On the farm we call it the Taj Mahal chicken coop.  This coop started from a welded pipe structure we found deep in the trees that lined the seasonal creek crossing the farm.  This 10’x10′ structure just seemed right to serve as the base for what is now home to our flock of chickens.  Once finished the coop measured 300 sq. ft. and included a 10′ high shaded section because that’s the length of the steel tubing we used to build the walls.  And yes, all the materials are recycled from scrap piles we found on the farm or scrap wood we purchased locally from the saw mill.

In November 2023, we started with a few Rhode Island Reds at the recommendation of Taylor’s neurologist.  The breeder suggested we include a few Bantams as well due to their predisposition to be gentle and fun to hold.

The birds took to the coop well.  Soon after arriving on the farm, they began producing wonderful tasting brown eggs which Taylor helps gather.

The base frame was a scrap structure recovered from the creek bed. Best guess is this frame must have been a dog kennel or something similar. Since one of our fundamental principles for the therapy center is to recycle, repurpose and renew, we decided this would set the base dimension for our chicken coop.

Next, since we found several sticks of square tubing, we decided more room would make for happier chickens. Thus, the “high rise” section took shape. Since we had a welder on site, and since every farmer needs to learn how to weld, this steel structure was joined to the base frame with welded seams.

Continuing with the theme “one person’s waste is another person’s supply” we gathered scrap wood from around the farm and even from the local saw mill and began to side, roof and floor the coop. The youth group from church helped out in building the coop to raise money for a mission trip they would soon take.

A core premise for the coop was to keep in mind that adults with disabilities would want to see in and watch the chickens, reach in to gather eggs, and for us, to keep the task of cleaning the coop as simple as possible. If you look closely you will see some of the integrated features included to these ends and which justify a very frequent comment received by those who watched and inspected the build who said “We just don’t build coops this way around these parts.”

The coop build began Oct 2022 and was completed in Oct 2023. For more than 1 year, work progressed on the coop and then the chickens were added just before thanksgiving.

Our sincerest appreciation to JR and the youth group at Bowie County Cowboy Church for the time and effort to build this one-of-a-kind chicken coop. Today, we gather eggs daily and have now begun to raise chickens for meat too.