A chicken coop is a great addition to your garden if you want to get free, fresh eggs every day, you enjoy the company of chickens (they really do make great pets), or you want a little extra help with pest control. But a standard chicken coop may not be attractive enough for your needs. Thankfully, there are many ways to set up an attractive coop that will keep your chickens safe and comfortable and keep your garden looking beautiful too. Continue reading for a few tips.
The Right Siding and Accessories
First off, place your chicken coop in an area of your garden that receives enough shade, such as beneath a large tree. This will help keep your hens cool during the summer while allowing for plenty of sunlight to bring warmth in the winter when the branches are bare. Next, decorate your coop with brown siding that has a rustic appearance to keep it looking natural. Hang some baskets filled with lovely flowers to decorate the exterior and make it feel like a real home.
Add Lighting Inside Your Chicken Coop
To keep your hens producing eggs throughout the winter, when their bodies would otherwise stop production because of the lack of daylight, hang an attractive light fixture, such as a small chandelier, inside their coop. According to experts, you should make sure that you pick light bulbs that will create a warm glow in your chicken coop in order to stimulate their bodies to lay eggs.
Paint the Outside
If you hate the look of your standard brown, wooden chicken coop, paint yours with colourful paint. This will make it stand out from the rest of your garden and make it feel more like a home for your hens rather than a farmer’s typical chicken coop. And it will be a lot of fun to look at because it’s so different.
Make It Architecturally Unique
A unique architectural approach can make your chicken coop appear more like a cottage out of a fairy tale forest than a coop. So go ahead and get creative by giving your coop the exterior appearance and roof of a home for people.
Add an Outdoor Extension
Another great feature is an outdoor extension that’s specially designed for your hens to roam around freely outside their coop during the day. This will let you rest easy knowing that they’re safe and confined to a specific area of your garden, so they won’t be able to get to your flowerbeds or vegetable and fruit patches either. For the most security, use a hardware cloth and create a tunnel that they can walk through from their coop.
Keeping hens as pets in your garden is a really fulfilling and fun experience. Enjoy the process of setting up a coop that will not only protect them, but also enhance the overall appearance of your outdoor space. Both you and your chickens will be able to enjoy the great outdoors together, and they’ll be more than happy to provide you with fresh, organic, truly humane eggs.