Almost Country Coop

The aesthetic is fantastic—love the charm of the mixed flock and the clearly personalized touches. I wish there was more write-up. The setup is adorable, and I’m sure the birds are thrilled. That said, I had to dock a star for practicality: all those cozy nooks and tight corners look like a cleaning nightmare. Maybe you don’t have roaches where you live, but to me, it screams 'cockroach amusement park.' How easy is it to clean? including getting the stuck on stuff every so often.

What a beautiful and creatively done coop! Looks like they have lots of things to keep them busy! I really like this. It looks great against the house and blends in well.

Ingenious ways of getting around the dreaded HOA! Love how you built the coop to be incorporated into the retaining wall and how it is camouflaged to blend in with your house structure! The coop reminds me of the sleek and modern, yet art deco, buildings that are currently popping up in a few neighborhoods around where we live.

Great work!

Very lovely design. I like the thought you put into keeping your chickens from being bored. Lots of variety in this coop...

A couple of questions/observations...

1. Most critters can tear through chicken wire like it's tissue paper. That's why most on BYC will suggest hardware cloth instead. In the past 4 years, have you found that to be a problem?

2. I see you are using a black rubber trough for your ducks. I have the same trough that I use for my goats. I also have ducks too... They are notorious for making ANY water source muddy & gross. Those troughs do not have a bottom drain plug. Do you find that to be problematic when trying to keep it clean?

3. I have my ducks in a separate pen from my main chicken coop. I do have about 5 chickens who choose to sleep in the duck coop on raised roosts with a poop board underneath. That being said, ducks need a lot of space. I have 10 ducks in a 20 foot square pen with an 8'x8' coop. I don't know how many ducks you have but space looks like it might be an issue given how dirty ducks can be. Do you ever let them out or would that cause problems with the HOA?

I remember seeing this a few years ago and falling in love with it. Great problem solving, and honestly, my chickens would LOVE to live in something like this. Lots of hidey holes and options to explore and roost. Nicely done!

Beautiful result. Great use of photos. Could use more detail in the write-up.

Wow!!! Love the aesthetic, a great coop design!

Great job and wonderful use of space! If you haven't already, you should replace the chicken wire with hardware cloth.

Definitely complement you on time spent, creative thought with the runs, love the windows and plexiglass idea. I see you're in Illinois, wondering how you manage your water now in winter. Do you have power run to it for lights and heat? Are you having any ventilation issues?

I just love the detail you have put into this coop.

Please build me my home

I'm taking one star off for ventilation (I'm just a newbie, but I'm pretty confident the experts would advise more), but I'm giving it back for creativity.
This. Is. Exquisite. Unique. Creative. Artistic.
I think I'll become a Buddhist so I can maybe return as one of your chickens in my next life.

I love this so much! It is so neat how you found the " loop holes" in the law. I also love the way your coop looks.

Beautiful coop for chickens & ducks designed to fit into an HOA's requirements. No construction plans but a lot of detail & pix. A lot of effort into meeting the birds needs for entertainment.

Incredible coop! Great blending and beautiful interior. The article would be complete with construction pictures.