The Coop The goal was to create a focal point at the end of the kitchen garden that was nice to look at and functional for poultry. We also wanted it to be flexible enough so that it could be converted to a garden shed or greenhouse if the house was sold or we got tired of having chickens.
It's 6' x 10' with a steep pitched roof, hardware cloth exterior and concrete foundation. I was told that rodents can get through chicken wire and chew through anything less durable than concrete. The framing is mostly pressure treated 2x4, 6x6 and 3/4" plywood. It ain't going nowheres!
Detail of the nest boxes, 5 across, 12x12x12 in size with a 2x4 strip in front for access. They are a couple feet off the ground, easy jumping height but we also added the branch for easier access.
Detail of the door, the dutch door is an excellent feature, it gives a nice vantage point for watching and feeding. It's also a nostalgic thing, life on the farm.
The trellis wraps around the bottom front and sides to add a visual element repeated from the decik.
View from inside up into the rafters. We added a tin light from Mexico, not really for the chickens but to show off the coop at night. Like a star in the sky above the flock, visible from up top the deck, glowing in the night.
