Keeping Backyard Chickens & Green Roof Coop Design

For sometime and long before the recent massive egg recall, I have been toying with the thought of getting pet chickens. That's right our feathered, egg laying friends. And it seems I am not the only one enthusiast about the idea. Keeping a flock of backyard hens is  stylishly vogue and a growing trend in both suburban and urban communities. 

A friend of mine was kind enough to let me take some pictures of her backyard hen house where her three Rhode Island Reds live, sleep and lay beautiful brown, organic eggs.

 

The coop provides shelter for the hens {holds up to four} and incorporates a  beautiful green roof design. The garden-on-top design keeps your flock warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and even provides sound insulation in rainstorms. Similar coop plans are available to purchase at My Pet Chicken.

My friend planted drought tolerate succulents in her roof garden, but a veggie garden would be fun if enough sunlight. I love the rooster ornament - many municipalities ban the real ones, but don't worry hens lay eggs without them. 

The roosting pole and practical ramp appears to get lots of use. To feel safe, the hens need a raised roosting area that provides at least 2-4 square feet per bird. The hens will get too stressed if overcrowded. Go here for more important chicken coop requirements.

 

 Here is a view of the roosting area and access to the eggs.

 

I was surprised to learn that some hens can develop an egg-eating habit. To break it, 

fake eggs, usually made of porcelain or plastic replace the real ones as soon as they are laid. In this case, my friend simply used a golf ball and that did the trick.

 

Chickens will need free roaming time if a coop does not provide a minimum of 10 square feet per fowl. Although they can be a bit messy, chickens are great foragers and enjoy eating insects, grasses and slugs and snails. Above is a shot of my friend's hens in action.

 

If you are interested in learning more about raising chickens in an urban environment, please visit the Urban Chickens Network blog. 

Now, I just need to do two things. First, convince my hubby to build a chicken coop. And second, to decide what kind of chicken to get. Perhaps a brown egg layer like the Rhode Island Red, Delaware or Speckled Sussex? Do you have chickens? What would you recommend?