My urban coop [Chickens moved in! Updates on page 6]

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Quote:
That is bucolic. Its beautiful.

But I had a collection of newspaper articles of heat lamps that caught the coops on fire one night. Is your beautiful coop attached to a building which is attached to your home where you sleep at night? If so, be more careful with electricity to your coop than you think you ought to be. The birds are more like monkeys when it comes to wiring. BE CAREFUL, or better yet, believe all the people who love their chickens with no heat all winter, look into the "heat lamp vs no heat" issue.

For our birds, they are definitely more healthy with no supplemental heat, but I learned that the long, expensive hard way. Will try to send you pics of the luxuriously feathered chickens who fluff up 3 times their size when its less than zero out. Chickens' armpit temps greater than 103 in the dead of winter, with 5 hours of sunlight. How do they do it? I don't know...I guess they're chickens. They're not like us.

Too bad my aaahhh moment was immediately caught up in the memory of fire when I saw your adorable coop, lit up like that. It's really beautiful! That green is a really great color, backlit at dusk.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Looks like it's just a light fixture in there- not a heat source. We are wiring my coop up this week for a light in the ceiling so I can see at night if I need to, and putting an outdoor light on the outside as well. Knowing how often I go out to the barn to check horses at night, I can imagine a light in the coop is a lot more convenient than carrying a flashlight.

LOVE this coop!!!!

It is so darned cute!!! Love the color so much.

 

[rpchris]

6chickens in St. Charles :

That is bucolic. Its beautiful.

But I had a collection of newspaper articles of heat lamps that caught the coops on fire one night.

Thanks. It is a my bit of the country right in the heart of the city.

No worries about a fire. There isn't a heat source in the coop, just a warm colored compact florescent light. All outlets have protective covers and all wiring is routed far up in the rafters and properly stapled so the chickens won't be swinging from it.​

 

[Michellesc]

Your coop is Amazing!! This might be just what I need to tip my DH over to my side! It is great looking, very functional & is nicer than some people's real homes! Could be persuaded to sell your plans? It really would be the perfect size for the area in our yard I'm wanting to put a coop.
Congratulations on a wonderful coop, you should be VERY proud of yourself!

Michelle

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Quote:
Thanks. It is a my bit of the country right in the heart of the city.

No worries about a fire. There isn't a heat source in the coop, just a warm colored compact florescent light. All outlets have protective covers and all wiring is routed far up in the rafters and properly stapled so the chickens won't be swinging from it.

thank you for the reassurrance.

Now I want to see it dressed up for holidays. I bet you have something nice planned!

Are you in a snowy winter location? For us, the heat wasn't a problem, but the boredom definitely was! This year I've made a covered hoop run for them so they will still be able to dig, I have a packet of "chicken salad seed mix" from MyPetChicken.com I aim to plant today, in their hoop run.

You really have a good eye for design. Care to design an adorable moveable run? I was thinking wire-work, like a victorian terrarium or giant birdcage, with peaked roofline made of scrollwork wire. I bet you could. Yes I think so.

 

[rpchris]

The chickens are spending time in their new coop. Hurray!

I will keep them locked in for the day so they get used to the coop and let them out later today. Hopefully they will feel relaxed enough to re-enter the coop at sunset. Fingers crossed.

Interior:

Many more pictures and complete build process is outlined on my profile page.

 

[rpchris]

The run is attached and the chickens went inside on their own at sunset!

 

[real_redhead]

LOVE IT!!! Great job!

 

[lovinlife]

I love it! Great coop.

 

[wishingbee]

This is definitely one of the cutest coops I have ever seen. Well done! Those will be some very happy chickens.