Chicken Sitting and Cute Coops

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One of my favorite parts of going to our local downtown hardware store is to look at the super cute chicken coops they have lined up on the side of the building. My kids are equally excited to go inside and see all of the tiny chicks chirping and bouncing around. I took our littlest gardener into the hardware store last week and he was thrilled to see the “cheep cheeps,” and watching his wonderment was reward enough for me worth the passing pressure to actually take one home.

As much as I’d like to have chickens in our yard, the hubs has given a clear and resounding “no.” His reason is something about city ordinances that say no chickens…blah…blah, but I guess he has a point from a legal standpoint. I’m also not so sure how thrilled our neighbors would be. So when the opportunity came up last week to chicken-sit for some friends of ours (renegade, in-town chicken owners), I jumped at the chance. Our kids are homeschooled, so we were counting this as an educational opportunity, and we got to keep the eggs. Bonus! 

The kids were excited to go each morning and feed the chickens; in fact, I wondered why they were jumping at the chance to feed these chickens and not nearly as gung-ho about feeding our dogs, but I’ll take enthusiasm from them when I can get it!

We were able to keep our friends’ chickens alive and well while they were on vacation, so we’ll count this as a success! To keep my dreams of owning chickens alive, I’ve found these super cute coops, and hopefully our city (come on Kinston!) changes the ordinances soon.

1. Trevormade Coop- What’s not to love about this diy coop? The plans are available online here, and you can paint it to match your house. I’m pretty sure this coop is nicer than my kids swing set. 
2. Backyard Chickens Coop- This tiny house style coop will have your chickens lounging in style, complete with window boxes! See the post, complete with instructions here. 
3. Small + Friendly DIY Coop– I’m loving the bright red color, and the full size door on this coop. It seems easily accessible, and she has the details in her post, here. 
4. Lovely Greens Coop- This coop has a much more rustic feel and incorporates an existing shed to create their permanent chicken coop. Their post also breaks down what to consider when planning your chicken coop. 
5. Blissful Roots Coop- This coop can only be described at lovely. The clean white look and simple design make it worthy of Martha Stewart’s backyard. Check out the post here. 

With all of these cute coops ideas, I’m hoping to win over the hubs (and city officials)! I’m not saying that owning chickens will be cheaper than simply buying eggs at the grocery store each week, but being able to care for chickens, and knowing where the eggs are coming from, would be a wonderful addition to our backyard and garden. I’d love to know if you have chickens, and what type of coop you’re using!