Bobbie Mabe's Garden Coop

Like most new chicken owners, Bobbie Mabe thought it best to start out with a small, simple coop that came boxed as a kit.  Makes sense….you wouldn’t buy a fender Stratocaster if you just started taking guitar lessons, right?

But as often happens with the smaller, pre-manufactured chicken coop kits, the Mabe family’s hens quickly outgrew the tiny enclosure. The lack of adequate coop space was hard enough, but it took the tragedy of losing one of the family’s five hens to a raccoon one night, that prompted Bobbie to find a coop design that could give her hens much more space, as well as sturdy protection from predators and the elements.

The Garden Coop design has all of the above plus a really clean, modern look to top it off. The much larger floor plan gives each bird over ten square feet of space, which means that the hens can comfortably stay in the coop for days at a time when the family is away on vacation.

The coop is framed with Western Red Cedar and elevated on concrete piers to minimize damage from ground moisture. The entire floor plan is covered by tinted polycarbonate roof panels which will keep the birds dry in freezing winter rains, and offer protection from searing summer sun.

The Garden Coop frame is wrapped with ½” galvanized hardware cloth, which is buried about a foot deep around the entire perimeter of the coop. This will ensure that the hens will always be safe from even the most persistent nocturnal, digging predators.

The design also features a hardware cloth ceiling which both improves ventilation and allows plenty of sunlight into the coop.

The human entry door makes it easy for the family to access the coop for cleaning & feeding, and the slide bolt ensures it stays securely closed at night.

The hens really appreciate the live branches for the perches and ladder, and they also give the coop an earthy, natural touch.

Interested in having a Garden Coop built for your backyard flock? click here to learn more.

Comments

[Michele]

I love this design! It's simple, straight forward and gives the girls the room they need. A happy chicken lays happy eggs (; Great post!