We got hooked on the idea of raising chickens about a year ago. How can we have a chicken coop (and provide sufficient space and comfort for our chickens) as well as a vegetable garden, a pond, and room for our 70 pound yellow lab? That was our dilemma. We did research and then more research and came up with a design that fits our backyard, and chickens, nicely. We used rustic wood planks from an old fence to build the coop. Our chickens come out every day and free range the backyard but only while we are outside. We have hawks nesting in our neighborhood who have visited on occasion so better safe than sorry! We also have raccoons so made sure to bury the wire and backfill with gravel.

We recently added three new chickens to our flock for a total of six. It took a couple of week for the new girls and existing girls to co-exist, but they are now BFFs!