Nestled into Chrissy and Chris Doolen ’s acreage , a retreat - style invitee cottage emerges from the forest . No ! What ? On airless inspection , it ’s a chicken cage !
As DIYers , the Doolens come out with a 30 - by-40 - foot garden in 2011 . Then in February 2012 , Chris built Chrissy ’s 13 - by-13 - base art studio . A metallic element smith , Chrissy is a professional artist who uses torch .
“ Chris was really interested in getting me out of the menage , ” Chrissy says with a smile .
The 2020pandemic ’s food shortagesalarmed the Doolens . They require to feed themselves and their growing family line of rescue hombre and frump . They had the garden but needed a protein rootage for themselves and their animals .
And Chris was think ahead , considering a intellectual nourishment shortage might repeat itself in the future tense .
Eyes on Eggs
Chicken eggs seemed the ideal protein . But the Doolens live in the East Texas Timberland Region , which hosts more - than - can - be - imagined wildlife , including a diverseness of raptors such as bald eagle . herd of deer are everywhere .
The San Jacinto River Basin has lakes , creeks and swampy expanse , too . So even alligators are on the prowl .
The legion of piranha required the hen be confined , and Texas weather postulate sturdy chicken breed . Plus , ever - the - artist Chrissy wanted a diverse , feathered flock , with a rainbow of colorful eggs .
She studied internet site for ideas to design an artsy coop .
“ We had four to five coop design evolutions before we came to the carrefour of ‘ yes , I can ramp up that , ’ ” Chris say . “ It was all Chrissy ’s idea . But if we were going to do this , I want to have playfulness . The chickens provide a sustaining , healthy food for thought source for Chrissy , myself and our dogs and cats . It ’s also satisfying that we accomplished this knead together both from the plan and lying position . ”
And who would n’t want a post - and - shaft of light - mode barn in their backyard ? !
“ Chickens have facial realization , ” Chrissy order . “ They are rewarding and fun . But it ’s also a commitment , surd work and difficult . And they come up with a lot of nincompoop and spiders . ”
Of Chris , she never think she could find someone who hears her and can translate her ideas into a real realism . “ We went overboard , ” she say . “ But knowing the chickens are safe make all the extra worth it . ”
Read more : The pandemic era inspired chicken - keeping for a mint of people , including this family !
Fence Me In
To deter wildlife , a 5 - foot - marvellous fencing surrounds the constitutive garden , and 10 bring up bed also help . Organically - approve products guard off bugs .
Chrissy farm herbs with natural antibiotic properties , still property and overall wellness benefits for chicken and eggs : oregano , thyme , rosemary , lilac , mint and St. Basil .
“ I also use herbs around the coop and in the girls ’ nest box , ” she say . “ And I develop all sorts of vegetables for our family , plus watermelon . ”
Chrissy yield the hen day-by-day garden and remnant treats . When it ’s scorching hot , she give them watermelon vine or frozen treats to cool off them down and promote drinking water .
A Complete Setup
The smaller 400 - square - feet chicken run includes a wimp golf stroke and other playground equipment . When Chrissy calls a chicken ’s name , that Gallus gallus run to her . She has roughly 14chicken stock and not quite 20 cluckers .
Days begin about 7 a.m. with chicken chores . Chrissy expend two to three hour day by day with the chickens , but it really takes about 45 minutes to care for them . Nearby compost bank identification number contain disastrous soldier fly larvae that bear organic compound before the waste go decomposing and leave no aroma and bound chances of disease in the bins .
Mechanically Engineered
With a academic degree in mechanical technology , Chris ’ life history regard fluid world power movement ascendency systems . He drew architectural programme to fit Chrissy ’s vision , building the volaille henhouse ( on the right ) and two run . He constructedthe large run by partly using post - and - beam style .
At just under 500 straightforward foot , the four main support skeleton accommodate together with mortice and tenon chemise joints , then held steady with stave bolts . Chris work up the first skeleton , then laid out the second on top of the first , third on top of the second , etc . , stacking them so they were all as identical as possible .
“ I took them all apart and move them from the garage to the run locating , ” he say , “ and retrace them and installed the stave bolts to hold the chassis joints together . We erect the four main frames and leveled them , determine in concrete .
“ We used composition board tube collars around the posts to give an extra 6 inches of concrete aegis to the post beams from the chickens kicking up turd and clay — hopefully to prevent Grant Wood rot . ”
Once level off and place , standard 2 - by-4s connected the frames together , to complete the wall and roof sections . They screwed on the roofing and roof flashing top , then cover the walls and opening with mesh wire . It take mass of staples from the pneumatic stapling machine gun and some patience , fighting with the mesh wire to get it as flat as possible .
Fun Run
Inside the wimp coop , chickens are busy . “ You do n’t want your chickens bored and miserable , ” Chrissy say .
“ Giving them something to do keeps them happy , entertained and healthy ! It was fun building all their swing and ladders ! I laugh watching them rise across their rest shaft and swinging with each other . ”
Going Out
This door allows chicks out of the brooder boxwood into the grow out playpen . Chris make chicken - sized door everywhere , but whether door for chicken or people , every door has a door latch and ringlet .
show more : Good doors make for great chicken - keeping !
Nesting Boxes
hen use plastic tubs for nesting boxes that sit in a vintage armoire . galvanic fans are mounted all over the place . run electricity to the domain proved cost prohibitory .
Instead , four 100 - feet - retentive 10/3 propagation cords string from the sign to the chicken coop .
“ It is 325 feet from our star sign to the coop , and far enough away to keep tent flap and smell at bay , and to give me a cause to walk more each daylight , ” Chris say .
“ It ’s in a shaded area among the trees and a high point in our yard which keeps the runs and coop juiceless when Texas experiences torrential rains . ”
Keep Out!
Besides Snake , four - legged predators inhabit the area .
“ Some predators will block up at nothing to eat on chickens , ” Chris says . “ telegram , run along the flat coat , keeps predator from digging under and into your run or henhouse . It is regular weld wire with a plastic coat to keep the wire from rust and fail .
“ It is 4 foundation wide and pass under the cinder auction block at the bottom of our foot race . It ’s held in place with landscape painting pin . The locoweed produce up to hold the wire down for good . ”
Safe & Secure
In the wimp garden , Chrissy plant seeds in mesh - cover graze boxes . The volaille eat the greens , but they ca n’t pull up the industrial plant through the mesh topology .
On the right field are several coop windows . Because Lynx rufus will rip open screens , Chris install ginmill over all of them . All the window are open during the summertime . Besides fans , there ’s also an air conditioner . When it ’s steam hot , the Doolens sprain it on , cool things down and turn it off .
During winter , the window are closed . The poulet abide in front of heat plates to warm up .
The chicken henhouse is well ventilated , and everything is wellcaulked .
“ Chickens like temperatures from 65 to 75degrees Fahrenheit . But they fag plume coats . They puff up up , cower together to stay warm . I occupy about them being too spicy , rather than too inhuman , ” says Chrissy , whose great - grandmother was a farmer from Opelousas , Louisiana .
Reuse & Reflect
A Buff Orpington , Harriet , enjoys the rocker inside the prominent wimp running , which also has a run and wagon steering wheel . All furnishings were roadside pick - ups , from resale shop , scraps or from societal mass medium .
Chrissy chose volaille name , drawing from her long - ago - rural area ascendant , and other sources . “ Their name give you a certain flavor of the yesteryear , of days gone by , ” she says .
This clause originally appeared in the January / February 2022 return ofChickensmagazine .
