5 minute read
36 Not chicken feed
Not just chicken feed
Well-designed outbuilding does more than keep hens cooped up
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BY ASHLEY LODATO
In late 2021, Jeff and Molly Patterson purchased the original homestead of Jewett Davis, a Methow Valley pioneer who arrived in a wagon train in 1888.
Nestled at the base of Balky Hill and known over the years as “the Davis place, “the LaMotte place,” “the Del Prewitt place” and, now, “Davis Creek Ranch,” the farmstead itself is 200 acres of terraced fields through which the ranch’s eponymous creek flows.
Many of the ranch’s buildings require a significant amount of restoration to keep them from deteriorating and, with help from a Heritage Barn Grant, the Pattersons have begun renovation work on the iconic red gable roof barn that was once the tallest building in the valley. The to-do list is daunting.
But even though some of these centuries-old outbuildings need immediate attention, the Pattersons realized that they could not relocate from their home in the Twin Lakes area to their new ranch until they had one critical piece of infrastructure in place: a coop for their 100 Buff Orpington and Silkie chickens.
“We had to get the chickens and the horses situated before we could make the final move,” Molly Patterson said. And thus the plan for the Freebird Coop was born. PRACTICALITY PREVAILS
Two parallel buildings separated by a wide covered walkway and topped by a steep gable roof with gently sloping wings, the Freebird Coop is a chicken-lover’s dream henhouse. For starters, it’s adorable. Were the chickens not already in residence, the Pattersons could probably rent the space out for lodging on Glamping Hub.
But when Patterson discusses the design, it is with practicality in mind.
“When you think of all the time we spend taking care of animals, it makes sense to make some things easier,” she said. “At our old place Jeff would have to carry water every day all the way out to the coop.
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The deep overhangs add coverage from the elements.
So we put a frost-free right next to this new coop. When we scoop the chicken poop, we can put it in the compost right behind the coop. The entrance is covered, so we don’t have to shovel right up to the door. And we can store hay right beside the coop instead of having to haul it over from the barn.”
Other practical aspects were taken from their previous coop’s design. The Freebird Coop is elevated, which gives the chickens an outdoor covered space to go dig in the dirt, or to hide when a raptor flies over.
It’s also insulated, including the floor, and the base is wrapped in metal so the mice can’t nibble the rigid foam. A heat lamp warms the entire coop — about 95 square feet — in the winter, and the insulation will help it stay cool in the summer. An automatic door set on a timer gives chickens access to a fenced area on the south side of the coop.
PERFECT ENTRANCE
Across the covered walkway from the coop are a small (65 square feet) storage building for chicken feed and hay bales, as well as a nursery for baby chicks (30 square feet). Slab-on-grade construction ensures that the nursey can have a heated floor, which, Patterson said “means no more baby chicks in the living room with a heat lamp.” The baby chicks will also have access to their own fenced yard. Methow Valley News
The covered walkway bisecting the two buildings is more than utilitarian, it’s aesthetic. It draws visitors through the chicken space and out into the garden and eventual orchard beyond.
Providing visual interest as well as a physical barrier is a custom metal gate created by Jerry Merz of Methow Metalworks, which Patterson has been holding onto for five years, waiting for the perfect place to install it.
“I always wanted an entrance like that, through this beautiful gate,” Patterson said.
“I’ve been dreaming about this chicken coop forever,” she added. “Designing and building it has really given me the opportunity to do something different and cool.”
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