I have wanted to raise chickens for a while, but have not considered this a good idea until I moved upstate permanently.

I wanted to find a design that would fit into the landscape and make a good chicken coop as well as extra space.  After searching online I found a photograph  of a small outbuilding on an old New England farm. I figured from the photograph that the building was 12′ feet wide x 24′ feet long and was made up of three 8’ foot sections. A third of the building would be closed off for a chicken coop giving the chickens an 8’ foot by 12’ foot room. The rest would remain open for a garden shed where I planned to keep lawn mowers, and other garden tools.

Paul Agoglia of Table Rock Designs,  check out Paul’s website:

did some drawings of the proposed building.  He had some recycled windows he had picked up at a garage sale which were the perfect size.  I highly recommend Paul and his building partner Kevin to anyone wanting to build a small outbuilding in the Oneonta area.

Once our shed was built, Paul and Kevin made nesting boxes and a feed container. We used an old ladder cut in half as a perch.

I will be ordering the baby chicks in the spring time. The only remaining thing to do is to fence in the back of the coop to contain the chickens and protect them from predators.

New Buildings don’t have to be standard ready made structures. This structure was less expensive and I think it has more character!

Clearing and leveling ground for new building

Building framed out

Roof on by the time Katrina hit

Site relates to existing out building

Finished exterior with sliding barn doors and recycled windows

Asymmetrical roof characteristic of farm buildings

New Building in line with studio

Interior- door into chicken coop with wooden feed storage container

Old ladder cut in half for chicken perch

Nesting boxes with perch and chicken door