Our move to Eugene was a bit more frantic than moves from the past. It was challenging to juggle moving boxes and unpacking with the strong desire to plant seeds in this new patch of dirt. The most pressing piece of business, above all of these other pressing tasks, was building a temporary chicken coop for the girls.
The chicken coop in Portland has been great – it’s nice and roomy and does the job. A carpenter would certainly do a finer job, but the chickens were happy and so was I. Unfortunately, that coop is not really movable. That meant that the girls needed a home here in Eugene, but with school starting this week there wasn’t much time to build something well-thought out.
This August/September I plan to build a nicer, permanent coop that can also be portable. I will most likely move to a new spot in a year when Jay returns from NYC, and it would be great to come up with a design that can move easily with me.
It took a day in Portland to build this 2′ x 3′ hen house, which we moved to Eugene. Once here, we spent a few hours shopping at the local lumber yard to build the frame and run. It took a full day to build the completed project. The hen house is raised because it keeps the overall structure efficient – you don’t lose the space from the hen house because the chickens can roam around underneath. The run is approximately 4′ x 5′ in size and fits neatly right outside our back door.
The chickens made the journey south in a very large box, which kept them in the dark. They can’t see in the dark, so this kept them relatively calm during transport. Although we did get eggs the first day they were in their new digs, we haven’t received eggs yet. It’s typical for chickens to take a few days off when they undergo stress, and moving to new surroundings puts them through some stress.
They seem happy as can be digging up a new patch of grass and attacking new, unsuspecting bugs. I have heard rumors of a raccoon living nearby, so I am keeping a close eye on things at night. It’s funny how I have boxes and boxes piled in the house, but knowing the chickens are happy outside makes me feel like I am home.
Wow. This is really cool. My wife and I are definitely interested in getting chickens for our urban bungalow.
Are there any other things we should keep in mind, besides for raccoons?
I believe once the families happy, the boxes will sort themselves out in time. I pray that raccoon doesn’t cause any trouble. Good luck with the settling in, and all the best with the next adventure. Watching from a distance, I’m keen to learn with you.
Nice job on a quick chicken housing fix! We’re in the middle of a coop remodel – and gosh, it can sure feel like it drags on forever!
Our girls do the take a few days off thing now and then, too – most notably recently when some big dogs were running loose through the neighborhood and tried to get into the coop at about 2am one morning! Scary! Who could blame them?!
Happy move! May it be a wonderful experience getting settled in your new community!
Love the new digs!! Actually, we have a small yard and I always love to see photos of smaller coops for ideas on how to make ours when we get some hens of our own.
Daniel, think about aggressive dogs that may break into your yard to mess with the chickens. Also, rats and mice could be a problem if they can access the chicken food. I kept mine protected and had no issues.
Thanks for all the support guys! Green Bean, I am actually in the process of planning small coop ideas. Stay posted over the next few months!
Looks like you’ve got it goin’ on with the chickens. Isn’t it funny how they will stop laying if things around them change? I always enjoyed talking with my chickens.
Backyard Chicken Talk
Advice for other newbies out there. Be sure you have a solidly built place to lock the chickens into at night. That is when predators are at the worst. Some of the coops on the market are not solid enough to keep out a dog or raccoon. Also make sure the coop you choose is sufficient to keep your chickens safe even in the harsh winter months.
You are joining growing numbers of us who keep backyard chickens and are loving it.
Some good chicken info – have been keeping hens for a few years now and am only now discovering that there’s a whole online hen community out there! So much to learn about and pick up from other people’s experiences.