I'm lucky enough to have a very patient and handy husband who helped me with mine, after the hundredth revision.


I didn't anticipate having a chicken small enough to use the crossbeam as a roost, but our one Prairie Bluebell Egger loves it up there! The rest of our hens (Copper Black Marans and Easter Eggers) roost on the two roosting bars on either side with plenty of room. I was originally worried that the windows would hit them too high and they'd get frostbite on their combs, but thankfully, when they're roosting, the windows are actually lower, so they have to bend down a bit to see out of them. We also have plexiglass windows framed, but propped out and used as awnings to keep the rain out and still allow plenty of ventilation. Both sides have a clean out door, so I can close the pop door, open the nesting boxes (to help air everything out) and both clean out doors, then simply push everything out one side into a wheelbarrow with a broom. Our pop door is solar, as is their light inside (because the Marans were afraid of the dark, and would only huddle on their 'porch' deck, but wouldn't go in voluntarily until we gave them a light in the coop

). We just got a solar fan yesterday to help cool the coop as it's getting hotter, and we're adding roofing panels to the run, to keep out other bird's droppings and the rain. Under the coop is mostly sand, which they love to cool down in, and we now have a kiddie pool in the run, where it's got bricks (in water) for them to stand on and cool their feet, as the bricks draw the water up so they don't drown (most of our birds are Not bright

).Oh! Lastly, we have planter of bee and lemon balm along the run, along with several kinds of mint. They Love the leaves, and get some daily.