The Chicken Coop

Last fall, Al, my father-in-law, built me a chicken coop for our feathered ladies. I tell ya, that man can do anything!

He followed plans that I bought from Heather Bullard and I love how it fits right in with the rest of the garden.  We painted it the same shade as the shed and Bryce put a similar looking metal roof on it so that they would look cohesive.

We put them in the garden because we have a deer and critter fence around it and felt like that offered them one more line of defense against predators.  

The girls all seem to be flourishing though I'm still trying to learn how to best care for chickens.  The whole cleanliness of the coop is something I can't seem to wrap my mind around.  How often to clean?  What's the best floor for the coop?  Sand?  Dirt?  Straw?  Hopefully, some veteran chicken owners can help me out!