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The Ultimate Chicken Coop How to build the henhouse of your dreams
we’d live on a farm,” says Heather Bullard, whose career as a photo stylist instead requires close proximity to Los Angeles. So she and her agriculture-obsessed spouse, Jim, compromised by constructing a chicken coop. Since the Bullards’ Riverside, California, backyard barely covers a quarter acre, looks mattered as much as function. “We see the coop from half the windows in our house,” Heather explains. “And we do a lot of entertaining on a nearby patio.” Together, the two designed a Cape Cod– inspired structure that’s prettier than many human dwellings— and built it themselves for $1,600, using stock building materials and hardware from Home Depot. “I can’t tell you how many people have asked us for the plans,” says Heather, who has agreed to sell the blueprints to Country Living readers. Turn the page for an in-depth tour of what just may be the spiffiest henhouse ever.
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Lola (top) and Butter are just two of the hens who rule Heather and Jim Bullard’s deluxe roost.
Written by Jourdan Crouch
PHOTOGRAPHS BY RAY K ACHATORIAN; STYLING BY HEATHER BULLARD
“If my husband had his way,
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1. Nesting Boxes Tucked behind a dropdown door, this trio of cozy cubbies is situated so that eggs are within easy reach—as Heather demonstrates above. A raised ledge keeps any from rolling out. 2. Storage Space Barn-style doors with
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a handsome crossbuck design conceal shelves for feed bags, oyster shells, and wire egg baskets. “I love that I don’t have to cart supplies in and out of my garage every day,” Heather says.
3. Roosting House Connected to the nesting boxes (on the left) and the screened pen (on the right), this area serves as the hens’ main sleeping quarters. “The minute the sun starts setting, the girls line up like little soldiers and march themselves to bed,” Heather says. Come sunrise, the birds know it’s time to get up, thanks to screened portholes that also provide ventilation.
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4. Main Entryway “Every morning,
I open these doors so the hens can roam in the yard,” says Heather of the groundlevel nook just off the pen. This foyer also doubles as the ladies’ dining room, with a galvanized waterer and feeder.
5. Screened Pen The Bullards chose heavy-duty wire fencing for the walls of the coop’s main hang-out spot, in order to deter predators like coyotes, raccoons, even neighborhood dogs and cats. Eighteen-inch-deep concrete footings below the structure, plus bolt locks on the doors, provide extra security. A nap perch stretches from one side of the pen to the other, and a gangplank leads up to the roosting house. The design takes human comfort into account, too, with an 11-foothigh ceiling that allows the Bullards to walk in and refill food.
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6. Landscaping “No one wants to look
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GO TO COUNTRYLIVING.COM/COOP
at chicken poop,” Heather points out, “so we planted boxwoods out front to hide the coop floor.” The couple also surrounded the structure with an attractive brick walkway, which they can simply hose off as needed.
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to purchase the building plans for the Bullards’ henhouse.
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A Brief Primer for the Backyard Chicken Farmer DO YOUR HOMEWORK
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BREEDS FOR YOU
Before buying your own brood, check local chicken laws and ordinances. (The Bullards’ town allows up to five hens, but no roosters.) Also, be sure you have the right kind of space. “Hens are scaredy-cats,” Heather says. “They need to feel safe, so look for a spot far from a driveway or other busy area.” She also recommends backyardchickens.com for information about poultry supplies, care, behavior, and more.
The American Poultry Association recognizes 62 breeds. Heather opted for medium-size hens known to lay three to five eggs a week, though she admits that egg color influenced her selections, too: “I love the mix of pretty hues!” Mypetchicken.com makes it easy to choose birds based on hardiness, size, and, yes, egg color—and sells day-old chicks for $3 to $8 each. 1 The Bullards’ pet Souffle, an Easter Egger, lays pale-blue eggs and displays her breed’s sweet, friendly traits. 2 Buff Orpingtons produce brownish-pink eggs and tend to have docile dispositions. But Heather says this one, named Butter, likes to show off: “She’s the clucker of the bunch and lets everyone know when she’s left an egg.” 3 Extra-large rust-colored eggs are the hallmark of Rhode Island Reds, like Ruby— who lives up to the breed’s reputation as affectionate and curious. 4 “Lola’s the biggest bird, so the others follow her,” Heather says of her Barred Plymouth Rock, who bears cream-colored eggs. Members of this breed are known for their outgoing nature.
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HOW TO ORDER THE PLANS Coveting the Bullards’ coop? You can build one exactly like it. To order a copy of the couple’s henhouse blueprints for $39 (including free priority-mail shipping through August 31), visit countryliving.com/coop.
THE SECRET TO ORGANIC EGGS It’s pretty darn simple: You’ve gotta feed your hens organic food. Heather serves her gals a mix of fresh spinach, live worms, oyster shells— which help thicken eggshells—and Natures Grown Organics dry feed ($17.50 for 40-pound bag; 877-634-3184). “Some afternoons, I also give them their favorite snack: organic Cheerios,” she adds.
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PHOTOGRAPH BY (BLUEPRINT) J MUCKLE/STUDIO D
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