Shakeela's Garden Coop

Shakeela McNeely already had an extensive edible garden before we ever set foot on her property, which is just north of Charlotte. A thoughtfully arranged series of cedar garden beds fanned out into her sprawling backyard, and a compost bin sat conveniently nearby.

It was when Shakeela was finally ready for her own backyard flock of hens, that she first dropped us a line.

Her vision was a small flock of somewhere between three to five hens ; a manageable addition to her organic garden, with a small daily supply of fresh eggs and some fun new friends for Shekeela and her dog.

 

Now, Shakeela had already done plenty of research on backyard chicken coops, and she already knew that she needed a sturdy backyard coop design with robust protection from predators ; Everything from snakes and hawks, to rodents, foxes, raccoons and possums, on up to bigger hunters like dogs and coyotes would all soon discover her backyard flock, and quickly put the security of her backyard coop to the test.

So our objectives were to select the best site for Shakeela’s backyard chicken coop, then select the right coop design for her backyard flock.

 

The two primary traits we look for in a backyard chicken coop site here in the Charlotte area is a dry area -  a place that isn’t always soggy, or in the path of storm water flow - and that’s also near trees, a building, a tall fence, etc.,  that will provide shade from the Charlotte area’s scorching summer afternoons.

Keeping hens cool during the summer months is a far greater consideration in the Charlotte area than taking extra measures to keep a backyard flock warm in the winter months.

 

The supplemental heaters, wind breaks, insulation, and other measures to warm backyard coops in colder regions are rarely needed during the typically mild winters 

here in zones 7 and 8.

The primary objectives for Charlotte area backyard chicken coops is to keep those hens cool during the summer months, dry during the winter months, and safe from predators.

And at first sight, we were were delighted to find that Shakeela’s sweeping backyard already had an ideal for her backyard chicken coop ; a dry, shaded area, right beside a grove of trees, that was also convenient to the house and a nearby storage shed. In front of the site, there was a pasture-sized area of fenced-in backyard of for her hens to forage during the day.

Many city and suburban residents prudently seem to prefer backyard flocks of around three to five hens as they’re easy to manage and care for ; like pets that are fun to watch, and bond with, and happily lay a daily supply of fresh eggs.

In this common scenario, The Garden Coop design is almost always our first chicken coop design recommendation, and there’s so much to love about this excellent backyard coop design.

Large enough for up to eight hens, The Garden Coop makes a more spacious, comfortable home for smaller backyard flocks.

It’s sleek and attractive design satisfies even the fussiest neighborhood HOA boards, and next-door neighbors.

 

But the two features that make this backyard chicken coop one of our favorites, are the robust protection from predators and the fully roofed floor plan. We build the Garden Coop with rough sawn red cedar framing, clad with 1/2”galvanized hardware cloth, that’s buried a foot deep around the entire perimeter of the coop. This scratchy steel mesh isn’t exactly fun to cut and work with, but one it’s securely in place, it’ll beat back attempts from all manner of claws, paws, teeth, fangs, beaks, and talons. The Garden Coop’s frame frame sits on masonry 

blocks - preventing ground contact and greatly extending the lifespan of the coop.

The Garden Coop design features a roost box that we clad with red cedar. This spacious roost box gives hens shelter from harsh weather, and a cozy place to lay eggs - with a convenient egg access door placed right on the front of the coop. The fun, chicken-sized ladder allows hens easy access through an opening in the roost box floor, and the large hinged door on the right side of the roost box allows then coop’s owner easy access for thorough cleanings.

Tinted polycarbonate roof panels cover the entire floor plan of the Garden Coop, and with ample overhang on all four sides, too. This excellent feature of the Garden Coop helps keep your flock dry in harsh, wet weather. And keeping your backyard flock dry during the winter months in the Charlotte area does a lot to keep your backyard flock comfortable and healthy.

 

And you don’t need to be an expert carpenter to build the Garden Coop, either. If you’re handy and ready to roll up your sleeves, this is an excellent DIY garden project. Simple, step-by-step plans are available at thegardencoop.com , and even though we’ve built many Garden Coops over the years, our team still appreciates having that well-worn set of printed and spiral bound 

building plans to refer to, if needed. 

With the 6’-tall hinged entry door securely installed, our final task was finding and and installing the perfect-sized tree branch for Shakeela’s hens to roost on and take in the view. We’ve found that backyard chickens seem to prefer a natural tree branch over a milled pieces of lumber for their roost. And the right natural tree branch does seem to add just the right touch of nature to a structure with so much human artistry. And perhaps it isn’t just about comfort for the hens. Maybe they have an eye for good chicken coop design, too.

At any rate, we know that a happy flock is a healthy flock. And we’re happy to look around as long as it takes to find that perfect-sized, natural roost branch for them.