Photo tour: south-west coop

Welcome to the fourth installment of our photo tour of coops in Edmonton's Urban Hens Pilot project. Today's coop is from a busy neighbourhood in south-west Edmonton. The owners are first-time hen owners, raising a bantam cochin, a cochin, a brahma and an isa brown.

The owners have made a coop suitable for all weather. The run is protected from wind and snow by removable siding and clear plastic. A heavy carpet was added during a windy spell to protect an otherwise sheltered area.

Inside, the coop is well-insulated. The floor is deeply covered with soft shavings and straw, and the roost is broad, with sanded edges to keep the chickens comfortable and to help them spread out their feet to keep them warm. The owners added soffits all around the top for ventilation, and a glass block used for a window can be removed.

The owners are really enjoying their experience with the pilot project:

The experience of owning hens has been incredibly rewarding.  Of course the eggs are delicious, which we expected, but I really did not know how engaging and entertaining hens are.  Keeping hens really takes very little time, but we find ourselves out there with them in the yard just because they are fun and interesting to watch, even in the dead of winter. They all have different personalities and that part has been a joy to discover.  I have also been delighted with the positive response from my neighbours. Some did not realize we had them until a month had passed by and we mentioned it, they really are very quiet!  They also are doing a fine job of taking care of our kitchen scraps for us, and the treats delight them. All in all, an amazing experience.