Today I thought that I’d share another peek at the chicken coop. The landscaping is beginning to fill in and the edible chicken garden is a very popular place. I picked up two plastic garden stools from Home Goods that the kids enjoy sitting on both inside and outside of the chicken run. Wood chips fill in the garden path ways. I find they are much easier to rake back into place after the chickens scratch around in them.
As you open the door, you are greeted by nine nesting boxes. The nesting boxes, are completely removable for a good cleaning a couple times per year. I placed a few wooden eggs in the upper boxes, to help convince the girls that this is a good place to lay eggs.
I still love to use kiln dried pine shavings on the coop floor. They help control odor and dry out any missed droppings. They are also very inexpensive. When I clean the coop, I rake the run out first. Then I toss the coop’s soiled shavings into the run. The chickens help to compost the shavings and they also help with any excess moisture and puddles in the run from rain. We have two windows on opposite side of the coop. This provides a great cross ventilation in the summer. All the windows also add lots of light to the coop. Did you know that sunlight is a natural bacteria killer?
I also love to add houseplants in the coop too. In addition to using the dried herbs in the nesting boxes, I have mint, lavender and chamomile plants perched up in the rafters to help control flies and other pests. I store the oyster shells and grit up there too in vintage mason jars.
My coop is available for purchase here.
42 thoughts on “My Chicken Coop Tour: An Update”
I absolutely love it! I wish I had the space for a coop that size. I love the way you decorated the coop!!!!!
Amazing…and I am in love!!!
Beautiful. I wiuld love to buy one or two of these….
Its awesome! What are you using on the floor of the run?
What lucky girls. Their home looks so inviting. Everything looks picture perfect.
I'm thinking the coop door should be red. Or yellow. Something sunny and cheerful! I love the design of your coop, especially the fact that most of the poop is to one side where the chickens roost at night – so much easier to keep clean! And the design from the outside is gorgeous – who wouldn't want one of those in their backyard!
Oh, it all looks so pretty! Our chickens are only 7 weeks old and I was just wondering how I encourage them to use the nesting boxes when the time comes. I was also wondering what to do with the large mason jars I'm collecting after using the honey that comes in them. Excellent ideas!
I had Placed nest egg gourds in my nest boxes. On the day my first hen, a RIR, started laying, she knocked them all out on the floor!
I don't know anything about keeping chickens, but this is the most amazing chicken coop I've ever seen!
This coop is wonderful! I love the nest boxes.
This is the most amazing coop I have seen yet. Painting it white definitely puts the birds in the pet category. It is like a home not just a coop. Did you build or buy it. Are there plans available?
Thank you! I designed it and I had Dan from http://www.greenchickencoop.com build it for me. They do make them to order. I hope this helps.
Gorgeous coop. What sort of foundation does the coop sit on? Is there any material under the walls of the run to prevent predators from burrowing/tunneling into the run? Also, what is the purpose of the small door under the window opposite from the entrance into the coop? I'm prepping to build a coop and my wife handed me a photo of yours for inspiration. Thanks! – Ryan
Thank you! The coop is on skids. A hardware cloth apron goes around the entire run buried into the ground. The small door is the chickens' access door to the run.
I really love your design. Any chance of getting plans? How many does it accommodate?
Your coop is absolutely beautiful! What material are the interior walls made out of? In my coop now, I have paneling and I HATE it!
I LOVE your coop. We are using a coop that was on our property when we bought it, but are getting ready to build a new one. How big is your coop and your run? How many chickens do you have ?
Thank you! This coop is 6 feet by 8 feet and the run is 6 feet by twelve feet. We are at maximum capacity with our 6 standard hens and 6 bantams. I hope this helps.
I think this has to be the most beautiful chicken house that I have ever seen…inside and out. I am very impressed with your design and hygienic habits. Your 'girls' are some very lucky pampered ladies. I have build a rather large chicken house too with my father's help but use straw in the nesting boxes and on the floor…..I like the idea of using sawdust instead. Thanks for your lovely photos and great explanations. You are welcome to come and have a little look at my chicken coop/house any time. Love to hear any improvement or further tips and tricks you have for me.
Is your chicken coop design still available? I don't think greens chicken coop.com is still around. Thank you!
I am very interested in purchasing the plans for your coop…I think it would be perfect for my yard! I don't believe the link to green chicken coop.com is active…is there another way to contact them?
I love your coop. Mine isn't nearly as pretty as yours so I'm feeling a little jealous!
Where did you get your coop?
I designed the coop myself and had it custom built by a company that is no longer in business.
i toured your coop and love it. I was wondering if you would share the floor plan of your coop. We are getting ready to build one and I would like it somewhat like yours. Maybe I'm asking to much. Sorry if I am.
I am happy to share the measurements of the coop with you. Please email me with your inquiry and email address.
I am trying to figure out how you have your roost where they are removable….Ours was until the girls kept knocking them out and onto the floor. How are yours staying in place?
I have 2 x 4s running on opposite walls with notches cut out. The roosts sit in those.
that is exactly what we just did this past weekend after we completely emptied and rearranged our chicken coop inside.
Oh I’m not sure which I enjoyed more, your blog writing.. or the design. It’s just so functional and sweet. Thank you for sharing the pictures. May I ask about the way to build so the boxes come out for cleaning, same for the rails? I did try to visit the builders site hoping it might be back up, but alas, not .
Thank you
I do not have plans to share right now. I would recommend going over to backyardchickens.com. I would bet they probably have plans for nesting boxes there and blueprints too. Good luck!
My run is completely dirty, dry, and dusty. It looks sloppy. Me, being a neat freak, wants it to look better, and it looks so bad I’m worried the neighbors will think we are neglecting them! What can I do?
How many chickens do you have and what size is your space? Sometimes it can be from lack of room. Also, chickens require regular tidying of their living space. Some people love adding sand to their runs, so I would research that and see if it seems if it is an option for you. I personally have no experience using sand but some of my friends love it. I tidy up the coop each day and pick up most of the droppings. I clean out the entire coop with a good cleaning once per month and a quarterly deep clean. Hope this helps.
I have 5 hens and a 50 sq ft run.
Sounds like they have enough space. That is good!
Our family is new to chickens and I’ve found myself constantly searching for the best “upgrades” to our coop. The one we have now is flimsy and I’m not confident it will keep predators out. We’ve since put up an electric poultry fence (which comically, our pullets escape from to run back to their brooder at dusk – we’re working on this…..). I love the look of your coop and I’d like to know more about it. I just recently found your blog and I’m hooked!
Thank you! You can learn more about my coop in the coop tour that is featured on the right hand side of the home page. You are right, a strong and secure coop is very important. I hope you find inspiration in my coop.
I have three chickens. And our coop isn’t really that big. Our coop is just a plain looking mini wooden house with mini windows and doors. Your coop is sooooooo beautiful! Look at the white walls. I got to say that this is the most amazing coop in the universe!Is there anything inside the walls that keep predators out? And what kind of foundation is the coop sitting on?
Hi Danny. Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope I can answer your questions for you here. The white walls are actually a white stain. They wipe down very easily for maintenance. I do a fresh coat of stain about every other year or so. I do have the coop windows inside covered with hardware cloth as an extra screen for when the windows are open. The coop is sitting on skids. There is hardware cloth buried a couple of inches underneath the entire chicken coop to prevent animals from living and digging under the coop. The run has a perimeter of hardware cloth attached that goes down about 18 inches around. There is also a hardware cloth apron that spreads out 2 feet around the run to deter diggers. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions.
Well, um, One more question. How big is your run? Ours looks sloppy and rusty. I think i’m asking too much. Sorry.
No worries, our run is 5 feet by 12 feet and we 7 chickens (5 standard size and 2 bantams)
OMG