Our Chicken Coop (Aka Dollywood)

When we became accidental chicken owners, we had to build a coop fast. I found the plans for Ana’s replica of the Williams Sonoma chicken coop and got to work. They were very easy to follow and easy to modify to fit our own needs and aesthetic. We decided to enlarge the coop and remove the planter in the original plans to accommodate more chickens while keeping the original footprint. Instead of plywood, we used cedar reclaimed from an old fence we had recently replaced. We also enlarged the rear door to make clean-out as easy as possible. I cut pieces of polycarbonate to fit inside the door and windows to winterize the coop when temps drop below freezing. The run is designed to follow the shape of the coop and is large enough to give our 5 chickens plenty of space to roam when they aren’t free ranging in the yard. The planter box runs the length of the chicken run, providing plants to munch on inside and shady vines that will eventually cover the outside.