Outside Pen at Coop de Manion
Announcing VintageGardenGal’s premier “Chicken Coop Photo Contest.” I hear from some many of you around the world regarding your chickens and coops, I’d like to see them! Spring has got to be the best time of year to show off your chicken coop, so I thought it would be fun to have a photo contest.
I believe that chicken coops are an extension of our garden. Are you concerned about where your food comes from? Do you enjoy fresh food, steps away from your kitchen? Having backyard chickens is a fun step in a nice direction.
What kind of chicken coop do you have? Did you inherit it when you bought your present home and property? Is it designed out of flea market finds? Did you buy a chicken coop kit? Did your dad build it for you? Did you have an existing barn or shed on your property that you modified? How many chickens do you have?
How is it decorated? How does your chicken coop integrate with your garden or property? What is important to you about your chicken coop? What do you love about having chickens in your backyard?
Submit your winning chicken coop photo to bonnie@vintagegardengal.com within the month of May 2010. Along with your photo, send a brief explanation of what motivated you to have chickens, how you created your chicken coop, how your chicken coop ties in with your garden or property, any chicken coop details you would like to share, and generally where-in-the-world you are located. One winner and two runner-ups will be announced in June 2010. Their brief story and photos will be shared on VintageGardenGal.
VintageGardenGal will return next week.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
WHAT A COINCIDENCE!
I’m educating myself on keeping chickens in the garden. I would like just a few hens to help with bugs and weeds. Do you know if chickens were terrorize my vegetable beds?
No ! Maybelline you can keep your vegetable beds secure by keeping the chicken coop covered with wire mesh. Beside that use coffee chaff in chicken coop, it will engage the chickens spending more time with the chaff than digging vegetable beds.
great post as usual!
I mentioned you in my blog post today! Unfortunately I’m a newbie and we’ll be building our coop in early June – hence I can’t participate in the contest
( maybe I’ll send you my design drawings? Anyway thanks for being an inspiration!
Bonnie, I keep thinking we’re going to get the paint on the coop but the weather just isn’t cooperating on the mountain. It’s May 11 and we got dusted with snow last night! I love getting all this moisture, but it’s not conducive to much yard work. I’ve been inspired by your own run on your coop and as soon as the paint is on and the fence to contain my “girls”, I’m adding plants I’ve been saving for around the perimeter: boxwood, bridal veil spirea, roses, and perhaps some herbs such as rosemary and lavender. I can hardly wait!
Hi – I sure hope you show pictures of more than just the winners’ coops! I’m trying to get some ideas for my own – I’m really looking forward to the entries! Thanks!
Oh no! I was planning on sending in a photo of our coop and totally forgot! Is it too late? Will you be doing this again next year?
Fancy, yes, I plan on it.. Thanks for your interest….VintageGardenGal
hi bonnie, i’ve been having a problem this week with my chickens eating their eggs, why would thet do this? there is scratch in their food, plus they spend most of their day out in the garden.
Hilda, it could be a number of reasons. Hens don’t normally eat their eggs, so try and observe them closely. Are you feeding them a balanced laying mash, not just scratch. Are they crowded, no more than 3-4 hens per laying box. Are their laying boxes on the floor. Laying boxes should be off of the floor, in a non-bright light, with plenty of bedding for your hens to be comfortable. Do they have plenty of water at all times. Do you collect your eggs often, and not leave them in their laying boxes. Do your hens appear to be healthy. Look for what might be a sign, and try and correct. Good luck…VintageGardenGal
how is your coop attached to the run…do you have more picturese or a set of plans for your coop….
Matt,
I have more posts and photos in my “Chicken” category on left side bar home page of http://www.vintagegardengal.com. My outside pen is seemlessly constructed off of the back side of my chicken coop with 2″ x 4″ and wire mesh. My hens are protected from the top, sides, and even a foot underneath the soil. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
John, oct 4,2010 9:35pm
I have 4 Silkies 1rooster and 3hens. I have a nice large coop for them.
My thing is, I have 1hen laying on 2eggs that I let her keep.At night when the others come to the coop they all lay around her while she is on her nest.
The thing I need to know is,after the chicks are hatched should I keep the others out of the coop?
John, it depends on how aggressive your rooster and other hens are. I would observe them closely, and if you have any safety doubt, isolate your mother hen and chicks for a while to keep them protected, and let them grow a little bigger. Thanks for your question…VintageGardenGal
Thank You Bonnie, for your advise. I’ll watch them to see how they are.
They should hatch around the 18thof oct. I’ll try and send some pictures
of my pets. By the way one of my hens name is Bonnie. I love them and they are a lot of fun. Thanks again, John C
for
Holy Toledo, so glad I clckeid on this site first!