Chicken coops remain a hot topic of interest to our readers (especially designer coops) which lean towards chic colors and design. Read how Quebec design firm Les Ensembliers keep their heritage birds happy in their sustainable Humming Hill farm. Vancouver cookbook author, bakery owner (and stellar gardener) Rosie Daykin offers her tips for an integrated, beautiful coop — which she painted the same smoky blue as her raised vegetable beds. Finally, go inside West Coast designer Lisa Moody’s Scandi greenhouse and sleek back chicken coop.
These experts weigh in on hot topics including coop size, breed selection, feeding and more. Scroll down!
Designers Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal of Les Ensembliers keep chickens (as well as bees) on their sustainable vegetable and flower farm in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, Humming Hill Farm . “Chickens are a long term commitment, they will live a few years, they should not be perceived as a disposable project that we start in spring and terminate in fall. They are very intelligent and have their own personality —you will create a strong emotional bond with them,” says Maxime. Get his advice below:
Coop Size: “The size of the coop depends on the outdoor space available for the chickens. Four square feet per chick is good. You may squeeze one or two more when you start because they are smaller and you may get mortality over your first year. We use PVC panels inside, they are easy to maintain and good for their health, and put wood chips on the floor of the coop. An automatic motorized door is very useful: it works with natural day light and removes you from the burden of going there twice a day.”
Breed Selection: “We have Chantecler chickens, a heritage Quebec breed that is adapted to winter, produces a good amount of eggs (200 eggs per chick) and is part of our culture and history. The breed was almost extinct 30 years ago, but local farmers are trying to keep it alive. We have 10 chickens and two roosters. They go outside every day and we visit them every day. If you have a rooster, the rooster will yell if there is a problem.”
Photographer: André Rider
Designer: Richard Ouellete & Maxime Vandal, Les Ensembliers
Protection: “Fencing is the most expensive and crucial element to make your endeavour a success. The foxes, raccoons, and even coyotes smell them from a distance. During the spring and late fall when there is less food in the forest, they are very inventive about trying to get in the coop.”
Winter Care: “We have heated lamps, a heated water station, and a little back-up heater. The challenge is when you lose power, those babies can’t stay in cold too long. We clean every second week because they spend most of their time outside. They have a neoclassical antique wall fountain that we saved from another project. They bathe in it!”
Photographer: André Rider
Designer: Richard Ouellete & Maxime Vandal, Les Ensembliers
Cookbook author and baker Rosie Daykin is a creative wellspring, whether’s she’s whipping up something in her kitchen, or tending to her raised vegetable beds or chickens. “Remember, chickens are no different than any other pet you would own — they require the same love and attention,” says Rosie. “People seem to discount chickens under the false assumption that they require very little to be happy and that they are dimwitted. Completely false!” Get her advice below:
Coop Size: “The internet would tell you that each chicken needs four square feet inside the coop and 8-10 square feet of outside space. Those numbers, while I am sure are accurate, seem like a dismal existence for those birds. Chickens love to roam and forage so the more space you can allow them to do this the better. Chickens living in tight quarters with little exercise can get nasty with each other and really, who could blame them? Your coop must be sturdy and well built so take care to ensure this. I purchased plans off the internet for a coop that I liked the look of and hired a friend who is a contractor to build it. It wasn’t cheap, but it has withstood some very wet and cold winter months and kept my girls safe and happy. Many prefab coops available through places like Wayfair are flimsy and small, making it almost impossible to clean them properly. I can’t stress enough how spending a little more upfront will save you a ton down the road, plus your chickens will be so much better for it! I especially like my Royal Rooster feeders to water and feed.”
Breed Selection: “I chose my breeds based on the color of egg they each lay. Regina, my Ameraucana lays blue eggs, Coco my Cuckoo Maran lays dark brown eggs, and Olive, my Olive Egger lays green eggs.”
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Designer: Rosie Daykin
Feeding: “Chickens need a constant supply of fresh water and chicken feed as well as grass and any goodies they find when foraging. I also offer my chickens some special treats with scraps from the vegetable garden and my own homemade scratch (the recipe is in my new book, The Side Gardener: Recipes & Notes from My Garden ) of seeds and grain. You will want to adjust your chicken feed depending on the age of the chicken, and laying hens require more protein.”
Bedding: “I have had the floor of my chicken coop done in a laminate hardwood flooring. It’s really inexpensive, easy to install, hardwearing and a breeze to clean. I cover it in a nice layer of pine shavings which I replace once a week when I clean the coop. I sweep out all the pine shavings, wash the floors, roosting bars and nesting boxes, replace the feed and water and dust with diatomaceous earth (a natural mineral-based pesticide), which prevents mites and bugs from taking up residence in the coop). There is a city by-law that prohibits you from having more than four chickens, so I settled on three.”
Protection: “I let my chickens out of the run (they have a huge run of about 800 square feet which is fully enclosed) into the backyard at least once a day to allow them a good forage. Our backyard is fully fenced and I don’t worry too much about predators (knock on wood), so far they have been very safe. But when I let them in the front yard to graze on the lawn I make sure to stay close by with an eye to the sky for larger birds of prey: chickens make delicious snacks for eagles.”
Winter Care: “I have several heaters that I install in the coop for the colder months. We also place a large tarp over the coop and surrounding area to ensure they have some dry space outside the coop when it’s rainy and cold. I had Plexiglass panels made for the chicken wire sides of the coop which I clip on for the winter to help keep the wind out.”
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Designer: Rosie Daykin
West Coast designer Lisa Moody’s greenhouse/chicken coop was an immediate fan favorite, and has to be one of the most photogenic coops we have ever seen (it’s built on to the back of her beautiful greenhouse).
Coop Size: “A chicken coop should be four square-feet per chicken. Mine is wood construction with a solid floor. Concrete, stone or vinyl covered wood is best for the floor topped with litter material. You need 8″-12” of roost space per chicken that is higher than the nesting boxes, but 2-3’ max high without a ladder. I have an automatic door between the coop and run which is brilliant. The chickens naturally come inside the coop to roost a dusk and the door is set to close at dark. I have 8-10 chickens and I have a 25 lb. hanging poultry feeder that I top up every week when I clean the coop. I also have two water feeders: a plastic bucket with a lid and poultry water nipples drilled into the sides to keep the water really clean. The chickens will roost on any flat surface, so the lid of the bucket gets quite dirty. I clean it weekly but also keep extra lids on hand. It’s best to keep water (especially open water) in the run so it keeps down on the humidity in the coop.”
Breed Selection: “We have heritage chickens. They lay fewer eggs but are meant for backyard coops. They tend to do better free ranging on a more varied diet. And their eggs can be more beautiful. I feed them vegetable and bread scraps along with their 18% protein chicken feed and a daily handful of chicken scratch.”
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Designer: Lisa Moody
Protection: “I do let them free range in my yard. We have a chain link fence. They don’t like to stray far from each other, but I have had a couple escape. I have always gotten them back. I try and let them out when I will be home and can somewhat keep my eye on them. They completely destroy my garden so from mid-spring to late summer I need to keep them in their coop/chicken run until I figure out a solution. Any time the chickens are free range they are exposed to predators. I have never had a problem while they are outside their coop but on my wish list is a larger chicken run. Because I have to keep them mostly confined for spring and summer I wish I paid more attention to the run — making it larger and covered.”
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Designer: Lisa Moody
Bedding: “I use river or construction sand (not sand box sand). I turn it or add more sand every month to keep it fresh and replace it once a year. Their nesting boxes are lined with pine shavings. I have dropping boards under the roosts which I really think this is a game changer. I simply scrape these off into a bucket along with the dirty shavings from the nesting boxes and throw it all into the compost. I turn the sand in the coop maybe monthly or even bi-monthly and change it once a year. The chickens are very good at keeping themselves clean. They don’t need showers but love a good bath… in dirt! They love dry loose dirt to have a dust bath in.”
Winter Care: “I have been strongly advised not to add heat to their coop for a variety of reasons. In cold weather make sure to keep it dry as possible with clean bedding in the nesting boxes, sufficient places to roost, and keep their water from freezing. The exception to this would be extreme cold climates that go below -20c.”
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Designer: Lisa Moody
Lisa chose her eight heritage chickens for their pretty multicolored eggs. “The eggs taste the same — but they make my heart happy,” she says.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Designer: Lisa Moody