In my search for cool coop designs I’ve focused not on the biggest or most well built, but those that express something about the folks that made them to house their flock. Sometimes that has meant using upcycled materials or fumbling along with no previous experience to create something they’re proud of.
When I came across Ron Kulas’ coop and run I realized he was in a class of his own. Not only is he an experienced builder he has put an inordinate amount of time, energy and thought into protecting his little flock from both the elements and the myriad of predators in the Wisconsin north woods. A fan of Carolina coops he modeled his build on their designs using CAD software to make his own plans.
He’s not new to chickens, having grown up on a farm where they raised 100 birds a year. His intention for his current flock was to purchase Australorps, a dual purpose breed used for both meat and eggs. As it turns out they didn’t get quite what was advertised and have ended up with 24 chicks, including a few cockerels: Barred Rock, Black Star, Leghorn and Rhode Island Reds.
Construction took about a month – punctuated by breaks due to the winter weather – to build the 6′ x 8′ coop on his own. And what did this enviable palace cost: just a mere $2600 for materials as Ron provided all the labour and the equipment required for the build.
You might not be a professional builder but there are a number of features he’s incorporated in his coop that we could all learn from.
Many thanks to Ron Kulas for, again, sharing his designs and photos, used with permission.
Bitchin' Chickens 
That run is incredible. And I love the skylight! I have been trying to come up with some idea of how to better cover the large pen we added. It looks like a POW camp right now. – Alicia
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