Chicken Coops That Rule the Roost
These 8 chicken coops designed by Houzz users will have you clucking in admiration — and maybe even planning a henhouse of your own
Vanessa Brunner
March 16, 2012
Houzz Contributor
Whether you're an urban farmer in the making or a well-versed country gardener, it's hard to resist the appeal of chickens. While they're plenty of work — and can make a big mess — the general consensus is that the benefits far outweigh the downsides.
Of course, the coop is a huge part of having chickens. These little guys are completely dependent on their owners for safety and are extremely sensitive to space, light and ventilation.
We asked you to share photos of your henhouses. Scroll down to view eight of our favorites.
Of course, the coop is a huge part of having chickens. These little guys are completely dependent on their owners for safety and are extremely sensitive to space, light and ventilation.
We asked you to share photos of your henhouses. Scroll down to view eight of our favorites.
1. Aimee Carpenter made this chicken coop, Chateau de Poulet, out of her daughter's old playhouse. Recently, she added new siding, a metal roof and paint. The playhouse was modified to include nesting boxes, roosts, a door, a ramp and chicken wire over the windows to keep predators out.
Carpenter's new coop is a chicken paradise. The exterior nesting boxes have viewing windows and can be accessed from the outside, which makes collecting eggs a bit easier. The coop also has a solar light and a solar fan inside. The fan kicks in at a certain temperature, which helps keep the space cool in the summer. The middle section, fenced in with chicken wire, connects the chicken coop to the goat house — a favorite spot for the hens on rainy days.
Sheet fiberglass lines the walls, making them totally scrubbable — a great touch in what can quickly become a smelly space. The roosts in this coop are also hinged and lift up to hook to the ceiling, which allows Carpenter to clean the floor without having to work around them.
She installed natural branches instead of round poles, which she found most chickens prefer. All the windows open for ventilation and light, and heavy-gauge wire is layered underneath the window framing to keep raccoons out.
2. Leslie Divoli of West Palm Beach, Florida, has kept chickens for the past five or six years. What started out as two hens, a rooster and four chicks has now grown into a flock of 62 chickens. Divoli's coops are walk-in, which makes cleaning easier. A self-closing door with a hands-free latch makes sure that no one gets locked in.
Since Florida is ridden with snakes, the biggest challenge has been making the structures snakeproof. "Every climate has different design demands," Divoli says. "A Chicago coop and a Miami coop should be different. In our climate, the main shelter needs are shade, cool breeze, protection from intense rain and security from predators."
Since Florida is ridden with snakes, the biggest challenge has been making the structures snakeproof. "Every climate has different design demands," Divoli says. "A Chicago coop and a Miami coop should be different. In our climate, the main shelter needs are shade, cool breeze, protection from intense rain and security from predators."
3. Michelle Carlisle has kept chickens for three and a half years in her Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin, home. She wanted her coop to be as low maintenance as possible. "I tried to be logical with how I set things up," she says. "I put the food and water right next to the door, so they'd be easy to grab when we have to fill them in the winter. The nest boxes are in easy reach of the door too."
Since plenty of predators live in the woods surrounding her house, safety was particularly important. "The best thing we did was completely enclose the coop into a secure yard, so that if we wanted to leave for a few days in the summer, we can just leave their little chicken door open."
Since plenty of predators live in the woods surrounding her house, safety was particularly important. "The best thing we did was completely enclose the coop into a secure yard, so that if we wanted to leave for a few days in the summer, we can just leave their little chicken door open."
4. For her first flock of chickens, Vicki Smith wanted an inexpensive but durable coop that would look great in the yard of her 140-year-old Pennsylvania farmhouse. She wasn't sure how she'd feel about having chickens and didn't want to invest a lot of money. She kept it simple electricity-wise, with a power cord from her back deck running to the coop for a water heater and light.
Smith didn't want to have to get on her hands and knees to clean, so she placed the coop on legs so that she could back her Gator up to it and rake the litter into the truck bed. But since she'd have to crawl in and do maintenance from time to time, she had to make it sturdy with a big entrance. The pen is about 200 square feet total and can house her six chickens with plenty of breathing room.
"My main suggestion for anyone building their own coop is to keep it simple and have fun with it. If building your own miniature Cape Cod for your flock is within your abilities, go for it. Chickens have a few basic requirements for space, roosts, nest boxes and predator protection. After that, you can do whatever you want — or whatever your neighbors or local government will accept."
5. Cheri Mitchell of Winnie, Texas, rescued her Godl Dutch Bantams from a training facility for duck hunting dogs. After snagging two hens and a rooster from certain death, she realized she needed to build a place for them to live. This cute little house has wheels on it, so it can be pulled along with the chicken run to fertilize different parts of the yard and keep the chicken run fresh and clean.
The coop itself has six nests, which Mitchell made out of milk crates. Having heard horror predator stories, Mitchell lined her chicken house with ½-inch-thick hardware cloth — a sturdy netting that's stronger than chicken wire and has much smaller holes. There are also two layers of hardware cloth on the floor to prevent rats and snakes from burrowing in.
6. Although she and her family wanted chickens, Cassie Ward also wanted a coop that was as low maintenance as possible. As a mother and an elementary school teacher, she didn't have a ton of time to devote to these little creatures. As a result, she created a henhouse with two large doors that swing open, allowing for cleaning at waist level. Nesting boxes open out into a nook that's easy for collecting eggs, and a deep bedding system means she needs to completely clean out the coop only a few times a year.
The upper level of the coop has two vents, which help prevent common chicken respiratory problems. This 60-square-foot space is chock-full of security measures — strong metal fencing, brick footing that extends 8 inches into the ground to protect from digging predators, and padlocking latches.
"Locate the coop in a place where the hens can choose sun or shade, if possible. Chickens love to stretch out on the ground in the sunshine for afternoon naps," Ward says. "And be sure to let your hens have access to an outdoor run. Chickens that are cooped up all the time will not be happy. They'll let you and your neighbors know exactly how they feel."
7. Kathy Siegel's Los Angeles coop was designed around a beautiful salvaged window that her husband found. Using Google Sketch-Up, Siegel designed the house to incorporate air, light and plenty of protection. The coop has a series of screened areas under the rafters, which allows for clean air circulation. The structure is nestled against a retaining wall, so Siegel had to design all the entries and exits through one set of side doors.
8. Washington state resident Gwen Weerts and her husband were excited to become first-time chicken owners but had a hard time figuring out where to put their coop in their tiny yard. They have an extensive garden, and giving the chickens free range might destroy everything. The one perfect spot was interrupted by a maple tree stump, so the couple built around it, letting it become part of the coop.
To give their chickens the sun and shade they crave, the couple extended the coop's roof to cover 70 percent of the run, with 30 percent uncovered for sunny, dry days. Washington is known for its wet weather, so this also prevents the run from becoming a giant pit of mud.
Do you keep hens? Please tell us about them below!
More:
The Scoop on Chicken Coops
Complete Your Landscape with a Backyard Cottage
14 Picture-Perfect Playhouses
Do you keep hens? Please tell us about them below!
More:
The Scoop on Chicken Coops
Complete Your Landscape with a Backyard Cottage
14 Picture-Perfect Playhouses
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