One Cool Coop

This coop is A-OK for this Oklahoma chickenkeeper!

After wanting chickens for about 10 years, Carla-rose of Tulsa, Oklahoma, finally adopted three old ladies. She soon realized that she wanted more chickens and would, therefore, require a more practical coop. Her priority was a new building that would be equally safe and utilitarian as it was stylish. “Having had a small A-fame tractor coop, I knew what I did and did not want from a coop design,” she says. “It was, however, rather difficult to find modern chicken coop plans so I set out to design my own. Based on my research — plus inspiration from a few of my favorite coops — Chicken S@#* Mansion was created!”

What originally started out as a 3-by-6-foot walk-in coop blossomed into a 51⁄2-by-12-foot structure nestled in the heart of midtown Tulsa. “By the time you purchase 6- and 8-foot lumber, you may as well utilize it,” she says. “Plus, ample shady space was available.”

While her urban hens happily free-range during the daytime, nocturnal predators are a huge concern. Carla-rose used superstrong rare-earth magnets made from the element neodymium to keep the doors and nest boxes secure without the use of locks. “I highly recommend this method for any coop!” she says. The coop is complete with storage, roost bars of staggered heights, a driftwood roost and four nest boxes. “I am absolutely obsessed with the color,” she says of the design.

Due to the difficulty of finding modern coop plans, Carla-rose is currently working with an architect friend who is drawing up the plans of the mansion, in case you’d like some yourself. If you’re interested, email her at hybridretro@gmail.com.