Inside the Chicken Church....
I'm sure this Chicken Church / Chicken Coop / Garden Shed will always be evolving, I've really enjoyed taking time to move into this little luxury suite and create my own sanctuary. Most everything I ended up putting in the coop and garden storage are collected pieces throughout several years. However, I did some extra fun things as it felt right over the past month or so. What I love most about this new structure is how it looks as though its always been here in my gardens.
The girls have certainly loved their new home as well and seeing them in their new space makes all the hard work so worth it. They've even hatched several clutches of new babies for me that I've sent to new homes.
As promised I'm sharing the inside of the coop /garden shed for you to see. I love that not only the outside lends it's beauty to salvaged materials, but the inside does as well. I have collected a few new pieces that have fit perfectly inside and makes the function of running the coop extra helpful. The old screen door has got to be a favorite of mine on the coop side.
The animal carrier on top of the cabinet has been one of the most useful items, I almost sold it once and so glad that it didn't now - I'm not sure I'll ever find anything as cute and as functional for transporting my hens and chicks around town. The old cabinet below it is a great place to store all of my poultry needs without having to dig for them in the deep storage bin I used previously. I use that little door knob holder sitting on the shelf that I purchased from Petite Michelle Louise several years ago to list my current hatch dates that are expected.
Love the pully system that was installed so that I don't have to go into the coop each night to close the door between the inside and the outside of the coop. I put my feeders up on bricks to keep the bedding out of the food and water. I used hemp bedding for a very short time, I wasn't a fan of it so I switched back to pine bedding. Silkie chickens aren't big on sitting on roosting bars, but we did add one just in case - I'd say about half get up there to roost at night, the others lay on the ground in a big huddle.
Another favorite aspect of the new Chicken Church is the easy access to the eggs the girls lay. I door that opens from the outside is so easy for me to grab them (as long as they aren't sitting on them)...my girls seem to be always broody and trying to hatch more babies. I plan to eventually have the lower section do the same for cleaning purposes.
The old glass knobs do not turn so we have a latch system in place to keep the doors shut tight at night. I hope this current plan continues to work into the winter. I worry sometimes that the wind is going to blow the doors open. I mentioned my worry to the contractor and he wasn't very concerned or very helpful about fixing these little things after he was paid and headed out of town.
I found this old storage crate out in Snohomish that I am using to store both my feed and potting soil. It's the perfect size for those large bags and the patina on this piece just feeds my soul every time I walk into the Chicken Church. The fac that it's on wheels is so helpful when I've cleaned the inside of the church.
Above the storage cart is a shelf that I've displayed my watering cans that I've collected for several years. Along with the framed artwork that used to hang in my den (which I just realized i need to blog about the changes I've made in there) and just wasn't ready to part with....I think it's perfect up there. The artwork is some of my own photos of my flowers that taken and two of the prints are from both sets of my grandmothers houses. Having these up here gives me all the good feelings you can imagine. Oh yes, that is a blush pink rug so appropriately laid for a chicken coop...haha! It's a good thing I took these photo's before its got dirty.
On the other shelf above my growing window sits some old crates that used to be in my family room side table. (another change I need to share with you). In the window sits some herbs that I am barely keeping alive. They dry out so fast in those terracotta pots. The sink is obviously faux but comes in handy when I am potting up a plant or two. I have a galvanized bucket underneath to catch all of the dirt that falls through the sink drain. Those curtains I created by using a tension rod and some panels I cut in half and thread thru the rod. The pink is a perfect pink to match the other pieces that seem to fit so perfectly inside. On the countertop I have a an old green serving tray with all my clippers and quick gardening needs. I have a ton of storage bins behind the curtains to store all my fertilizers and more tools and necessities.
As pretty as the inside of the Chicken Church/Chicken Coop/Garden Shed is, most days I am sitting right here at this bistro table watching my chickens. They are my favorite past time.
Appreciate you coming over and visiting today! I hope you are following me on both Facebook and Instagram. xoxo, tracie
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