I am so excited to finally be able to share the pictures of my pretty little blue chicken coop with the white picket fence!
As many of you know I have 4 chickens, live in the city and secretly dream of having my own big farm someday. I have a big yellow lab dog which means I cannot let my chicken free range my backyard – but even if I didn’t have that dog my neighbors probably wouldn’t want to see chickens perched up on my fences either. So I needed a coop that they could spend a lot of time in.
While googling and googling different chicken coop plans, I found this Williams Sonoma coop and fell in love. But who can afford that $1500 price tag? Not me, that’s for sure. So I showed the look to my husband and asked him if he could build it.
Now let me stop right here. There are some things you need to know.
My husband is not a country boy. At all. He is a work-in-an-office-all-day accountant. He wears business shirts, ties and slacks. For him to even agree to us having chickens in the first place was a sign of his great love for me. And just to let you know I don’t think even once I have seen him hold, talk to or coddle them chickens. He always says the reason for this is because somebody has be the non-involved one if we ever needed to… (which at this point I stop him immediately and say “Nooo – no one will ever need to kill my chickens for food!!”). Yeah, that’s what you need to know about the happy husband.
So back to me asking him to build me a pretty chicken coop.
Turns out this man of mine loves working with wood-building! He hasn’t really built anything I can remember since we have been married, just usually cuts things like molding and other house fixin’ projects.
Well, he said, “YES.”
And I wanted to make love to him right then and there. That’s right people – that’s what this chicken stuff does to me.
When he said YES, it was just like when Westly said “As you Wish” in The Princess Bride movie (one of my all time favorite movies by the way…)
He was showing me he really loved me – the country girl in me. The homesteader in me. Allowing me to have my dreams come true even though it effects himself and our whole family. Just by saying yes it was him saying…”I love you, Karrie.”
It was a beautiful moment. And every day these past few months as he has been building, I remember this and am so grateful for his love.
Okay moving on before I start to tear up. Because once the tears start coming, the kids will start asking questions.
Here are some of the pictures of the building process. My husband didn’t have a pattern, just went off the picture I showed him.
THE BEGINNING STAGES
THE MIDDLE STAGES
NEARING THE END OF THIS PROJECT
To be thrifty I used an old kiddie pool and cut out the plastic to use inside our chicken coop pull out tray. This will make everything so much easier to clean as I can spray it off with water.
We also had some pvc pipe hanging around and my genius husband made their roosting bar out of PVC! It works great!
TA DA!! THE FINISHED COOP!
I found these cute Behrens 6 gallon lockable metal garbage cans on Amazon – they make it easy for me to feed them & give them scratch (treats). Plus they are on 50% off sale right now.
Since the floor of my coop is made of sand, I just use a cat litter scoop to clean out the poop once a week. This is my tub where I hold my gloves, and the scooper.
My husband and I were thinking this would only cost us around $200-$300 using some older wood pieces we had around the house and such. But it ended up costing us around $500. Still a huge savings – considering the Williams Sonoma one is priced at $1500. But it also embarasses me a bit since I am such a thrifty gal. And I know I will not get enough eggs out of this to pay if off.
But I do love it very much. And my chickens are happy and healthy in there as well.
I would love to know your thoughts! Do you like it, hate it or see any design flaws? Have any questions? Thanks for letting me share.
I’m sooo very jealous!!! We live in the country and want chickens – eventually. We both have a very busy schedule and the hubby’s working on building a small cabin right now with his brother at the hunting property. That being said, the “builds” at home have to wait. I’m definitely going to show this to him and also your comments about “making love” – maybe that’ll get him going…on the chicken coop, that is!! HAHA!! Love your posts!!!!!
Hi, I have had chickens “the girls” for a couple of years now and like you, love them. They are great pets that give back, eggs 🙂 Last fall I had a break in and the masked bandit kill my girls (raccoon). I am getting ready once again for some baby chicks, easter eggers this time, with their colorful eggs. My daughter is thinking about getting some as well, so she would like me to build her a coop. I built my, by myself (I say with a slightly puffed chest) and it turned out quite nice, but I am always look for new coop plans. It would be nice if you give dimensions and a wood list, I would love to try this one for my daughter’s coop.
Thanks!
Lucy
That is too adorable! My girls love in an old repurposed shed behind the garage. Functional…yes, but not so cute. However, the country girl in me would rather have functional that I didn’t have to pay for over fun that costs money…so I love the cute chicken coop life vicariously through you Karrie!
Thanks Amy!!
I think $500 is the going rate for a coop for 4 chickens. Especially if you need new materials. If you had to pay for labor, then double that. Raising chickens is not really a money saver, you do it because you know where your food comes from, and it’s fun! We adore our flock. They are ceaselessly entertaining.
To answer Lisa’s question about warmth in the Pacific NW, I live a bit south of that region in N.Cal, and we have no problems with keeping chickens warm, they have feathers, and unless they get really wet, they should be okay. They need a lot of air to circulate so you don’t want them enclosed. If it gets frosty for any period of time, you can put the roosting heat lamp in the coop with them, but they usually don’t require it. Also, a time of less light, just means a time of less laying, eggs are seasonal.
The health benefits of those GREAT eggs will far outweigh the cost to construct the coop. Very cool.
Loved this post! We’re getting chickens next spring and you have great info. I think I may have a small addiction to your blog!
When they start laying, you’ll pay for this in no time. Not only saving at the store, but healthy food source, sharing and selling! Such a great looking coop.
I know you said you live in the Pacific Northwest, so was wondering if it got cold enough there for freezing weather. What is your plan for keeping the chickens warm in the winter? Also, is it necessary to have artificial light for the chickens during seasons of “less” sun?
Love it! You guys did such a good job! Can’t wait to see it in person!! Can’t wait for you to gets eggs either!!
That is soooo adorable, and is there anything sexier than a handy husband? Especially one who responds “As you wish?” Love it!
Wow – you did an amazing job with this project! Sounds like a lot of work, but the end results are fantastic! Wish I could have chickens!
I thin its EGGDORABLE! you don’t want to know what our 16 ft. by 32 ft. chicken coop cost… lol and it doesn’t have a picket fence or flowers!!! but we have freedom rangers growing out as we speak.. a handful of Serama’s for the kids and the usual clucking around… good job!!! ready for a milk cow yet??
It’s so beautiful! I bet you all smile every time you see it. I certainly do!
I think one of the nice things about couponing is that we save enough every day to be able to spend a little extra on the things we really care about. When you consider how much your children enjoy being with the chickens and the pleasure of getting your own delicious eggs; it’s definitely worth it! You’re always inspiring, and I’m grateful you shared this with us (including the real cost!). 🙂 Thanks!
I really do smile everytime I see it! Thank you!
Flaws?! Absolutely not…this is the most adorable coop I’ve ever seen!! And it’s so much better than a store bought one because it was made with love which is priceless! I love it…your husband did an awesome job!
Awwee, thank you so much!
So cute!! And so resourceful!! Love it!
I dunno…$500 for an adorable coop and priceless memories? Sounds like a good deal to me! I know people think we’re a little nutty for how fond we are of our chickens but I’ll be the Crazy Chicken Lady, I’m cool with it. 😛
Ha ha ha!!! Yes! People that are proud to call themselves crazy chicken folks are the BEST kinds of people I say… 🙂
the chicken coop is so wonderful~!!!! and you have an amazing husband!!!!
Thanks so much!
Proud of that husband of yours! I’m very impressed with him these last few years! What a great cousin I have!
I love it, it’s so beautiful. And I say $500 IS a thrifty coop, tell your husband he did an amazing job!
Beautiful! !! Love it!
Thank you!
It’s absolutely adorable!!!!