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Dukes and Duchesses

Dallas Fort Worth Lifestyle Craft & DIY Blogger

building · Written by Randi Dukes

DIY Chicken Coop

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I’m so excited to share this amazing repurposed project with you!  It’s the fruit of a lot of labor {none of it mine … smile}.  One of my friends took our old, almost-unused playhouse and repurposed it into a fabulous DIY chicken coop!  Want to see all the details?

DIY chicken coop repurposed from playhouse

The house started like this.  If you’ve been around Dukes and Duchesses for a pile of time, you may remember that I won it in a facebook voting contest.  Over the years the playhouse had weathered and the kids had been playing in it less and less.  I loved the idea of repurposing it into something else.

before photo of wooden playhouse

My friends did a pile of research, found ideas and inspiration online, and then added their own touches to create a really amazing spot for their chickens {and something that looks great on their property}.  They painted the house a deep red and painted the trim white …

front of chicken coop

… covered the open windows with wire mesh {to allow for ventilation but to prevent chicken escapes or predator entries} …

screened window on chicken coop

… and added a latch to the front door with a carabiner to act as a lock.

door lock on chicken coop

The old playhouse had an emblem on the front with a monogram that I had added.  Kim covered over the monogram with a chicken sticker {affiliate link} that she bought online and it couldn’t have been a better fit.  It adds such a cute, personal touch.

chicken sticker on chicken coop

After some research, the inside of the chicken coop was whitewashed.  A true whitewash is made with hydrated lime and water {and sometimes salt}.  While it isn’t permanent and will have to be reapplied periodically, it works well to seal surfaces, repel insects, and prevent bacterial growth.

whitewashed walls in chicken coop

A ladder was placed inside and the chickens roost and sleep on it at night.  The opening at the back of the coop is the nesting box.  It’s blocked off right now but when the chickens are old enough to start laying eggs, that area will be opened up.

inside chicken coop

A DIY closed water system created from a bucket and watering nipples {affiliate link} …

DIY water bucket for chickens

… hangs inside the coop and allows the chickens to get clean water throughout the day.

spout for water for chickens

The chickens can enter in and out through a small side door that leads into the run.

chicken entering coop

A ramp leads out of the opening and the chickens can walk down into the yard.

chicken leaving coop

The entrance stays open during the day …

ramp leading out of coop

… but at night, a pulley system lowers a door down to protect the chickens and keep them inside.

pull up window on chicken coop

The nesting box is built onto the back with a hinged lid so eggs can be easily retrieved each day.  The same carabiner system keeps it closed and locked.

nesting box for chickens

The side windows of the playhouse were closed off with the exception of the middle window that was left open but covered with mesh wire.

hinged window for ventilation

Hinges allow the window to be closed as needed but opened for ventilation.

hinged window on chicken coop

The hinged window is held open with a stick.

chicken coop

A large yard attached to the chicken coop allows the chickens to wander while protecting them from local predators {barn cats, raccoons, snakes, bobcats, hawks}.

chicken yard on coop

The coop is raised up off the ground to prevent wood rotting but also to prevent snakes from having easy access …

diy chicken coop with pen

… and the entire run is caged in with thick metal mesh and wire.  Mesh runs across the top as well as along all of the sides and it also goes a foot underground all the way around to stop animals from being able to dig under and in.

wire mesh protecting chicken run

A gate in the back of the run allows easy access if needed …

gate into chicken run

… but stays closed during normal operation.

back of chicken coop

The chicken run was based on plans by Ana White and altered for coop size and gate access.

chicken yard

So far, the run is working well at keeping the predators out although the chickens don’t seem too bothered by the cats that like to hang around.

cat with chickens

What do you think?  Isn’t it just an awesome DIY project?

This DIY chicken coop turned out better than I could have imagined and I’m so thrilled to see our old playhouse turned into something completely functional and fun.

chicken coop with run

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4 Comments

About Randi Dukes

I’m Randi, a Dallas-based mom of five kids, ranging from third grade to college and including a set of twins. I love strong coffee, craft and DIY projects, my planner, and my big ol’ family. When I’m not creating something for my blog, I can be found in the car, running kids from one place to another. I’m the one knitting at the red light. Connect with me on google+ | twitter | facebook

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Comments

  1. Lisa says

    April 16, 2015 at 8:51 am

    So fun to read about this coop! Inspirational!

    Reply
  2. Cheryl says

    April 16, 2015 at 10:41 am

    This is fabulous.

    Reply
  3. Heather says

    July 11, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    Oh my goodness, too cute! I am picking up the EXACT same playhouse tomorrow to convert to a grow out pen. Love yours! Thank you for sharing your retrofit, hope mine turns out 1/2 as nice!

    Reply
  4. Yasmin says

    September 23, 2018 at 7:24 am

    Love this coop! I am working on something similar from a wooden playhouse, and it has the same three windows on the side. Did you use the plastic window pieces on top of the windows you closed, or did you make something that looked like that? Mine are not flat, the side has a raised ridge but I want to do something like yours where I close off two windows and make it so the middle one can be opened for ventilation. Nice work!

    Reply

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Welcome to Dukes and Duchesses!

I’m Randi, a mom of five living in Dallas. I love strong coffee, long lists, bright colors {especially orange}, thrift stores, repurposed junk, and power tools.

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