Our chicken coop is over 20 years old. My dad built it for me when I was 13 after I lost my first flock of chickens to a predator attack. After I married my husband Zach, we moved out of my parent’s house and took the coop with us. It was quite an endeavor to disassemble it piece by piece, and then label each piece and reassemble it at our new home.
Once it landed, we added a wing on the left side and gave it a new coat of paint to match our red goat barn. (To read more: Moving the Coop, 40 Chickens, 40 Miles West.)
Over the years, the chicken coop has gone through many transformations depending on what my plans are for the flock. We’ve torn down walls, built separation pens and I think finally we have a set up that I’m really pleased with.
The thing I like most about this set up is that it utilizes one building but holds several separate living areas. That way I can separate breeds for breeding, or young chickens after they leave the brooder but before they join the main flock.
The inside of the coop is separated by framed walls with chicken wire dividing each section in two. The wing holds two separate breeds with their own run.
We built the runs our of treated lumber painted white and chicken wire. Each of the runs has a door to the outside and a door to the other runs.
This makes feeding and watering very easy.
We also cut the main coop in half to provide an area for storage.
This keeps the chickens off of their food bins and supplies. It also saves me trips across the yard to the main barn where we used to keep the chicken supplies, which was annoying.
(That chair is my chicken watching chair.)
I like that I also have an area dedicated to brooding. I made a new rule…no more brooding chickens in the house! I hate the dust that it creates.
I have two brooders and a bin and scoop dedicated to grower food. My next goal is to order some fire-proof brooder heaters.
I like this set up so much that we have plans to build another wing this fall. Below are the plans for how it will be set up and the breeds that I’d like to raise. We are in the process of becoming NPIP Certified and I’d like to be able to keep the breeding lines pure without having to separate roosters etc. (To learn more about getting your flock NPIP Certified check out my NPIP series over at Homestead Hustle.)
Things that I will keep with this addition is the Dutch door feature. I love that this gives me the ability to look in the coop while still having a barrier to stop chickens from escaping.
We also have this additional holding pen outside the coop. Right now it is housing our Easter Egger roosters so I can introduce my French Black Copper Maran roosters to the EE hens. This will give me Olive Egger chicks.
This coop will be getting a paint job to match the other red outbuildings.
