Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
This portable chicken coop allows you to move the chickens around the yard. See Buy-
ing Notes on page 125 for more information
.
You also have the option to buy a new basic coop, and when you're dealing with fewer
than five birds, there are quite a few affordable options. My praiseworthy first coop,
the Chik-n-Hutch, cost less than two hundred dollars (with shipping), and I assembled
it with only a screwdriver in twenty minutes on my back deck. It made it through an
Idaho winter and—covered with an old wool army blanket at night—sheltered my hens
against coyotes, wind, and rain.
For those raising chickens in defiance of local ordinances, there is the stealth coop,
which disguises the henhouse as a trash can. See Buying Notes on page 125 for more
information
.
Looking back, a coat of outdoor-furniture spray paint and some nailed-down metal roof-
ing would have made it perfect. If you take such a route, consider doing some simple,
cheap renovations before the chicks move in.
As backyard chickens grow in popularity, so do coop solutions. I've seen adaptations
of garbage cans and compost turners. I've also seen futuristic space coops that look
like those old iMacs. A multitude of options are compiled and cataloged in topics and
pamphlets. Or check out online sites like Backyardchickens.com. Poultry e-mail list
serves, local fancier clubs, and homesteading communities are all available to you at the
click of a mouse. These sites are thriving collections of chicken people dying to give
you tips and inspiration to help you get started in what they've come to love.
