Black Maran Coop, Chicken Run, and Greenhouse

It took about two months to build this chicken coop, run, and greenhouse this winter. George helped me erect the sides and built the roof, with a wired-in area around the plum tree.

I built taller walls for the front of the run, so I could enter the run to collect straw and manure for my garden. Heat lamps keep the chickens warm at night.

I added moss to the coop roof to promote insulation, but also just to look pretty.

In the afternoon I sometimes sit inside the Maran run with my afternoon coffee and watch  my chickens. It helps them continue to be tame.

A back door to the coop can be lifted and secured, for cleaning the floor of the coop.  The extension chord for the heatlamps excits this door, and is buried in the ground. 

Everything in the chicken run and greenhouse was wired down into the ground, in two foot trenches, to deter predators.

The little greenhouse is for storing heirloom tomato plants, started from seeds collected in the fall.  It has a Dutch door and window vents for air circulation in warmer spring weather.

We hauled many loads of shredded vegetation, free from the Franklin Park garden parking lot, since the chips were an unlawful 'dump' by someone who thought they'd be useful to the gardeners.  The garden co-ordinator told me they needed to be removed so her shipment of bark chips could be delivered, so we took a lot of it home for pathways.  

All of the tagro from the huge pile in the front yard has been placed into growing berms in the backyard, awaiting spring planting.  We are hoping for a more natural Pacific Northwest garden, similar to something found out in the woods.  Weeds welcome.

The chickens in the 'Cabin Coop' continue to love their new home and run.  However, we may have fewer chickens living inside due to one or two of them being roosters. Time will tell, but I think this cabin coop will ultimately have three little hens - Wheaton Americana, Buff Orphington, and Rhode Island Red. Eggs will be blue, buff, and brown.  The Maran eggs are a deep chocolate color.  Most of the large hatcheries start selling chicks in February, but by purchasing my chicks from local breeders in December, we  should have eggs in May-earlyJune rather than waiting until August to see our first eggs.