2013 featured coops

We have four girls that are two years old, lay jumbo eggs, and are quite large from living the good life in the heart of downtown Raleigh's Historic Oakwood neighborhood. Our chickens, organic vegetable gardens, large, well-used composting bin, and even our clothesline are part of an environmentally friendly life-style that is also true to the time period when our historic (circa 1890's) home was built.

Tucked away just beyond our lawn-free front garden, nine lovely hens live in a coop made of new and reused materials, including a metal sunroof. Our coop has southern exposure and a fenced run that leads into our edible garden, where the chickens feed the soil both directly and via their rich compost. We use the deep litter method of coop/manure management - come see how it works and meet the girls!

We have four 4-year-old "ladies" and one little "girl," of differing breeds, who range freely through our large, enclosed yard. We enjoy "bird watching" from our screened porch, while they enjoy watching the fish in our pond.

Our coop sits in between gardens full of heirloom vegetables, herbs and flowers. Constructed of recycled materials, the coop offers easy access to a run and nests for egg-gathering. This spring we added honey bees, which, along with koi fish, three dogs, two cats, and seven hens, complete our backyard urban farm.

Big Boss Brewing Company--Last year we built our chicken coop from recycled pallets and materials we found lying around our warehouse, then we moved on to starting a garden, installing rain barrels, honey bees and a solar food dehydrator. Come on by, share a beer, and talk chickens and gardening!

Our little red coop resembles a classic schoolhouse and makes the perfect playground for our "schoolhouse flock." We have Cutlet, a beautiful Ameraucana, who lays lovely blue eggs; little Drumstick, a shy Rhode Island Red; and fluffy Biscuit, a golden Buff Orpington. Though the girls' names are quite delicious, they are strictly egg layers! They love vegetable scraps, and we love watching them scratch around in the grass and take dirt baths.

Modern, Sleek and Stylish--not words usually associated with a chicken coop? Wait until you see ours! We set out to see if sustainability can be accomplished on .18 city acres, all the while keeping a nice aesthetic and blending in with our neighbors. Come see our wine grapes and dwarf orchard of peaches, nectarines, figs, apples, persimmons, kiwis, banana and olive trees. Welcome to our urban farm!

We have four Brahma bantam hens. In addition, local hatchery Little Birdie Chicken Farm and Hatchery will have about 6 chicks on display and will be available for part of the day to answer questions. Our Carolina blue coop was built by tour sponsor Carolina Coops and is designed for easy access for egg collecting and cleaning. We also have a "chicken tractor" which allows our hens to do their work all over our yard and garden. We'll be selling snacks and drinks, all proceeds benefitting Urban Ministries.

We have a small flock, including Buff Orpington, Silver-Laced Wyandotte and Dominque breeds, who love to roam their beautiful coop and yard! They are such divas, that our house was the site of this year's annual Tour kick-off event, the 'Cock-Tail' party! We'll be offering great advice to avoid predator problems, having lost part of our original flock to raccoons. Planning to build your own coop? Come see an exhibit of innovative coops by design and architecture students at NC State. Students will be on hand to answer all your questions.

Our innovative coop looks like a cross between a split level house and red barn, and features indoor and outdoor space plus nesting boxes for our 12 hens. At our house you can see a wide range of breeds, including Delaware, Buff Orpington, Black Australorp, Americauna, Barred Rock, Cochin and White Leghorn.

We've been on the Tour before, but this year we have a brand new coop! Come see 'Gigi's Mini Atrium,'a newly designed coop featuring a fully illuminated front door, under mounted hatching/nest box, heated roosting perches and more, for our 7 friendly hens, including Speckled Sussex, Rhode Island Red, 'Easter Egger,' Red Star and Brahma.

Our nine hens from six breeds are the heart of our sustainable urban farm and life. We are in our fourth year of developing ornamental and edible gardens on almost an acre of towering Oaks and sunny spaces. Our garden includes hundreds of plant species, and demonstrates water sustaining and organic techniques. We have plenty of seating, so come sit, watch the chickens and smell the flowers.

Our Blue-Laced Wyandotte hens share their garden home with our new rooster, two queen bees, and their hives. Our blueberry bushes and vegetable patch benefit from rich composted fertilizer, courtesy of the chickens. The bees gather nectar and pollinate our flowers. In fact, visitors can buy honey from our own bee hives! Herbs, fruits, vegetables, honey and eggs straight from the garden; what could be better?

We have five beautiful hens of varying breeds who love to eat our kids' soggy Cheerios, garden weeds, and bugs, while free-ranging in the backyard. At night, they head to their coop, where Yoda uses the Force to protect against enemy invaders! Come visit the girls and see our 4-season vegetable garden. Traffic note: Reedy Creek Road near this coop will be blocked until about noon for a road race. Using Trinity Road to Trenton Road will probably provide easier access in the morning.

After more than four years leading the effort to change the Town of Cary's chicken ordinances, we finally built a stylish new coop that houses five young 'ladies.' The hens complement our urban homestead with honeybees, a fruit orchard, strawberry tower and edible plantings.

We are avid DIYers and built our coop to blend with home and garden. The coop is raised above ground and features windows, nesting boxes and an automatic door, with a well-fortified run and tin roof, all built around an existing Crepe Myrtle tree! Our one-acre display and edible garden and koi pond have been featured on numerous garden tours, including the National Garden Conservancy Open Days tour.

We're back! After being on the Tour in 2010 and 2011, we took a break to remodel the chickens' digs, but our nine new "girls" just moved into their refurbished home. Our chicks will be about 8 weeks old, so come meet them, see a huge variety of perennial plants and flowers, and explore our Secret Garden.

Chickens are a vital part of our permaculture-based garden, providing eggs and manure, while eating kitchen waste and bugs. Our .3 acre garden has over 50 fruit cultivars, vegetables, an herb spiral, mushroom logs, rain catchment system, frog ponds, solar water panels, bee hives and a clay pizza oven. And, most importantly, we have 8 chickens, including Black Stars, Barred Rock and Auracauna/Americaunas.

Our .22 acre lot features a small organic garden, honeybees, and what we refer to as the 'Taj Mahal Coop.' Our four hens -- Ameracauna, Red Star, Speckled Sussex, and Welsummer -- keep us well stocked with eggs. Come on by and see how you can get a small slice of country heaven near downtown Raleigh.

Behind Rebus Works--Tucked away in a secret garden in downtown Raleigh, our wood and stone coop is made of all recycled materials and is based on a design from the book 'Barns and Outbuildings,' first published in the late 1800's. The chickens' roost is built on an angle such that their droppings are caught on a bottom "shelf," making it easy to collect for composting and use in our terraced gardens. The chickens are part of a 'food and feed' cycle, whereby they fertilize the garden, give us eggs and, in turn, eat garden and kitchen scraps.

We are out in the country a bit, but totally worth the drive! Come see our hand-raised Rhode Island Red, Ameraucana and Buff Orpington girls, along with their "protector" -- our gorgeous, rare, long-tailed Golden Phoenix rooster. You will definitely hear him crow during your visit! We have a 3-acre yard with perennial gardens, raised vegetable beds, fruit trees, rock garden and even a zip line for the kids.