Urban Coops
You may have decided that you want to start raising chickens so you have your own healthy fresh eggs or maybe you gave chicks to your children for Easter. Now, where do you put your chickens and how do you keep them corralled?
Enjoy,
David Proctor
Urban Farmer/Rancher
Chicken Coops For Urban Yards
by David Proctor
April 11, 2024
Urban Farm Lifestyle Magazine Published Weekly
Living in an urban environment can be challenging to keep chickens or for that matter, almost anything that you would consider from an agricultural standpoint.
Chickens can exist in a city environment and thrive quite well.
One of the keys to the chicken’s thriving is making sure that they are not a meal for the neighbor’s dog or other potential predators.
As much as we love chickens, so do many other animals that would love to make a meal out of them.
To help prevent this a chicken coop needs to be placed where the chickens can be safe and have a place to roost away from harm.
Since chickens have become popular to raise in the city or urban areas, chicken coops have become more available in many different styles, shapes, and sizes.
I have had an interest in the mobile type of coops so the chickens can help with bugs in the yard and turn, the eggs will have that deep yellow yolk that tastes so good from ranged chickens.
This particular coop was purchased and modified to be mobile.
Handles were added and wheels to the back of the coop.
Along the base, reinforcement was added to help keep the chicken coop from damage when moved.
This is a good design and modification.
One to two people can move this coop and provide the chickens with new grass and bugs to eat.
Another design is one my son-in-law came up with.
This design gives the chickens more room to move around plus by sliding on some temporary wheels, the whole thing can be moved to a new location as often as you need or want.
As you can see the temporary wheels leaning against the coop, attach to a bar that is underneath the whole structure.
By grabbing hold of the bars in the front, the whole structure can be moved in the same way you would move a wheelbarrow.
The nest boxes can be accessed from both sides and two doors help facilitate cleanout.
The structure is a little bit heavier than the first but can still be managed by one person or if need be two.
This setup also allows for more chickens with a greater surface of exposed grass within their reach.
I used to have a pretty steep slope in my backyard.
I tried to figure out how to have a mobile chicken coop that can be stable and not tip over.
I have even thought about in my case using a stationary chicken coop but making the area where the chickens can range, mobile.
I would have done this with electric poultry fencing.
An example of a beautiful stationary chicken coop was my neighbor’s.
To provide more of a run, poultry fencing can be used.
The fencing can be easily moved and can also help deter predators from killing and eating the chickens.
This would require a bit of work to herd the chickens around the established fenced area.
One idea might be to attach more than one fenced area so they can be moved between areas.
This is a work in progress and I am sure I will have a learning curve as to what will work and what will not work for my situation.
Check It Out!
Stationary Chicken Coop Plans
Quick Tip
Bibliography:
“6 Week Old Chicks.” Poultry 6 to 8 Weeks Old | Purina Animal Nutrition. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2024
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