4 Farm-Fresh Chicken Coops in Urban Backyards

I discovered this month that a number of my fellow Atlantans are cooping this up here in town, collecting fresh eggs within their own backyards. Speaking with chicken keepers throughout The Wylde Center’s 6th Annual Urban Chicken Coop Tour has been a really trendy and enlightening experience. In fact, the coops featured below belong to newbies motivated by previous tours. Here’s a closer look at four trendy coops I encountered within the town limits of Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia.

The excursion comprised 10 private yard coops. Most of the owners allow their chickens roam freely in fenced yards throughout the daytime, then tuck them into henhouses within the coops through the night to keep them safe from predators such as raccoons, possums, owls, hawks and coyotes. (Is not it strange to have coyotes prowling around in town? One of my neighbors has started an”urban coyote posse,” that I think is a terrific name for a group. But I digress…)

Coop 1: A DIY Project on a Mini Farm

In the house of Kristen and Rob Hampton, hens and their coop fit right in using all the edible gardens and impressive water harvesting system.

The Hamptons found plans for a coop on The Garden Coop and built themselves from reclaimed materials. They scavenged for reclaimed pieces all around the place, so every bit has its own tale to tell.

They assembled these sliding doors that protect the henhouse and nesting boxes from old art class drawing boards.

A small bit of lesson: The box sticking out on the left is the nesting box, the area with all the timber siding with all the stained glass window is the henhouse, and the entire screened area is the fish lawn.

These one-of-a-kind pieces add a special layer of background, coated in watercolor marks and older doodles.

The Hamptons were taken with third grader Lily Mae Barsick’s winning T-shirt design for its fifth annual urban noodle excursion, and commissioned her to make paintings for their brand new coop.

The stained glass window was a present from Rob to Kristen years back; he mounted it onto a door from a classic icebox to offer it a unique framework they could increase the coop.

They partly stripped down these reclaimed boards and additional reclaimed hardware.

From the interior, repurposed drawers on runners enable simple access to the nesting boxes.

Coop two: Chickens and Flowers

Over at Therese, David and Riley May’s house in Decatur, David May constructed the coop in his magical workshop, the green architecture from the above two photos. The coop is nestled into their beautiful backyard garden.

After attending the Wylde Center’s Chickens Are Easy class, May studied coops online and snatched his very own design. Concerned about rodents and predators, he buried fortified wire underground to keep the hens safe.

The coop has a hinged door on the exterior that allows simple access to the newly laid eggs from the nesting boxes. It also makes it easy to wash and freshen the area. The hens enter from the hanging drapes at the back of the nesting boxes.

Down the side of the house, visitors pass David’s first construction project at the entry to the yard. The potting bench features a birdhouse motivated by Atlanta’s famous Big Chicken — fitting for this particular family who’s presently enjoying their backyard chickens so much.

Coops 3 and 4: One Garden, Two Stylish Coops

Over from the Lake Claire area, Bonnie Smith and Jennifer Campbell enjoy all sorts of creatures.

Only past the pond, guests is dependent on this See Rock City birdhouse on the method to two chicken coops.
Hooked on farm-fresh eggs from the local farmer’s market, the two did their study and made a decision to go microlocal, amassing approximately four to seven eggs from their backyard coop every day.

They built themselves. They had trouble finding plans with precise dimensions, therefore their trial-and-error construction procedure comprised lots of lugging boards back and on to the driveway to recut them. You would never guess the way they fought when you see how glossy and beautiful their coop is.

Smith and Campbell utilized comprise donated roof shingles and copper flashing, recycled cinder blocks scouted on Craigslist and a former pickle barrel they use to collect rainwater.

The coop has additional drifting distance in a hen yard addition off the trunk. A ramp leads up to the henhouse. Coop designs have a lot in common with all the tight spaces of New York City apartments and dorm rooms; this reminded me with a sleeping loft.

The coop has an automatic door opener timed to allow the hens in and from the henhouse for sleeping and egg laying.

In the original coop, the hens’ bedroom is adorned with little portraits and drapes made from retro chicken-patterned fabric that Smith purchased for one more project years back. The curtain now separates the laying spot for privacy.

The girls can drift through to look after their egg-laying business.

A copper hinges and top secure the nesting boxes.

This design feature allows someone to reach right in from the outside to gather the eggs.

Although the owners did not intend on getting two coops, when they attempted to present three new girls to the flock, they got along about in addition to the Sharks and the Jets. That forced them to build another coop, but they do not mind. The contemporary barn-red coop plays well off their birdhouse. Circular windows add a modern architectural touch.

Interested in cooping it up yourself? Check local ordinances and homeowner’s association rules before making this leap — BackYard Chickens is a good place to start your own research. If hens are permitted, coops might need to be put a certain number of feet from your house and from property lines. Talk to adjacent neighbors beforehand also to facilitate any qualms they might have about your coop.

More:
The Scoop on Chicken Coops
Raise Backyard Chickens Without Ruffling Neighbors’ Feathers
Check out more amazing chicken coop designs

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