|
|||||||
|
|
About the chicken coops::
A few years ago I became creatively obsessed with designing the perfect chicken coop for our family. Adding chickens to our little yard meant eliminating our garden due to space constraints. I decided to include a raised garden bed as the roof of our chicken coop. After many compliments and encouragement I decided to start my own business...Kippen House was born!
Kippen means 'chickens' in Dutch. Kippen House is a joining of my dutch heritage and love of Modern, Scandinavian design combined with my curious interests with urban agriculture in the form of an urban garden-roof chicken coop. Kippen House chicken coops were designed with the idea that urban chicken coops should look good, be multi-functional and offer the ability to adapt to the small urban lot! Modern I have researched MANY urban chicken coops on the market today. Many look like they belong on Old Mac Donald’s farm versus fitting in beautifully and seamlessly with your home. Others are imported from other countries and made with wood that will not stand up to the exterior elements. Kippen House chicken coops have a modern aesthetic and are well-built with materials and hardware suitable for exterior conditions. You will be able to proudly keep chickens without glares from your neighbors! Multi-functional Buying a chicken coop is an investment in terms of money and space. In order to off-set this investment, I wanted the coop to provide another urban farming aspect. The chicken coop is not solely a chicken coop but rather a run and large raised garden bed. The addition of the garden bed creates a closed system as the manure and egg shells can be composted and used as fertilizer in the garden; and garden scraps could be given to the chickens. Modular The chicken coops are designed with frame panels that are interchangeable and can be assembled in a manner that responds to each unique yard. This adds an element of customization as it can be tailored towards your specific access needs. Features::
Garden Roof
Unlike other green roof chicken coops on the market, Kippen House garden roofs are 10" deep which would allow you to grow a variety of produce!! Not only does the garden roof provide you with delicious, healthy produce for your family, it also acts as a natural insulator keeping your chickens cool in the summer and retain heat in the winter. The garden roof has (2) drain spouts to help eliminate excess water. They are 1" up from the bottom of the garden roof. There is a specific layering method towards planting your garden roof to ensure a moist roof top which I provide upon purchasing. Hybrid Solution Kippen House chicken coops are a hybrid run + hen house solution. It is best to describe my coops by first understanding 'A Day in the Life of a Chicken'. Typically Farmer Bob unlocks the hen house every morning and the chickens enter their enclosed run to spend time outside digging and scratching for food. They go back to the hen house to lay eggs or escape from the elements. In the evening, Farmer Bob locks his chickens in their hen house and kisses them goodnight. They cozy up together and sleep on their roosting pole. The hen house is typically the fortified section of a coop that is safe from predators. The run is usually enclosed by fencing, may have a wire 'ceiling' and may have undergroud predator proofing. This all depends on personal preferences and what the typical predators are in the area. The rule of thumb many use is 2-3 sf per chicken for the 'hen house' (inside; with raised, off the ground roost) and 4-5 sf per chicken for the 'run' (outside; digging, scratching, looking for bugs/plants). In my design, the hen house AND run space are all under one roof. This allows you to 'buy time'. You do not need to go out every morning and night to let out/secure your chickens. (But you do need to check on food/water) You have a secure run AND hen house which are both sheltered from the elements, therefore it does not have a wet, muddy floor and there is enough space for a small flock. My hen house section is 9 sf and sheltered run space is 18 sf. By the math, this is suitable for 3-4 chickens. I prefer to suggest 2-3 to ensure they have ample space. Keep in mind that you still DO need to let them out periodically. Chickens need to take dust baths and find small pebbles/sand to help with digestion. They also REALLY want to explore, therefore supervised outside time or a fenced in space is still recommended and the space you allow them is up to you. You can rest assured that if you keep your chickens primarily in a Kippen House chicken coop, they have plenty of space and are kept safe. Hen House The hen house is raised off the ground, in the upper loft area of the coop. It has the nesting box and roosting pole. There is a ladder for easy access to the loft platform. The loft platform is perfectly placed so you can put your food and water under the platform which shields their food from poo. The hen house is shielded from wind/rain on the 3 exterior sides. During the winter I suggest hanging burlap or heavy material on the inside to section the hen house from the rest of the coop, just to ensure it doesn't get too drafty. Chickens have the mechanisms to keep warm in the winter, but lack the ability to cool off in the summer. During the summer, you can take your drapery material down to help with ventilation. Run The run section of the coop is essentially the whole lower half of the coop. The chickens can see out through the wire panels or go under the hen house section for food/water and shelter from the wind. There is cedar along the bottom edge of the wire panels to prevent rain water from splashing up and into the enclosed run space. The floor of the entire coop stays dry. Chickens + Gardens::
Whether you like having chickens and growing your own produce or have latched on to the urban homesteading movement, we all have one thing in common. It brings a lot of pride to live a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle where you begin to take ownership and accountability for the food you use to nourish your family. KIPPEN HOUSE: Seattle & Portland. Modern, urban chicken coops, made-to-order. Kippen House custom chicken coops feature a modern style and garden roofs. |
||||||
|
|
|||||||