improving your chicken house and run

[pingu1]

chicken runs and houses can be the best thing in your garden or the worst
please comment on ideas to improve the look of chicken runs and houses

 

[Blooie]

What a good thread to start! So much is said about security and the chickens' comfort, but lots of us don't consider adding a few other touches to make it look really nice. Many setups are visually appealing because of the construction and eye to detail. Check out the coop build areas and it's easy to see how much work went into planning, design and the build. In my case, by the time we got the coop and run built I just wanted to hang up the hammer for good and not worry about any fru-fru stuff at the end. But I just couldn't do that.

A few sheets of lattice go a long way toward brightening up the area around the run. Our setup is in town, and totally visible from the street on both the east and north sides. Here in our small town, evening strolls and bike rides are the norm and loads of folks walk by every evening. When we built it I was a member of our town council - a additional big incentive toward keeping the area neat and clean. We added some white vinyl lattice to the front and a short piece on the south side, a few logs, a milk can and a rooster lawn ornament.


Before:




After:

 

[pingu1]

that looks great and really changes a garden when you have something nice in it with the sound of hens and roos

thanks for the compliment its greatly appreciated

I heard that chickens don't like wisteria so I thought about planting that around the run and letting it grow up it

 

[aart]

that looks great and really changes a garden when you have something nice in it with the sound of hens and roos

thanks for the compliment its greatly appreciated

I heard that chickens don't like wisteria so I thought about planting that around the run and letting it grow up it

I am a totally 'function over form' kinda gal......
.....but had to comment on the Wisteria idea.

Don't do it.....Wisteria, although beautiful, can be very destructive!
It can grow into and tear down/apart anything it's planted near, including well built structures and living trees.
It grows fast and furiously, impossible to control unless you prune it like every day.
I could go on and on...I've seen it ruin some great landscapes and structures.

 

[golden eggs]

hi I have 2roosters and 1 hen will they mate

 

[jaxsteph]

I agree that vining plants aren't the best idea, unless they are something that the chickens love to eat. Planting flowers near the chicken coop, especially flowers that repel insects and are great for chicken food, can really beautify the coop/run. We love lavender, catmint, nasturtiums, mint, and lemon balm. Flower boxes around the coop windows, filled with mint and lemon balm, really help with the fly population, and they help keep the chicken smell down as well. The catmint and lavender are both perennial, and can make the area around the run look pretty. Add to that, the chickens can peck at it through the wiring, so they get a nice snack without being able to tear it out at the roots. That's my two cents!

 

[pingu1]

I am a totally 'function over form' kinda gal......
.....but had to comment on the Wisteria idea.

Don't do it.....Wisteria, although beautiful, can be very destructive!
It can grow into and tear down/apart anything it's planted near, including well built structures and living trees.
It grows fast and furiously, impossible to control unless you prune it like every day.
I could go on and on...I've seen it ruin some great landscapes and structures.

thanks for that the last thing I need is to have a broken run to deal with and let the chickens destroy the garden

 

[pingu1]

hi I have 2roosters and 1 hen will they mate

lol love the way that came in totally off subject but I will say that its likely your hen will get over mated or something like that cant remember the name I suggest getting rid of one of the roos or putting it in another run and getting more hens I do a 1/7 ratio

 

[pingu1]

Dream hen house though it would probably look a wreck after 6 months