I’ve waited a long time for a chicken house here! At first, the chickens were roosting on the studio deck and around the porches. I managed to eventually route them to the barn, where they took to roosting on the barn steps and the fences. This was better, but not what I wanted for the final result. I wanted a chicken house–but have been reluctant to spend money on one.
This one is constructed almost completely from salvaged materials or leftover materials from other projects. The back, which nobody will see much, is made of tin.
I have a huge stack of tin roofing sheets that was left here. After roofing the chicken house and covering the back of the house with it (and also covering the goats’ creep feeder with it), I still have plenty left over for other shelters in the fields.
The roosts are the former curtain rods in the studio.
The wire is all leftover wire from fencing, and the rest of the materials are all leftover or salvaged pieces of wood and plywood. I bought the paint, of course.
I’m searching for the right red paint color for repainting the barn next year. I wasn’t satisfied with the red I used on the goat house. I think I’ve found it this time!
I think the chicken house came out absolutely adorable. I love it. It’s trimmed out to match the barn.
It was built over an existing 8 x 8 concrete slab in the barnyard. (Why that slab was there, I don’t know.) It can be SPRAYED out to clean!
Do you notice something?
That’s a little chicken “hand rail” to one side of the ramp. (An Adam and Robbie joke that I liked so much, I told them to leave it.)
This sign is misleading because I didn’t have them add nesting boxes to the house. I free-range my chickens and am perfectly satisfied with picking up eggs around the barn and farm. I don’t want to keep the chickens in the house except from dusk to dawn.
The chicken house is so cute, somebody is a little bit jealous and started head-butting the still-wet house!
“Where’s the white trim on MY house, Woman?!”
amateisgal says:
So adorable! I love the red paint on Clover’s head! 😆
On July 19, 2012 at 11:40 am
MousE says:
It is indeed the Cutest Chicken House In All The Land!
Well done, Suzanne. :snoopy:
On July 19, 2012 at 11:58 am
Rah says:
That’s some kind of cute, and I love all the special touches, especially that it has a ramp and “wing-rail” in case any of your chickens are like me with a knee injury. 🙂
On July 19, 2012 at 12:04 pm
maryellen51 says:
Love the chicken house, but I’m wondering if the chickens will be able to grip the metal rods, also in the winter could wet feet possibly freeze to the rods?
On July 19, 2012 at 12:09 pm
kellyb says:
Love the chicken coop, especially the handrail. Great visual. Don’t hesitate to add a few nest boxes to the coop. My chickens free range also but return to the coop to lay their eggs. So much easier than having an Easter Egg hunt each day. I also know how old the eggs are. Very frustrating to discover a pile of hidden eggs and not know how old they are.
On July 19, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Merino Mama says:
Very nice! Clover — you’re just so darned cute! :airkiss:
On July 19, 2012 at 12:24 pm
fowlers says:
Well done! love the hand rail! how bout’s some flower boxes:: tee hee
On July 19, 2012 at 12:27 pm
MMHoney says:
I would give second thought to the use of metal rods for roost material, No Way…
On July 19, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
What I have read about metal rods is they reduce the risk of mites so can be healthier, though on the other hand can cause stress if they are slippery. Their feet won’t stick to it in the cold (not the same thing as a tongue!) but may make them colder, so I will think about changing that out, good point. But I really liked re-using the curtain rods, LOL.
On July 19, 2012 at 1:29 pm
marjohalleran says:
so cute!! If you are looking for a great red. Try Martha Stewart color called Barn. Thats what i used. I love it
On July 19, 2012 at 1:23 pm
cabynfevr says:
SOOOO cute and I love the idea of using salvaged material :snoopy:
On July 19, 2012 at 1:39 pm
SwissMiss says:
Beautiful chicken house. I’ve always loved red barns and red outbuildings on a farmstead. Was my dream once upon a time.
I agree on adding some nest boxes. My Granny’s chickens were free range until the dairy inspector said we had to keep them away from the cows and the feed/hay to keep the Grade A license. I’d say at least 80% laid eggs in the nests in the chicken house, another 10% laid somewhere in or just outside the hen house and the final 10% laid an egg where ever the urge hit. Except for the hen that really liked to use the tractor seat. This really aggravated my Dad because more than once he ended up with egg on his rear. Me too once, then I always checked, even after the chickens were locked up. Some of the hens preferred to roost in the boxes too. I think they might have been the older or injured hens that couldn’t fly up onto the roosts easily.
Maybe you could wrap the curtain rods with tape or use spray foam or something. Metal will really conduct the cold to their feet. The chickens may not even want to use the rods in the winter. I’d think they would be a tad bit slippery too as those curtain rods look to be very smooth.
Jeanne
On July 19, 2012 at 1:59 pm
mds9 says:
Well written. Thank you. A very enjoyable piece.
A well done on using materials on hand. What a Farmer
thing to do. Image- your going to have to where overalls
more often. That is all I remember my grandfather wearing
on his farm. If I had some kind of income to support the
farm. But then again there are the Ticks and Chiggers. You
must have ticks, do you have chiggers?
On July 19, 2012 at 1:59 pm
SwissMiss says:
Saw what you said about mites. Does plastic resist mites? PVC pipe might be another option. It would be easy to hit with the hose and a disinfecting spray/wash.
Jeanne
On July 19, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Yes, I also saw PVC recommended to decrease mites, but I don’t have any PVC laying around.
On July 19, 2012 at 2:07 pm
lifeisgood/ Melinda says:
If you don’t mind me asking, how big is your chicken house. I have been wanting to build a new one and yours is soooooooo cute I would like to use it as a guide!
On July 19, 2012 at 2:08 pm
lifeisgood/ Melinda says:
I’m an idiot! I just saw the 8 x 8 slab sentence!
On July 19, 2012 at 2:11 pm
SwissMiss says:
If you don’t mind garbage picking and watch for remodel jobs going on or just put the word out your looking for some used pvc pipe. I bet you could find some before winter. Even if you took bits and pieces, they could be glued together to make long enough roosts. And if you lucked into big enough pipe it could be slid over the rods. What about mentioning it to the guys that did all your plumbing work that you could take & use left over pieces. Maybe you could trade soap, eggs, or whatever you have available for the scraps from their other jobs.
Jeanne
On July 19, 2012 at 2:21 pm
PattiLynn says:
Yes, cute coop! I like the new red paint, it’s more a true barn color I’ve always liked, considering I’m viewing via computer. 😎
On July 19, 2012 at 2:23 pm
STH says:
Love the color–it just seems like a perfect barn red. And please tell Clover she looks great as a redhead!
On July 19, 2012 at 2:48 pm
nookworm says:
If their feet are warmer than the roosting rods (that are metal) won’t they stick in the winter?
On July 19, 2012 at 3:04 pm
MissPat says:
I think it should be christened “The Annex at Sassafras Farm”!
And being disabled I LOVE LOVE LOVE the handrail..err WING rail !
On July 19, 2012 at 3:09 pm
joykenn says:
Duct tape, i.e. coated, cloth covered adhesive tape. Just cover the rods with that. There’s the usual silver colored or other colored tape. Knocking together some nesting boxes doesn’t sound like too bad an idea either. Shame to waste eggs by overlooking them if a good number of the hens would prefer the boxes.
On July 19, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
I have room to add nesting boxes if I decide I want them. For now, I’m happy with where the chickens are laying. I won’t be allowing them to stay in the house after dawn. If I decide I need them this winter because they are wanting to stay in the house longer when it’s cold, I have plenty of space to add them.
On July 19, 2012 at 5:27 pm
joykenn says:
By the way, it looks like you got the color exactly right this time and it looks great!
On July 19, 2012 at 3:15 pm
CarrieJ says:
Wrap them in black electrical tape. Super cute house!!
On July 19, 2012 at 4:40 pm
beforethedawn says:
For a bunch of scraps, that turned out to be an adorable chicken house! I want chickens and a cute chicken house too! LOL
On July 19, 2012 at 4:45 pm
Leah's Mom says:
Maybe it’s in there somewhere and I missed it but… I’m also looking for a good red to paint one of my buildings. Could you tell us the paint mfg and number/color name?
At least on screen I really like the red! Maybe it will help me get the color I’ve been looking for. (Seems like they end up too orange or too pink or too maroon or….
On July 19, 2012 at 6:27 pm
broncobetsy says:
If you have a Lowes nearby, I highly recommend getting their Barn and Fence paint in the red color. A HUGH bucket of it that will paint a ton of stuff costs about $40. And the red is a pretty red (I would know….we painted the living room of our first house with it)!
On July 19, 2012 at 6:59 pm
oct4luv says:
So cute! That color red is perfect.
On July 19, 2012 at 7:19 pm
KarenAnne says:
Like maryellen51, I am a bit worried about the metal rods and metal roofing material in the winter. Also if the rods are wide enough for grasping comfortably.
On July 20, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
I have addressed the metal rods issue. Thanks!
On July 20, 2012 at 8:23 pm
J3977487 says:
I want some chickens so bad I can’t stand it. There are so many cute chicken houses on Pinterest I started a board for them. When I retire I’m getting some. Don’t have time to feed myself right now, much less some critters.
I’ve been following you ever since you lived at the old place and I’m so proud you’ve got such a nice place now.
On July 21, 2012 at 6:13 pm
nursemary says:
Adorable coop Suzanne. Getting those rowdy girls rounded up will make life easier. I have only one gypsy chicken and I hate the poop on my deck. I know you’ll miss them supervising your every move. 😉
On July 22, 2012 at 6:01 am
FarmerBrown says:
I’m new here and want to paint my farmhouse style house barn red, but have had trouble finding the right color. Could someone please help me find out the color of the chicken coop? I saw one person mention the Lowe’s Barn and Fence paint in red, but I can’t find a post from Suzanne McMinn confirming that’s what she used. I have painters waiting on me to decide, so I’d really appreciate the help.
On October 13, 2012 at 8:22 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
No, I didn’t use the barn and fence paint. I find that paint has too much brown/orange undertone to it. The color I used is a richer red, more of a wine type red. I can’t remember the name of the paint chip card. I have it around here somewhere, but just did a quick look and can’t find it for now. If you want that true rich red, stay away from the so-called barn paints and find a nice deep real red that you like.
On October 13, 2012 at 8:27 pm