This week I wanted to take a moment and share the chicken coop layout and what the chicken’s space looks like on the hobby farm.
We keep chickens for pet purposes, but we also enjoy the rainbow combination of fresh eggs they provide.
Currently, we have two roosters and sixteen hens, and our flock includes eight different breeds.
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THE CHICKEN COOP LAYOUT
The chicken coop is located in a chain-linked fence area. The fence measures approximately 50′ x 70′, giving the chickens around 3500 square feet of grass space.
Some of the chickens enjoy jumping out of the fenced area, and you can find them free ranging in the pony’s back pasture, which I don’t mind as long as they find their way back home to the coop by dusk.
I do not have a green thumb, but I do my gardening along the front of the chicken’s chain-linked fenced area. I feel like the garden dresses the fence up a bit, and it’s easy to toss some fresh garden treats to the chickens straight from the garden.
Plus, I have my CLUCK OFF! A NOT SO SCARY SCARECROW that I can grab and move around to try and deter predators, but I’ll admit she’s more cute than helpful when it comes to security.
THE COOP
The coop measures 6.5′ x 8′ with a 1.5-foot overhang for the front porch because, you know, chickens love to poop on porches. That was a design flaw on my part.
One thing I didn’t make a mistake on was saving the chicken playground.
The chickens love this space, and it gives them a bit of shade.
The original playground from my prior chicken coop has been one of my most popular pins over on Pinterest.
You can find the post HERE or find all the details to the new coop under the post WELL, THAT DIDN’T GO AS PLANNED. THE NEW CHICKEN COOP.
SPEAKING OF SHADE
Another chicken project I’m happy with is the pink gazebo/pergola.
It’s a structure I made to shade the chicken’s feed and water dishes.
The chickens are enjoying it just as much as their playground space.
It was simple to make, and if you’d like the details, you got it, check the post, SHADING CHICKEN FEED WITH A DIY PALLET PERGOLA.
CHICKEN COOP INTERIOR
For the interior of the chicken coop, all the perches and nesting boxes were made of scrap lumber.
The silkies have their favorite spot, which is in the three lower nesting boxes, and all the rest of the chickens pretty much can be found roosting on the board above the swing.
I think they enjoy reading the breakfast menu, my little reminder of breeds, and their egg color.
You can find more interior pictures of the coop under the post, THE NEW PINK COOP INTERIOR. NESTING BOXES, PERCHES, A SWING, AND CUTE COOP DECOR.
And that’s the chicken coop layout for my eighteen pet chickens.
The space is directly behind the house, and I have a great view of it from the kitchen window.
AS FOR THE CHICKEN CHORES
Chicken chores happen daily. Here’s my list.
Daily Chores
- Open the chicken coop door to let the chickens out in the morning.
- Check for and collect any fresh eggs.
- Fill feed and water dishes.
- Do a head count and close the coop door for the night.
Weekly chores include washing feed/water dishes and fluffing the nesting boxes’ shavings.
Yearly I deep clean the chicken coop twice.
You can find my cleaning process under the post, DEEP CLEANING THE CHICKEN COOP – PLUS A FRESH COAT OF PAINT, but note I’m cleaning our old coop in this post before the unexpected remodel, but I’ll use the same process with the new one.
XOXO
Emily
MORE POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY
ORDERING CHICKS FROM MURRAY MCMURRAY HATCHERY
FUN FINDS FOR THE CRAZY CHICKEN LADY
For more hobby farm posts like this one, visit the ANIMALS & FARM PROJECTS category, or if you’ve never been to SHE PAINTS FOR PONIES before, get to know me by starting HERE.