Before we get started, here is a link to the build process of my Chicken coop on Youtube:
A few years ago, my kids put together a slide show on why we should get chickens. There may have been ducks involved on a few slides, but we declined on those little swimmers. Once the presentation was over, and we agreed to get a few egg layers, the next conversation turned into building a coop or buying one. After looking around at some of the pre-made coops and being consistently underwhelmed I did what i always do... I told my wife to send me photos of ones she liked and said I was going to build one.
After lots of photos and links, we settled on the plans offerred by Cottonwood Shanty and purchased them for a very fair price. The plans were easy to follow, and allowed me to add my own twists and turns as I saw fit. Which of course I did.
Here is the link to Cottonwood Shanty's Plans, so you too can purchase them for your flock:
Throughout our process our goal was to build a coop that was large enough for 6 chickens, but provide us room to expand the flock through the years.
A few of the modifications that we used we added:
1.) Sliding windows I bought at the local hardware store that provide ventilation in the summer and sunlight throughout the year for the best egg production.
2.) A custom French door that opens on the top, allowing for air flow in the summer. This was done by framing in an old window I purchased off of Facebook marketplace.
3.) A solar light inside the coop that allows the ladies to see inside for a time while its dark, get situated on their roost and then it goes out when the battery dies for the evening. Generally its not on past 10-11pm.
4.) Solar lights on the front of the coop that allow for late night visibility.
5.) An owl Statue that sits on top of the coop, which was something handed down from my wife's grandmother. This serves to keep predators away, as they believe theres already one hanging out here.
6.) We installed a Chicken Weather Vane on the top that we purchased on Amazon.
Happy Building folks, I hope my thoughts here, and the link to the plans is helpful.
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