Last week I visited my good friend, Lauren Scheuer. You might know her through her blog, or her
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Lauren is also handy with power tools. Actually, handy is a mild word for it. She’s a whiz, and she’s told me that the most romantic present her husband ever gave her was early in their courtship, when he presented her with a power saw. Lauren has had chickens for years, and they were due for a new coop. She had grand images, but like most artists, didn’t have the funds to have them built for her. So, she purchased a prefab shed from Home Depot and went to work.
These buildings don’t have enough windows, so that power saw was plugged in. In the winter, plexiglas covers the screens.
The inside has both storage and a cozy roosting area. It’s designed for easy of cleaning.
The flock is Lauren’s muse. She built a seat so she could hang out with them in comfort and sketch.
Being an artist, Lauren had IDEAS about what the coop should look like. Big iron hinges. Fancy moldings. Being an artist, Lauren couldn’t afford them. Being creative and a doer, Lauren came up with a solution. Trompe l’oeil!
Doesn’t her hen look grand framed in the window?
Lauren has two dogs, Marky and Angel.
In his youth, Marky could keep the predators at bay, but these days, he’s more into finding shade. Red Tail Hawks nest in the woods, but Lauren didn’t want to keep her hens enclosed because of them. So, Lauren built this chicken tractor to shelter her girls while out on the lawn. Note – this is NOT a coop. It’s for daytime use only. (Read my FAQ on Coop Criteria to learn why this is not suitable housing.)
The hawks are also why Lauren has a covered run, and also a play area with plants that the hens can run under for protection.
These doted on hens are happy, indeed.
Like Lauren’s art? Take a look at her book,
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Lauren has made an excellent job of her new coop – looks lovely. She is very handy with the DIY and power tools! I read her book quite a while ago and thoroughly enjoyed it (she is very artistic as well). Having read “Once Upon a Flock” (couldn’t put it down), I hoped that she might have written another book detailing her daily adventures with her soulful flock. Let’s hope she will write again in the future, it really was lovely reading!
Terry, thank you for the terrific expose’ ! And thank you for the delicious scones and pie. You are magically creative in the kitchen, my friend!
xo
Lauren, your hinge work is fabulous!!!!! And those little chickens in the photo are beyond adorable! We are build it yourselfers here and I have a garage full of Craigs List cheap and freebie materials just waiting to be put together. Not always perfection but way cheaper than the other options. I have very similar plans for coop/ pen set-up. Just waiting for the board to finalize a new chicken ordinance so I know how much space I will be allowed. While I am fighting for 120 sq ft total for coop/ pen I have some yahoo’s saying all you need is a tractored coop. Oiy!!!!!! Work with me people! They will find out the hard way when they have no storage space and sick chickens. I do have a tractored coop all built and sitting in my garage but it is meant for a shady respite under the tree’s on a hot summer afternoon. Like spending the afternoon in a breezy summer cottage. ;) But that little coop will not see the light of day during our harsh MI winters.
Great job ladies! Thanks for sharing Lauren and Terry!
Oy! is right. Stick to your plans. Do it right!
Love Lauren’s art work. Her chickies are so adorable!
Laurens site is brilliant with great drawing and an amazing sense of humour and sadness when needed ( have had a tissue in hand more than once ) , but my day starts and ends with HenCam wonderful to watch and full of great information, couldn’t do without. Thanks Terry and Lauren :)