Coop landscaping

[grullablue]

We built our coop last year, but it looks so plain! Haven't done anything with the outside yet...still haven't even finished backfilling the three remaining sides yet! (fourth side has the run attached). It's 8x12, you can see pics if you want (I don't think I have pics with the run included on there though) at www.duninblue.com/chickens

I'd LOVE to see pics of what you all have done, planting wise, landscaping wise, on the outside of your coops! I need to put some pavers or something down by the door, because it gets so muddy there, and I am hoping to install two hanging solar lights, one on each side of the door, but I'd like to plant something, like foundation plantings, on the bare side, as it is very plain looking, and also is in my front yard, facing the road. I want something that won't grow so tall as to cover the window, low maintenance, easy to grow (no green thumb here!) and nice to look at preferably throughout the growing season. Even evergreen would be nice. Would maybe plant along the back wall too, which has no door, window, nothing, and can also be seen driving down the road. I'd just like to spruce my coop up a little bit....and I know I've seen GREAT pictures before, some of you really have gone all out!!

Angie

 

[DarkWolf]

Since mine isn't done yet I can't say what I'd done.. But I can tell you what's planned.. We're following suit with the rest of the landscape in doing it as edible as possible. Bit of a micro farm, we have here. The back side of the run will be lined with blueberry bushes. We also have over 200 kinds of Daylilies spread around and will no doubt either redistribute some around the coop or get new kinds. It's the first addiction the wife and I had succumb to.

 

[onthespot]

My "coop" is an 8x8x20 chain link run, with a six foot catch pen and another run the same side off the other end. What I have since planted next to it is three 6x6 pens with three more flocks.

 

[grullablue]

LOL!

 

[Fay at Frizzled Feathers]

Quote:
Hehe he too funny

 

[Renee]

Angie your coop is so pretty! And what a beautiful area you live in.

I'm having the same problem. I have an evergreen to one side and a small Japanese maple on the other, but the coop is just sitting there, on the grass, sticking out like a sore thumb.

I'm going to work on this tomorrow, and I'll be back.

 

[imtc]

I have been trying to landscape around mine and would really like to see others doing the same and would love to see more ideas. What I use for my chickens is a dog run (aprox. 6X14 in size). I put a rabbit hutch inside on one end of the pen that is raised off the ground with their nesting boxes inside. On the other end I have 2 dog igloos for shelter (pen also has 4 rabbits sharing with my 5 chickens along with a small dwarf goat) Then above the igloos I've arranged 2 cedar branches for roosts. Then all around the pen I put smaller gage fencing to keep my girls from sticking their heads out thru the chain link and/or eating my plants on the other side. All around the outside I have planted flowers or bushes that have really started looking nice. On the back side (the 15ft length) I have 3 trellises with carolina jasmine growing up hoping to shade that side and cover the top of the pen (which is framed out with fence post and covered with chicken wire). Then at the entrance I have patio stone to keep a cleaner walkway (I ran out so couldn't cover the entire area yet) To me it looks nice and just waiting for the plants to take off.

 

[grullablue]

IMTC, I like your run! Love the roof! And the stones on the ground...that's kind of what I had in mind for outside the doorway. Something that would be flush with the ground so I could still mow over it (I don't like to weed whack if I don't have to!

)

Did you have to put a base down underneath the stones?

Renee, thank you...we worked so hard on it! And it really was a zoning issue nightmare! Ended up being totally over nothing, but held us up for three months, and we ended up with our first batch of hens being egg eaters because our coop wasn't done. Was not a good experience at all.

Angie

 

[Tad]

my first attempt at posting a pic too!! heee heeeee!!!
I am sooooo not computer saavy!!

 

[Tad]

and from the other direction. the gravel side walk leads up to the propagation house of the nursey.