For all you homesteaders, gardeners, or urban farmers out there, here are some photos of a chicken coop I designed for some hens to have fresh eggs.
The design has a short chicken run along the bottom that can be opened and extended if needed. It has a protected area up top with good ventilation and two roosting rods, then adjacent laying boxes on the side that can be accessed from the outside for eggs by opening the hinged roof section. Finally, I raised the coop off the ground to help keep critters out, prevent rusting of the chicken wire, and to let the manure fall through.
We lived in a wooded area next to two creeks. I tried free ranging chickens at my place but had attacks from hawks, owls, snakes, a pack of coyotes, and a bobcat snooping around, but I never lost a single hen in this coop.
I would keep 4 to 10 hens in this coop, and usually get an egg from each every other day.
Hope you find the information useful or interesting.
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