There are as many opinions on how to choose a coop for your chickens as there are people who tend a flock. Some of us want to reuse and repurpose reclaimed wood, crates, cars, trailers...you name it. Others build the most stunning chicken abodes, worthy of mention in Architectural Digest.
Our family started out years ago with a quickly put-together chicken coop and run made from wood (a couple of llittle chicks arrived in our home before we had a house for them). It served the purpose but was always hard to clean and had that tell-tale chickeny smell.
This time, when we became serious about urban gardens and backyard chickens, we put a bit more thought into the type and placement of the hen house. It needed to be:
1. Easy to clean
2. Attractive in our yard
3. Safe and comfortable for the hens
4. Critter-proof (yes, even in Castro Valley, we have raccoons)
5. Help to make our hens good neighbors (no fly or smell problem)
That's why we decided on our Eglu coop (by the Omlet folks in the U.K.). It's double-wall construction makes for a comfortable hen house, we can clean and hose down the whole coop in a matter of minutes. No chicken smell, no flies with a clean coop. The back drops down and the nest slides out (like a bird cage), making it easy for both adults and kids to gather eggs and clean the coop.
We love it and Henny and Penny are very happy in their little home.
What type of coop do your chickens have? What do you love about it?
