Notes on Simplicity: DIY Chicken Coop

The inspiration for my new Chicken Coop

I have begun this last year an effort to make more things that I have been buying prepared, such as juice, bread, pasta, sprouts, nut butters...and 2013, the year of Simplicity is going to be all about eliminating  packaged and processed foods and other resources and replacing them with my own cottage produced goods.  I spent last night researching on the Internet raising chickens.  I try to eat a mostly vegan diet, but I do consume a small amount of animal products.  I love eggs, and have been spending $5 a dozen for organic eggs.  I try not to eat too many, and always purchase the free-range and organic eggs.  But a recent documentary called Vegucated, really upset me.  I couldn't watch it through to the end it so upset me.  I was especially disturbed by the information about practices in the  raising of chickens for eggs, including organic and free-range eggs.  So we are thinking about raising our own.  I recently discovered a neighbor with a small cage on the front deck with a beautiful white hen inside, and realized how easy it can be.  So I'll keep you posted on the development of our flock.  First thing is to clear some space in the yard, then build the coop and run where they will live.  I think we will start with 2-3 chickens.  I'm so excited!

We have an extra armoire at our house that was given to us free a few years back.  At this Chicken Raising Website which I discovered through Pinterest I found the perfect coop design for us!  Cheap, because we have the armoire, and easy, we don't have to build from scratch!