie Johnson says
Build a chicken coop! The potting shed/woodshed will get plenty of use without sharing it with the chickens.
Maria Campbell says
Chickens poop all over everything, shed dust and dander, and they will need a place to be securely shut up at night safe from predators and a place to roost that will allow them to survive the bitterly cold weather where you live. They also need a place to stand out of the wet and cold because when there is snow on the ground they probably won’t go out into the sleet and snow when it’s really cold. The coop plans you are looking at do not seem to be easily expandable because chickens make more chickens and you’ll want more believe me. The potting shed will be more easily expandable down the road and most of the building is already in place. This will save you money in the long run. Plus there is storage for the many many things chickens seem to require.
I vote for the potting shed. Modifications are cheaper than a new build IMHO (Built two smaller chicken coops in five years because I didn’t take into account chicken math and thinking that I might need a third)
Annie says
Here are a few things to consider. Do you have electric or power that you can easily run to the potting shed or new coop? I ask this because you are going to want a heated waterer during the winters or you are going to be lugging water out to them every day when it gets below 30 degrees. Since you work from home maybe that’s not a big deal for you but for our house it is. You will want to put up some kind of fence around your garden because they will destroy it by scratching around the plants and pecking or eating your produce.
Please consider having a covered fenced yard area attached to your Coop in the event the free ranging does not work out. We have learned this the hard way by losing many of our Chickens to predators. The only time we let the Chickens out is when we are home and at dusk they go back in to Roost which just requires us to shut the door at night to keep them safe. The Covered Roof will keep the yard dry which is very much needed if it rains or snows to keep them from getting bumble foot or having their Feet or Crests get frost bitten. I’m not sure if you have a Tractor Supply near you or in your area but they sell Pine Shavings (Do not get Cedar) that is great to use to keep the coop smelling fresh and to give them some warmth during the winter. I use what they call a deep litter method which is just scooping out the dirty shavings under the roosts and mixing in new shavings in with the old. I also use the shavings in their laying boxes and put straw on top of that so that they have a defined space for laying. My Chickens start Molting in the Fall thus they need a warm dry place to hang out in. There is also the issue of when your Hens go Broody so you will want to make sure that you have plenty of laying boxes, depending on how many chickens you have.
Cathy says
Remember you don’t live in HOA ,
It doesn’t matter you can see it from the road.
Make it big enough for a dozen chickens
Deborah says
I vote for the woodshed/potting shed. You can always build or buy a chicken coop later. They need the shelter, now. I think I’d make a door to it though. That way you can gather eggs in the repurposed shed. You can always tear down what you’ve added and make the shed what it was originally. JMHO.
Mark says
I wouldn’t want to give up the storage of the potting shed. So I’d build a coop and put it where ever you want. Personally I’d love to see a cute coop like that as I was driving by. You could even put lights on it at Christmas.
Alison says
I agree! My coop is really cute. I think it enhances the look of my backyard. I think the one you’ve picked is super cute, just too small. Can the HH double it? You are going to want more chickens…
Rose says
Here’s a crazy thought?! Since your having a hard time with where to place the coop. Build the chicken coop and add wheels to it. That way you can move it around with the tractor to wherever you want during the seasons until you like we’re it’s at.
Teresa says
I agree! Chicken tractor. Mobile house on wheels. Move it every couple of days and the girls will weed for you!
Robin says
A chicken tractor would be great, and give you an excuse to learn to drive the tractor, since you could move it with the tractor. hehe
kim says
Make sure whatever you decide that you can easily access the coop in winter 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
We would have to snow blow some sort of “race track” in the backyard for Lucy anyhow, so my thought was we would plow a track to and around the coop if we decided to build one or to the potting shed. That’s what my friend Heather did with her chickens.
R says
I’m with Jamie above. Go with a plan for a separate chicken coop. The shed is a perfectly good storage place for all of the lawn and garden supplies/equipment you already have … and will continue to accumulate. Putting animals in the same space could be messy and/or smelly.
I also agree with Cathy; there’s no HOA. I personally like seeing a nice looking chicken coop from the road. If you paint the coop to complement your house, it wouldn’t be that noticeable, even in winter. And if the coop isn’t too large, you have the bonus of being able to relocate it.
Rynda Gregory says
I agree. Part of the charm of living in your area (from what I can see in your pics) is seeing the classic structures on the property from the road. And if your neighborhood isn’t that busy, and your neighbors aren’t too close, stop worrying. It’s whatever you want.
Also, don’t give u the shed because I believe as you progress in your new gardening life in New England, you may find that drying herbs and storing supplies may take up the “movability” space you currently have in the shed.
It will be a fun (ha!) project for you you and your HH to build the new coop. We built ours together almost 8 years ago and – wowzers…. what a marriage builder. We laughed and debated, and laughed so much. Good memories!
Cheers to your final decision!
Rynda
Barb says
You’re going to have to let them out every morning and put them to bed every night (unless you get an automatic door), even when it’s freezing out, so make sure you are able to easily get to the coop…and when there are 2 feet of snow on the ground, you’re going to have to shovel a path to get to them and for them to get out–and will likely need a large covered run because they’re not going to want to forage too far in the snow and cold.
Nancy D says
I love in the PNW and love having our coop on legs. The chickens can shelter from rain or Sun underneath and I’ve observed them run under when a hawk flies overhead. However, I was wondering with the harsh NE winters, it would be harder to keep warm with the cold air circulating underneath?
Nancy D says
*LIVE in the PNW (but I do LOVE it!) 😉
ANGELIA M JOHNSON says
Me too!
Deborah says
A light bulb (incandescent) would help keep it warmish if it was enclosed.
CSirca says
Build the one off the ground. You never know when winter comes what predators you’d have that can dig into the dirt floor and get into your potting shed coop.
I speak from experience, a mink (didn’t even know they EXISTED in our area) dug through our impromptu barn coop dirt floors one winter night and basically massacred 20 chickens. We were devastated, lost our whole flock except for one lone chicken in one night.
Heidi P says
I feel your pain. We had a similar experience last Christmas Eve. We call it “the Christmas Eve Massacre”. 15 of our 16 chickens GONE! We still haven’t fully recovered 7 months later. Our local farmer said in the winter when predators get really hungry they will take big risks to get food. Whatever it was dug a huge hole under our fencing big enough for a person to fit through.
Diana says
From what I can see, you don’t have too much in the potting shed, and you’re trying to keep your life streamlined, so I would vote for modifying the potting shed vs. building new. Have the HH put in the chicken door on the side that allows them to go into the shaded tree area. If the building doesn’t already have electricity run to it, I would run it. That way you could have lighting and a way to create heat on the worst days of winter – for both the shed and the coop. Since you won’t need the whole shed for them – at least not yet (until you decide you need more chickens, lol), build a wall so that you can still have some storage. I would definitely make sure you put down some heavy wire fencing on the ground all the way around the perimeter of the building so that critters can’t dig down and get in. I’ve done that to keep dogs from digging out, lol, and once the grass grows up around the wire, you don’t notice it and have no problems mowing over it.
I’m all for reduce, reuse, recycle and be cheap, lol, so I like the thought of using the existing shed…
Mrs. C. says
Why not do both? Don’t rush on building the coop. In the meantime, use the shed. That’s what we did, and loved it so much that we converted it to their lermanent home. We had a steel garage that we used to store wood. Dirt floor, creepy, and a haven for hornets. We replaced the roof and poured a concrete slab. The chickens have 300 square feet of interior space, it is well ventilated, and safe.
FYI, chicken wire is not enough. You have to use one -inch suqare hardware cloth. Either bury the bottom a foot deep in the ground, or bend it outwards, creating a skirt about two feet wide, and secure it to the geound.
Ellen C. says
Absolutely second this recommendation! Great info on the wire.
Martine says
How about both! If your shed has a dirt floor could you move the coop inside the shed in the worst of winter then your ladies can still get ‘out’ for a scratch around inside the shed? You could then also have some storage there too. I don’t have chickens so I don’t know if this is feasible. X
Diane says
Wouldn’t you want to keep the potting shed for starting all your flats of seedlings plus to store your gardening tools and lawnmower? And the woodshed to keep your word dry from the elements? I’d vote for making a cute chicken coop that would be attractive if seen from the road.
Mrs. C. says
Also, you do not need to build a fence. Fences are really expensive, so farmers and homesteaders use portable electric fencing to keep predators OUT and to contain the chickens. That is what I use after a fox almost killed one of my hens. Premiere1 fencing sells many different kinds of animal fencing. I am about to buy bear fencing to protect our bee hives. They have a chicken fence that is pretty cool – the interior is NOT electrified, but the exterior is. If anyone goes that route, whenever you use electric fencing, stay with the animals and supervise until they get used to it and learn to avoid it. You don’t want them getting trapped in the fence.
Chrissy says
I wouldn’t count on distance to keep the chickens out of the garden. They will find it and they will travel to it if they want.
Angela D. says
This has also been our experience. Our girls had free roam of about 3 acres. Any small veggie patch that was discovered would be decimated in one afternoon. Most years, tiny seedlings wouldn’t even live to become full grown; later in the season, pink tomatoes, not yet ripe, would be pulled off and eaten. We’ve spent so much time and money on different fencing around each veggie patch, most of them failing at keeping the girls out and making it difficult for me to get in with all my supplies. Our yard has no pretty flowers in pots, either. The girls pull off any and all that I’ve ever planted.
Martha says
My hens don’t touch marigolds or coleus! Gives our yard a splash of color. I use rubber mulch in pots and they don’t dig it out.
Angela D. says
Thanks, Martha! I’ll give this a try…..
Stacey says
Whichever you decide to do, I wouldn’t worry at all about the coop being visible from the road. I love seeing evidences of country living when I’m in the country, and I’m guessing your neighbors feel the same way!
Wendy M says
I second whoever said portable coop. Why don’t you just buy or build a chicken tractor? I am undecided about the potting shed conversion.
Lissa says
Why is the road visibility an issue? Privacy? Human chicken thieves? My vote is for the coop. Have you named that cute chicken yet?
Lynn says
I do not have chickens, so I can’t advise you there. However, my HH and I have been burning fires in masonry fireplaces for over 35 years. We SO wish we had a woodshed to keep our wood dry and somewhat unfrozen. We have made do, however, by placing tarps over the woodpile that is being used during the winter and stacking wood in the garage when a snowstorm is heading our way. The garage is not an ideal solution and I do recommend it, but it is better to have dry, unfrozen wood than realize that once the power goes out.
Lynn says
Oops . . . that was “The garage is not an ideal solution and I do NOT recommend” not “I do recommend.” 🙂
Bruce Watson, Jr says
Converting what you have is the less expensive route. With 7 hens, you won’t need that much room anyway. The coops you can buy are cheaply made. Buying the plans and making it yourself is a great idea, but you need to get rolling as the older they get, the hungrier they get! They WILL find that garden patch!
Cathy says
Definitely the woodshed, with a little door leading away from the garden. How wonderful to be able to use an existing structure!
Angela D. says
Here is what our experience has been in Central Wisconsin, zone 5a:
We currently have 20 chickens, three different flocks over the past five years. In the winter, about 1/2 of the girls will not go out in the snow at all. None will go out in heavy drifts; we shovel or snow-blow down to the grass. If it’s too cold, snowing, sleeting or windy, none will go out.
We are thankful that we converted a corn-crib into our chicken coop. The floor is cement, covered with construction-grade sand about 6″ deep and measures roughly 7 feet x 23 feet…..BIG! My husband dropped the ceiling down to a height of 9 feet, and there’s a layer of insulation above, as the original corn-crib ceiling was much higher.
On the worst Winter days, we can be assured that our girls have lots of space to roam around inside the coop, even enough room to fly down off of their roosts! However, with this much space our girls will never heat the inside of their coop with their own body heat or droppings, as perhaps those smaller coops would allow. We have hung up a red heat lamp over each roost, driving up our electric bill, of course! We also have the water set on a heater so it doesn’t freeze–we have two, in case one should fail. My husband has this rigged up to automatically turn on the lamps/water heaters when the temperature inside the coop falls below freezing; he works in HVAC–Heating and Air!
Melinda W says
I think I’d concrete the woodshed area floor, make sure the sides were predator proof, put in lots of ventilation in the side walls, build a solid wall halfway and a door that was about half the opening to have easy access for cleaning, then build fencing straight out from the current opening so they had a protected area. I’d make sure there was outside access to the nest box, so it would probably be easiest to cut a hole in the wall and build one outwards. That should give them plenty of inside room, plus a secure pen, plus you could let them free range as possible. I’m in TN and have to keep mine in their coop all the time because of predators, but built to the standard of 4 sq ft per bird in the house area and 10 sq ft per bird in the run, and they seem happy and healthy enough. (Actually, the 4 of them have 100 sq ft of run.) If you have predators, snow, bad weather, gardens, etc to contend with, I’d make sure they had a secure pen of their own to be able to use. It wouldn’t take up the actual potting shed, so they could do in there if there was an emergency. The coop you are looking at is cute, but doesn’t look big enough at all for me for 7 birds.
Mrs. C. says
One of my concerns with building the new coop is winter – when you get three feet of snow, what will you do? We made our coop big enough so that the chickens can hang out in there comfortably if the weather is bad. Plan for the worst weather and for more chickens than you have.
Heidi P says
All the above suggestions are great. I know whatever you decide it will be wonderful. I would love to have a garden shed like yours to keep my tool/supplies/starts handy.
Maria Zannini says
Our very first coop was started off a potting shed, but when we moved to our forever home we put a lot of thought into our chicken coop.
We built it with a concrete floor, wide windows for ventilation and an attached pen with a wire mesh roof, creating a large aviary.
If you’ve never faced predators before, you will. Eventually they’ll figure out where your chickens live.
PS. We tried chicken tractors once, but they were too much work in the long run.
Carrie says
If it was me I would use the potting shed and fence in the garden or only free range when you are outside with them.
The separate coop is super cute but after four years of chicken keeping I really wish I went bigger. I have a stand alone 3×4 foot coop that I have moved to three houses/yards. It was nice to be able to do that but now I own my home and I’d like a shed-like coop. We built a large run this spring so they have 560 square feet of earth to destroy and will leave my gardens alone!
And I agree with others regarding seeing a coop from the road. I actively look for them during road trips! They are so charming. Chicken keepers will be delighted and others won’t notice.
Geunita W Ringold says
The idea of free ranging is great and I let my 9 chickens do it, but they will find your garden eventually. Also, since I have had chickens for several years, I have lost 2 to a hawk and one to some unknown predator. I live in the suburbs. I predict with all the wildlife you have seen so far, you will have some predators eventually, especially when they are hungry in the winter. I would build a coop and a run of some type. Do some research on Backyard Chickens about coops and winter where you live. They give great advice and are a great chicken resource. They have helped me a lot in my chicken journey. You might post your question with pictures there.
Aunt G says
Remodel. It’s the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way to go.
Emily Brower says
Give the shed a year and revisit. For now, a small door on the back will work. The ETSY plan is darling, but not practical if you are considering increasing your flock. I recall a post not too far back that mentioned just that thought.
That’s the great thing about a new place. You can tweak until you’re completely satisfied.
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Hi Mavis — what decisions your life holds now… who knew?? As always, a few thoughts for you:
1. You don’t live in the HOA neighborhood any more. Chances are, no one will care if they can see your coop from the road. If you’re really concerned, ask your closest neighbors, thereby gaining points for looking out for their interests, too.
2. You do *not* want a coop that opens right next to your vegetable garden. Chickens are not as stupid as people think they are. They will come out and see a veggie buffet!
3. Build a coop bigger than you think you will need. Obviously you are having a good time with both raising chickens and selling produce. There is likely to be a greater demand for your excess eggs than your 7 girls can meet. I see more hens in your flock in the future…
Julia says
Chicken coop!
judy egan says
hi mavis. i think you should think about how close your coop will be to your house. i’m sure you won’t want to hike a mile in a blizzard. if you buy the coop you can always move it to fit your needs’ even the woodshed area looks really cool.
Linda says
IMHO, you are going to need some wood under cover- we burn wood for heat and wet wood does not burn well. I’d fill the woodshed before fall. This has been another weird year for weather, but generally New England gets A LOT of snow, and when the temp goes up a little that snow will melt on your woodpile. Even if you can get a fire started with kindling, the wood won’t put out the heat it should if it is wet.
A wall of wood on the other side of the potting shed will keep predators from coming in there, but I’d still face that back wall with something. You’ve already heard about experiences with a dirt floor coop – can your HH concrete the floor? As for your vegetable garden, you aren’t going to have to worry about that in winter, when your girls are going to need both protection and warmth the most. And I wouldn’t worry much about the coop’s visibility from the road in winter.
I’m with those who think the plans for a coop result in a pretty little coop, but that it will a) NOT be big enough, and b) not be warm enough. Is there some other place for you to conveniently store what is now in the shed? In other words, do you NEED a potting shed? If you don’t, adapt the shed and give your biddies a home. You go, girl!!!!
Margery says
If you do the shed, cement the floor, use hardware cloth for the ventilation, and have a area that is open and predator proof wooden frame covered on all sides and top with fencing for those days that free ranging is not a good idea. Keep the roosting area small as it will be easier to keep them warm in the winter.
I am thinking you could start by enclosing 1/2 of the open shed to make it into the nesting closed up stay warm area of the coop and then enclose the other 1/2 in hardware cloth like a screened room making a open area for them on the days they need to stay safe, and from that have a door that opens away from the garden for free days. Have the nesting boxes open into the potting shed so that you get the eggs while out of the weather. Wind chill is a real thing.
Your chickens may be safe right now but come a long winter they will be an easy meal for a hungry animal. We lost a few flocks over the years to fox, weasel, and other wildlife. Now we live in a city and can have 4 chickens but the the hubby says no.
Don’t worry about the chickens being seen from the road it’s part of country life.
We built what we called the Fort Knox of chicken coops and all those chicken lived until we moved, i will look for a picture.
Kipper says
Portable coop gets my vote too. You could move it according to the seasons. Thinking you might want it closer to the house and electric outlet (to power heat coop) in the winter. Main thing is making it as vermin/predator proof as possible .
Our coop came from chickencoopsnw.com and it was easy to assemble, moderately priced. Not sure what it would cost to ship.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks! Do you have their coop run? Do you like it? Do you feel like it is long enough?
Kipper says
I made my own run using ranch fencing for half of the perimeter. The rest of perimeter is either a shed, wood fence or little picket fence. Deer netting used for “roof” of run and it goes down on the wire fence side too. I needed the headroom to walk into run. The netting prevents hen escapes. Love cable ties! Deer netting is cheaper and comes in wider roll than bird netting. Metal fence posts secure the wire fencing.
Carrie says
Kipper, thanks for sharing that coop company. I noticed the roosting bars are low in their designs. My self-made coop is very similar to theirs and my bars are about 2 feet high. All six hens won’t roost so now I’m thinking height has something to do with it. I thought chickens like to be up high but maybe mine can’t launch themselves up there in the 3×3 foot space. Do you like the low roosting bars?
Joely says
Why don’t you take a look at Elliot Coleman’s books and website. He and his wife Barbara are masters at four season farming in Maine, not far from you. They have had birds (ducks) and talk about how they move them around the farm in their “duckingham palace.” New Englanders are crafty and resourceful, just like you! Good luck in whatever you decide. Life is an adventure here in NE.
Vicki in Birmingham says
Maybe it would help me to help you decide if I had a picture of the area about where the “cute”” chicken house would be from the road and some idea as to how it will look. Also, are you planning on just using that open back part of the potting shed, or more of it than that?
But for now, if you don’t want to make a permanent decision in your first year there, the portable run with a shelter of course sounds like it could be a good idea.
Boy, that was no help! Sorry!
Liz says
Please just use the existing shed it has plenty of room and the ability for roosting. I’m sick of seeing chicken coops with a roosting bar for two. Which is what you would get from Etsy. It’s important for survival and keeps them out of nesting boxes otherwise they will go in them at night. Causing a mess and more bugs on your eggs.
Linda says
Chickens will eventually find your garden if they have access to it! They LOVE to eat your veggies!
Practical Parsimony says
I enjoy seeing chicken coops and sometimes catch a glimple of chickens to my delight. I had to carry chickens thought the snow! Make it easy to care for them. Don’t use the potting shed. I put a 14′ piece of hog wire 3 feet wide under the 10′ fence. Predators do not want to dig underground.
Okay, I used a 10x10x6 foot dog pen for my hens and let them out each day. I needed a top on the pen. The hog wire protected them from digging. I hate to see chickens on concrete because they need to scratch, even in their coop.
You need a coop your husband and you can stand in. The chickens will stay warm in the coop in the winter. Do not make it airtight or the hens will die from the moisture they put into the air. They do not need heat. They will stay warm by huddling on a roost. Lights are dangerous is not covered.
I live in town and raccoons eventually found my hens. Yet, they leave the rabbit alone one street over that is in a flimsy cage!
Chickens will eventually find your garden. The older they get, the farther afield they roam. My chickens could jump a six foot fence. Please don’t cut one wing to deter them from flying. Flying is their only defense some days. Us an electric fence that you can move to keep hens in place and to keep predators out. This can be run by a small solar panel.
I made a chicken water heater more cheaply than one can be bought. It is on my blog. Just search.
Carol says
The chickens will find your garden no matter how far away you are. Fence the garden or the deer and groundhogs will eventually find it too
Kim says
My coop is the back 3rd of my barn-type shed. We fenced in a small yard behind the shed for them to “free range” but had to clip their wings to keep them in. As for the veg garden…good luck if you free range! It doesn’t seem to matter the amount of fencing, bird net, etc, THEY STILL GET IN if not clipped! This year I didn’t clip them and they are every blueberry from my bushes before I had a chance to harvest:(
IMO, you will come out ahead if you buy from the grocery or farmer’s market.
Brenda Black says
No chicken tractor. You need to have them completely confined where they will have protection from the elements of the weather and critters that are hungry. My vote is on the new chicken coop. I don’t know how much it cost. I know that you can get free wood on Craigslist. On YouTube there was a guy that did just that and built a beautiful chicken coop for only $250 and it would house many chickens. The video had the chicken coop that was red and white and he had about 40 chickens and he had separate fenced in areas for them to come out of different door to cluck around in different areas if space is not a problem. The chicken coop that you have shown in the picture is beautiful and it is contained very well. My vote is on that unless you plan on getting a lot more chickens and selling eggs. Then you would need a larger space. If you plan on having your chickens all the time and you love them and a very happy with the amount that you have, then I would go for the one that you have shown in the picture because it is beautiful and the amount of chickens that you say that you have would do well in that size. I have 14 chickens and have a very limited space and income and therefore they have to make do with what I have. If you have the money and you want to spend it go for it. I really like your chicken coop picture and it looks like the perfect place to keep them safe and dry. Good luck. If the chickens have left your garden alone, that’s a miracle by the way.. either they will find it or you must have a really nice wooden area that keeps them busy eating bugs all day. By the way, I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Pennsylvania, but the Amish put wire on the inside of the coop and then they put a window type thing on the outside of the coop that can be open from the bottom and pulled up to the top and then tied up there, but still locked down for protection from the elements when it’s so cold or raining really hard so that the chickens can get ventilation when the days are nice and they’re still contained inside say you won’t be there to let them out that day, or you want to protect them by keeping them inside until you can get rid of whatever Critter is trying to get them like a fox or a possum or a raccoon or a hawk.
Brenda Black says
When I said window, I meant they have a piece of wood like a thick piece of plywood over the outside of the wire that they can actually pull up like a window. It pulls from the bottom and they just lift it to the top and attach it that way and then it comes down when they want it down.
Nita Paris says
Build a coop and make it something special. We built one that has an antique window with diamond panes we salvaged from a flea market. We designed a high pitched roof..painted it yellow, color of our house and put an old blue door on it. Then we decorated around it with old vintage fence, bottle tree with old blue bottles…it’s precious. AND, it sits near our driveway, visible from the street…and makes a great presentation. It’s so cute and we get many, many complements. Happy to share photos if you’d like. We have a fenced, free range area attached where the girls spend their days.
Carrie says
All I can think about when reading through the comments is “there is more than one way to fry an egg.”
I wish there was a way for readers to submit a photo of their coop so we could see all the coop eye candy.
Mavis Butterfield says
http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/category/mavis-mail/
Linda Harber says
I’m wondering if you are considering building a chicken run for your hens. I have had a small flock since 2012 and since that time we have lost 5 hens to small predators (foxes, hawks, and raccoons) and I live within city limits. We started out letting them free range during the day, but found that even if we were in the yard and turned out back for more than 15 minutes, one of our girls could fall prey to a hungry predator. Last year we build a chicken wire covered run with the pre-fab coop inside. We have not had a problem with anyone coming up missing or worse since then. Just something else to think about when considering your coop. 🙂