Come Tour my New Chicken Coop from Horizon Structures
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Chickens,
Take a tour of my new chicken coop from Horizon Structures and see how I customized it for my backyard flock.
I built my first two coops myself. And they were fine. Even sort of cute actually. They kept our chickens safe at night and provided them a nice place to lay their eggs. But when we moved to Maine last summer, I decided that building another coop myself just wasn't in the cards.
Between packing, moving, unpacking, promoting my new book and trying to get everything done outside that needed to be done by the first snowfall, I just wouldn't have time to build a coop too. Also, I knew we would possibly be dealing with predators like bears, bobcats, wolves and coyotes, which we didn't have to worry about in Virginia, so I really felt that I needed a professionally built coop.
Between packing, moving, unpacking, promoting my new book and trying to get everything done outside that needed to be done by the first snowfall, I just wouldn't have time to build a coop too. Also, I knew we would possibly be dealing with predators like bears, bobcats, wolves and coyotes, which we didn't have to worry about in Virginia, so I really felt that I needed a professionally built coop.
So just before we moved, I contacted Jill and Dave from Horizon Structures. I have worked with them for years, and know that they make a top-quality product. I poured over their website looking at the various coops they offer. Their coops certainly are beautiful, but I wanted something a bit more unique and different for my girls. I debated, changed my mind a million times, asked my husband what he thought (and then asked him again the next day, in case he had changed HIS mind!), and agonized over the different options and sizes for the perfect coop for our dozen chickens.
I finally decided on one of Horizon Structures 8x10 Garden Sheds and I worked with Jill and Dave to make some modifications to it to turn it into my dream coop. I chose colors to match our new home (there's a really fun custom color combination picker on their website, so you can see what your coop will look before you place your order) and we sealed the deal.
Several weeks later, after several phone calls with Mindy (who was in charge of coordinating everything to actually get my new coop built and delivered to me) to confirm a few options and details and make sure it was exactly what I wanted, my coop was delivered!
A flatbed semi/truck successfully maneuvered down our long, winding, dirt driveway much to my sheer surprise and then positioned our coop exactly where I wanted it. A few rocks under the legs to level it and that was it. SO easy, such a great experience.
I love our new coop and I know that our chickens do too! Take a look...
A flatbed semi/truck successfully maneuvered down our long, winding, dirt driveway much to my sheer surprise and then positioned our coop exactly where I wanted it. A few rocks under the legs to level it and that was it. SO easy, such a great experience.
I love our new coop and I know that our chickens do too! Take a look...
That was it for the delivery and setup. Super simple. I had chosen a flat area up against the tree line that drains well and is in the full sun all day (important during our long, cold Maine winters!) and the driver positioned the coop exactly where I wanted it. I put some feed and water right by the door to let the chickens know that this would be their new home (they had been living in our horse trailer in the driveway for a few weeks, waiting for their new coop to arrive), and they immediately headed over to check out the new digs. So let's take a closer look...
So what do you think? I love the way the little pop door latches open for daytime to ensure it won't blow shut on a windy day. I also love the double doors so I can back the wheelbarrow right up to the front and rake out all the soiled bedding. They're also great for a good coop airing out.
Ready to head inside? The chickens lost no time investigating - and I lost no time adding a bit of fun decor! I love that the coop is split into 'living quarters' and a storage area. It has nice ventilation up high under the eaves and four fully functioning windows with screens that also have coated wire over them to keep predators out.
Our ducks, who will be sharing the coop with the chickens at least for the winter, were quick to stake out spots under the nesting boxes to lay their eggs!
Ready to head inside? The chickens lost no time investigating - and I lost no time adding a bit of fun decor! I love that the coop is split into 'living quarters' and a storage area. It has nice ventilation up high under the eaves and four fully functioning windows with screens that also have coated wire over them to keep predators out.
Our ducks, who will be sharing the coop with the chickens at least for the winter, were quick to stake out spots under the nesting boxes to lay their eggs!
By letting the chickens spend the day roaming our yard and getting used to their new coop, by sunset, they were all ready for bed..and lo and behold, a few even used their new pop door right into the coop! We shut up the horse trailer (their former home), and moved it from where it had been, and the next day all of our chickens and ducks headed to the new coop to bed.
We're all really pleased with the new coop. I don't think we could have made a better choice for a safe home for our chickens to sleep and lay their eggs. If you're interested in finding out more about my coop including pricing and available options, please visit the Horizon Structures website.
I highly recommend working with Horizon Structures if you're in the market for a new, bigger (or first!) chicken coop. I couldn't be happier with the coop I got from them. It's not only beautiful, but very well-made, predator-proof and perfect for my girls!
Update: We have since built a large attached run to one side of the coop. Here's a quick tour of that.
Update: We have since built a large attached run to one side of the coop. Here's a quick tour of that.
If you're going to be building a run, you might want to check out how we built ours HERE.
