Chicken Coop Tour | Shiplap Interior

Minggu, 24 Mei 2020

Three summers ago I decided to shiplap my chicken coop ala Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV Fixer Upper fame. Come take a tour!

Three summers ago, I decided to shiplap the interior of my chicken coop. Like most of the country, I was caught up in the phenomenon that was Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame on HGTV.
While I couldn't convince my husband to agree to shiplapping the daylights out of our home and hanging cute signs saying "EAT" and "LAUNDRY" and "BATH", I did manage to corral him into a trip to Home Depot to load up the truck with enough shiplap to transform my chicken coop into any DIYer's dream.

I'll admit that at the time, there was a niggling voice in the back of my head telling me that it was sheer folly to put up WHITE boards inside my chicken coop.
You don't have to raise chickens for long to realize just how much dirt, dust, poop and yes, even the occasional blood, there is involved in chicken keeping.

But in complete disregard for any common sense, and completely in character, I went full steam ahead with "demo day"! I ripped out the old roosts and nesting boxes, took the unsightly screens off the outside windows, and removed the door that blocked off the storage area.

Chicken Coop Tour | Shiplap Interior

Then I started my chicken coop renovation. Over the plywood/stud walls I nailed up the shiplap - which turned out to be really easy to cut to length and nail to the studs. Then I built new nesting boxes and roosts, and after that, it was time to decorate!

Fast forward to this year. I'm happy to report that keeping my coop clean isn't nearly as difficult as I thought. (I did use a few tricks that I'll share later to make cleaning easier.)
My coop is brighter and feels warmer and more homey. So I'm still thrilled with my decision and love how my coop looks. I'm not sure my chickens care either way.

The Shiplap Interior

I have been asked about a coop tour so many times, I finally sat down and organized some of the photos I've taken since I did the renovation. So, how about a tour of my shiplap chicken coop? Let's start in the most important area - the sleeping/laying area.
The photos pretty much speak for themselves. I have curtains over my coop windows which are great for blocking the summer sun and retaining heat inside the coop in the winter. The curtains just clip onto the rod, making for easy on and off to launder or replace them.
I also made hinged predator-proof window screens that open in to make cleaning the windows easy while still keeping predators out. Regular screen over the windows helps to keep flies out.

I made little draft drapes on a rod over the chicken's door to the run which helps keep winter drafts out of the coop. There's a thermometer on the wall, I always like to see just how warm or cold our coop gets, and even a mirror at "chicken level" for my girls to check themselves out in!
And of course there are roosting bars (removable which I love! Again, easy to take out to clean or repaint) behind which I put up some pretty paisley print vinyl shelf liner that not only added a pop of pattern, but makes cleanup simple since the chickens mostly poop when they sleep.
There are two tiers of nesting boxes (the plans for both the roosts and boxes are in my book DIY Chicken Keeping) along the opposite wall under the window. Which, of course, have curtains that can be pulled over them - and also clip-on for easy removal for cleaning. I also installed little dispensers that I made for my girls grit and eggshell and a set of ladles for snacks.
I built and installed a sliding barn door in between the sleeping and storage areas in the coop (the instructions on making your own door and installing it are also in my book DIY Chicken Keeping). I also put shiplap on the dividing wall which previously was open wire fencing. That really cut down on the dust, straw and feathers in the storage area.
And lastly, there are cute signs ala Fixer Upper. Naturally.
Farm Sweet FarmGatherFarm FreshFarm Fresh Eggs
In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't do any special cleaning before taking any of these photos. So there's going to be some dust, some dirt, and even some poop (gasp!). Poop happens. You all know what I'm talking about. Enjoy your tour!

Now, want to see what's behind this door?

Continue on the tour to see my storage area and chick nursery!

The plans to build the nesting boxes, roosting bars, barn door and predator-proof window screens are all included in my book DIY Chicken Keeping. Other items like the grit dispensers and draft drapes along with more than 100 tips for easier, more economical chicken keeping can be found in my book 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks. Available wherever books are sold.