Cordwood chicken coops are springing up all over the country. There is growing interest in raising chickens, gathering eggs and protecting ones flock. Cities are passing “chicken ordinances” (many are allowing three chickens per backyard) and folks are reading about how best to feed, house and care for their fine, feathered friends.
Needless to say, there are some interesting examples of cordwood chicken coops. Here are a few of them.
One of my new favorite coops is in British Columbia. It was built by Tasha Hall out of Western Red Cedar. Tasha incorporated many comfort features for her feathered friends.
Tom Huber has a serious skill set when it comes to beautification of a coop.
Tom Huber built this chicken “coop-de-ville” for his laying flock in Michigan. He used cordwood siding to make the place more attractive to the flock and said the new, “look” helped increase the production of eggs.
This is Tom Huber’s newest chicken coop in Potsdam, New York. He is now a professor at Paul Smith’s College and is establishing another gorgeous homestead called Cedar Eden. You can see the “scratching pen” at the rear of the photo.
This is William Cahill’s thatch work on a cordwood garden shed with attached chicken coop/rabbit hutch. Located in southern Indiana, the climate is ideal for keeping the birds laying year-round. His website is Roof Thatch.
Tasha also provided multi-colored nest boxes for her brood.
If you are interested in a cordwood chicken coop, it would be wise to gather information on how to best build a cordwood shed/coop. Cordwood Construction Best Practices is the latest book on the subject (updated as of 2015) and it will teach you how to build a lasting structure using a best practices approach.
Go to CordwoodConstruction.org and click on the online bookstore link to find this and many other cordwood books in ebook and print format. Good luck with your project. If you have a question, please email me at richardflatau@gmail.com and if I am not out teaching a cordwood workshop, I will get back to you asap. While at the online bookstore, you may also want to take a peek at Cordwood Shed Plans.
Nearly four decades ago, Richard Flatau and his wife, Becky, built their mortgage-free cordwood home in northern Wisconsin. Since then, as directors of Cordwood Construction Resources, the couple has written books, conducted workshops, organized Cordwood Conferences and provided earth friendly, best practices consultation for cordwood builders. Read all of his MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts here.
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