This spring I finally found myself at Tractor Supply when they had chicks, and somehow came home with 4 little "Americana" sexed female chicks. I've had quail for years and have been wanting chickens, and finally had 2 acres where I could hide them. Technically I'm in a neighborhood, but since we are in a cul-de-sac and back up to protected woods, nobody can see them anyway. I just had to make sure to get girls, since although I can hear roosters from the neighboring farms, I wasn't going to chance it.
I originally built the coop behind my greenhouse in a corner of the fence, and it was mesh covered chainlink dog panels and wooden fence giving them about 15x25 feet of play area. Then one day 2 of my quail and 1 of my chickens were ripped to shreds in the coop, despite it being as protected as I could possibly make it except for the top netting, so I rebuilt my coop literally attached to my house under my deck. This way they were protected not only by location but by my 5 dogs. For anything from the woods to get them now meant crossing a 6' wooden fence, a 6' chainlink fence, passing through the dogs, and busting into the predator-proof coop at my house, and by that point I would have heard the commotion and been able to stop it. Sadly this meant the chickens had a smaller coop, but at least they'd be safe.
Of course one of my 'girls' turned out to be a boy. He's now living on a nice farm as a pet, and I replaced him and the killed chicken with pullets from the semi-local Mennonite farm. Now with 4 almost-grown girls ready to lay eggs at any time, and because their former house wouldn't work in the new coop, my dad got to work building me the ultimate chicken house. There's new construction near him, so he recycled scraps to keep costs down but also to make sure it was "new house quality" materials. It is built just like a mini house with studs, Tyvek house wrap, insulation, agricultural roof shingles, the works. He built it completely with screws and took it apart many times to get everything just right, with hours of study online, including BYC. The rafters were ground down and rounded so they don't hit their head, the roost bar is rounded for their comfort, the nest box and doorways are ideal size (per the internet,) and everything is triple painted for outside protection. They have a real pivot-to-clean window that's nicer than the ones in my house, a screen door that has a winter door covering for cold weather, adjustable vents and cross ventilation, and 16 sq ft of living space for 4 chickens. It's raised on a sturdy base with hooks for their food and supplements to hang below, and they can play under it, inside it, or on top of it to maximize coop space for them. I love it and they love it. I've decorated the interior (and they de-decorated) and will eventually get them a custom sign once I decide what I want it to say.
I originally built the coop behind my greenhouse in a corner of the fence, and it was mesh covered chainlink dog panels and wooden fence giving them about 15x25 feet of play area. Then one day 2 of my quail and 1 of my chickens were ripped to shreds in the coop, despite it being as protected as I could possibly make it except for the top netting, so I rebuilt my coop literally attached to my house under my deck. This way they were protected not only by location but by my 5 dogs. For anything from the woods to get them now meant crossing a 6' wooden fence, a 6' chainlink fence, passing through the dogs, and busting into the predator-proof coop at my house, and by that point I would have heard the commotion and been able to stop it. Sadly this meant the chickens had a smaller coop, but at least they'd be safe.
Of course one of my 'girls' turned out to be a boy. He's now living on a nice farm as a pet, and I replaced him and the killed chicken with pullets from the semi-local Mennonite farm. Now with 4 almost-grown girls ready to lay eggs at any time, and because their former house wouldn't work in the new coop, my dad got to work building me the ultimate chicken house. There's new construction near him, so he recycled scraps to keep costs down but also to make sure it was "new house quality" materials. It is built just like a mini house with studs, Tyvek house wrap, insulation, agricultural roof shingles, the works. He built it completely with screws and took it apart many times to get everything just right, with hours of study online, including BYC. The rafters were ground down and rounded so they don't hit their head, the roost bar is rounded for their comfort, the nest box and doorways are ideal size (per the internet,) and everything is triple painted for outside protection. They have a real pivot-to-clean window that's nicer than the ones in my house, a screen door that has a winter door covering for cold weather, adjustable vents and cross ventilation, and 16 sq ft of living space for 4 chickens. It's raised on a sturdy base with hooks for their food and supplements to hang below, and they can play under it, inside it, or on top of it to maximize coop space for them. I love it and they love it. I've decorated the interior (and they de-decorated) and will eventually get them a custom sign once I decide what I want it to say.
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