Chicken Check-in

I cannot believe how much the chicks have grown in just a few weeks! As they continue getting bigger, we realized we needed a larger home for them. After some research, we decided on this chicken coop from Innovation Pet.

We had four main criteria that the coop needed to ensure it would fit our needs.

SIZE

It needed to be an appropriate size. I definitely don’t anticipate on growing our brood, but I wanted a life-time coop rather than having to purchase multiple coops. This model is designed to house 8 chickens which means our four girls should have plenty of room. It includes an above ground “house” that is over five square feet of space and an attached run that is more than eleven square feet of space.

ACCESS

It needed to have an easily accessible way to gather eggs. I plan on egg-gathering to be one of the girls' chores, so an easy way to gather was vital. The Farmhouse Coop has a latched door in the back that provides great access to the tree nesting boxes. We will use small baskets and straw to fill the nesting boxes to make it a comfortable space and make cleanup easier, too.

CLEANLINESS

It needed to be easy to clean. Luckily, this coop has a drawer that pulls out under the roosting bars and can be sprayed down. The run will be on the ground and will not need to be cleaned separately. The coop itself is somewhat small in terms of me being able to climb in there, but there are multiple doorways that will allow us to clean up and spot clean as needed.

SAFETY

It needs to be a safe place for the girls to live full-time. Since we live in town, there is less threat of predators, but they are still a risk. When reading the online reviews of this coop, one area that received negative feedback was the quality of material. This was a major factor in our decision because we wanted a safe but also budget-friendly coop. From previous experience, the materials to build the indoor pigpen (which was not very intricate) was nearly $150. To build a coop and run that met all of our specifications would be much more expensive. Luckily though, Boots is super handy and was able to improvise and enhance the provided materials to make a sturdier coop.

Even though the chickens are getting bigger, they have not fully feathered, so they are still susceptible to the cold. Lately, the weather has been rather rainy and chilly, so we are housing the coop in the garage. While they may not be officially “outside,” the ladies definitely seem to be enjoying the extra space.

Darla

Goldie

The Twins: Brown & Freckle-ina

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