Once upon a time in a far away place – there was a whimsical chicken coop that just happens to be this month’s “Cool Coop”! Continue reading as Cynthia from New York describes her quaint and functional “Fairy Tale Coop”: I’m an artist. And a builder. Unfortunately these two talents, well, clash at times. I […]

How to keep eggs from freezing in the coop is a concern for many of us this time of year. During the colder months each egg that you collect is like a prized possession.  They can be few and far between.  Having to trash them because they are frozen and/or cracked can be heart breaking. […]

The chicken, of all the farm animals, has made our lives pretty easy as far as egg collection is concerned. Simply provide them a box, and they will deposit a neatly packaged protein source available for easy retrieval. It’s like a mailbox for breakfast. But being that the nesting box is what holds our “food […]

This month’s “Cool Coop” is an great example of repurposing. I imagine a lot of folks have sheds, forts or playhouses that have outlived their usefulness. With a little elbow grease and creativity that abandon structure could become a functional coop. I’ve seen examples of chicken coops made out of just about everything, but when […]

Using the deep litter method in the chicken coop is natural, economical, and healthy.  It is a common practice used today by many chicken keepers, usually during the cold Winter months.  However, it actually got its start during World War II as a means of saving labor and litter.  And, it generally occurred over six […]

This Month’s “Cool Coop” is a wonderful example of how a small backyard project or hobby can  – with a little creativity – become a thriving business. Continue reading as Pamela Adler describes how her backyard flock grew from providing not only her family with fresh eggs, but also friends and neighbors who enjoy her […]

Winter is here. The days are getting shorter and as a result, the chickens need to be secured in their coop earlier and earlier to be safe from nocturnal predators. Chickens are all but blind at night so their ability to escape danger once the sun goes down is pretty much non-existent. One of the […]

This month’s “Cool Coop” promises to boldly go where no coop has gone before… Continue reading as Mike Ferrier from New England describes in detail the construction and launching of the USS EggSurprise: Figuring Out What We Needed We had barely started thinking about a coop when the chicks arrived. All seven of them were shipped […]

This month’s “Cool Coop” features a movable structure which allows the chicken keeper the ability to relocate the coop to different areas of their property. This feature takes advantage of the flock’s nutrient rich manure from being accumulated in a specific location. Their “fertilizer” can be deposited in different sections of the property by simply moving […]

How much space does a chicken need to comfortably rest at night? Is a roosting bar an essential element in poultry housing?