Stealth Coop Plans

[Wise Woman]

Good tips. Thank you!

I see a lot of designs that are basically a box within a run -- but if I can make the whole thing fairly predator-proof, do I need a box within a run? Or can I just make a big enclosure that includes everything?

(My old coop was basically a modified closet, but the chickens could free range every day.)

I think you are asking if you need a coop or not. I would have to say that depends on your weather. Not sure where you are, but if you are somewhere warm, you might want to look up open air coops. If you are somewhere cold, then I would suggest you build a small coop so they have some protection from the weather. Having a coop also gives them somewhere dark and private to lay their eggs.

Here is an cute example of a coop within a run.



Clumping bamboo is a great idea!

 

[TalkALittle]

Make your coop NOT look like a coop. Something that looks like a dog house, tool shed, deck box, or kid's playhouse will attract less attention. Install a water fountain near the run. While it won't muffle the sound of the egg song, it will camouflage random clucking quite well.

 

[Wise Woman]

I don't believe I said anything like that. I said that they could be driving around on their regular rounds and hear the cackle, not that they'd be actively patrolling just to find chickens. That would be just plain silly in any community. And I never indicated that any code enforcement officer would be trespassing either. But if the officer reports that he thought he heard something an investigation might likely ensue. That would involve coming to the door, not skulking over a back fence.

I was on the town council when we passed our community's first animal control ordinance. I'm not a neophyte when it comes to being on the opposite side of the fence, well before I even thought about getting my first chicken.

Dearest Blooie. I did not mean to imply that the police were actively patrolling for chickens or that code enforcement officers were skulking over fences. In my situation however, a code enforcement officer did spy on me from my neighbors home on at least 3 occasions prior to coming to my home. So you will have to forgive me if I am just a little paranoid and defensive about code enforcement in general.

Where I live, we have 1 or 2 sheriffs to cover a very large area. It can take them an hour or more just to go from one call to another. They do not drive around on rounds ever. They respond to calls and can't even get to all of them. My son-in-law has been a sheriff for 20 years now and I checked in with him on this matter. He said he would never ever consider taking the time to initiate an investigation with code enforcement just because he heard some chickens as he was driving past a home. He is also a helicopter pilot for the sheriff's department and can actually see all the coops and chickens and any other animals for that matter, on any given property and still does not initiate investigations. Illegal chicken keeping is a very low priority and he considers it a waste of time and tax payers money to send code enforcement out on an investigation for something so trivial.

For the record, I worked for many years for my county as a court clerk. I am not a crazy renegade that thinks we should all do whatever we want, regardless of the law. I am well aware of the need for law and order, but sometime the laws are no longer relevant or are just plain ridiculous and need changed. Some areas, like Seattle and other cities are more open to this change than others. I worked for about 6 months with a member of the Seattle City Council when I was fighting to keep goats and he was incredibly well informed and open to changes. He did the research and in the end people of Seattle can now keep 2 miniature goats on a city lot. We have no city council and have to rely on one county supervisor who is not sympathetic to his constituents wants and or needs, and only used his position as county supervisor as a stepping stone in his political career. If you can't get things done by working within the system, then sometimes you just have to go outside the box and fight for what you want. I personally think it is a waste of time and resources for a police officer to initiate an investigation just because he heard some chickens as he was driving by. If enough people start to fight for an issue, then the powers that be have no choice but to finally listen. Someone has to be the first.

 

[Wise Woman]

Make your coop NOT look like a coop. Something that looks like a dog house, tool shed, deck box, or kid's playhouse will attract less attention. Install a water fountain near the run. While it won't muffle the sound of the egg song, it will camouflage random clucking quite well.

Love the fountain idea.

 

[TheCooper]

It sounds like I definitely do -- I live in Pennsylvania, and it's pretty cold for roughly half the year. But, obviously, I can't have anything that is too visibly a coop from the outside.

But in my situation, which is a 1/2 acre suburban yard within fences/walls, do I need to be able to lock two separate areas?

 

[TheCooper]

I love this idea. Also, we just broke down a water feature that wasn't working and we could easily rebuild it.

 

[Wise Woman]

It sounds like I definitely do -- I live in Pennsylvania, and it's pretty cold for roughly half the year. But, obviously, I can't have anything that is too visibly a coop from the outside.

But in my situation, which is a 1/2 acre suburban yard within fences/walls, do I need to be able to lock two separate areas?

I am from PA originally and I am getting cold just thinking about winter back there. I think you need a coop for sure. I am not sure what you mean by locking two separate areas. Do you mean a coop and a run? If you want them safe, yes. If your run is very secure you can probably get away with letting your coop open, but come winter, you will have to make sure there isn't a cold draft blowing on your chickens. Ventilation should always be above them.

In your picture, I can't really make out what is behind your meters, but that is the area I would use. Under where the house sticks out on the right hand side. Here is how I would proceed. First I would install the hardware cloth on the area you plan to keep the chickens in, making sure it is nice and secure against predators. Then I would go ahead and put lattice over top of the hardware cloth for a decorative, garden look. Next, I would do my plantings and fountain. If anyone asked you could just say the lattice is going to be the support for the climbing plants. This way the hardware cloth will be less visible as well as the chickens. Once that was all in place, I would then go ahead and then build my coop.

I would probably build a lean to type coop off the back wall of your house under the part of the house that sticks out if that is possible. By attaching it to your house, it will look like a small storage or garden shed. Attaching the coop to a wall of the house will also give a little added insulation and protection to the chickens during the winter months. By building it under the house, it should keep that area dry and free from snow once you have the hardware cloth and lattice up. Remember snow and rain will go through your decking and get the area below wet. It would be nice to have a covered and protected outside area during the winter months.

If you prefer a free standing coop like the one in the picture I posted, you can go here for some directions on how to build a cute coop that wouldn't look much different than a dog house.

http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/02/building-chicken-coop.html

Or you could get a dog house and convert it or some people use those children's playhouses and convert them into coops. I think there are several examples on here of that very thing. There are lots of ways you can do this, but do be sure and give them a coop.

 

[yellowchicks]

My concern with the coop and run below the deck is the air quality through the windows into your house. Chickens can be very dusty.

You also have a lot of neighbors around, you can't hide the chickens and their egg songs even without the town inspector looking around.

Whatever you do, don't plant bamboo in your yard. It is extremely invasive, only containable in solid containers.

If the ordinance is not reasonable, why not advocate for a change first before knowingly disobey the law?

 

[TalkALittle]

The proposed area looks awfully closeto the neighbor's window. I'd be inclined to build on the other side of the house where it appears you don't have a neighbor's window to contend with.

 

[TheCooper]

Yes and no. It is close, but that's a basement window that looks onto an unheated storage area, and those neighbors sincerely enjoy defying the local authorities. The neighbor on the other side is much more sensitive and likes to do her dishes in a window right over the location where the coop would be on that side. I doubt either would turn me in, but the neighbor on the other end might well harass me in other ways if she was bothered by it.