Chicken Coop with Luxury Space

Our little hens have outgrown their dog kennel pen, so this weekend Mike and Matthew set up our old dog run in the corner of the house garden.

The first thing we needed was a chicken wire roof. We have a beautiful red tailed hawk that lives nearby, and he comes for breakfast often. He perches on the log fence and feasts on quail, dove and other tasty treats. The first evening the run was up, I commented that he would probably be by for a visit, and not five minutes later he swooped down from the neighbor’s cypress trees and was perched on the run. I ran outside with my arms waving and tucked the chicks back in their pen.

The new cover is safe, and we used tree branches for extra shade and camouflage. The little chicks still peeped like crazy last night at dusk, till I closed the door to the kennel and tucked them in. I suppose the next project for Mike will be a chicken house with closing door and roosts. (I already gave him my design :)

The Chicken Patrol will be kept busy too. Border Collies need work, and Copper has made these little critters her new daily chore.

With the chickens and the garden close to the house, it makes my work more enjoyable. It’s easy care, and I can see them from the windows of my studio, my kitchen, and the office. I love taking breaks through the day just to watch them and take them morsels from the kitchen. We should have fresh eggs by fall. I love the way caring for animals makes me feel. Life can get pretty scary sometimes, but with a garden and animals around it feels a little more sane.