Jeffrey and Kathryn Crinklaw’s chicken coop feels like it just stepped out of an English garden. It flows seamlessly into their beautiful garden that has roses, lavenders and hydrangeas as well as tomatoes and rhubarb. I found the coop as part of the Portland Tour de Coop and had get a closer look at it and its 23 hens. Jeffrey made the coop mostly from reclaimed  materials including the French door, the window, and the cedar shingles. It features an enclosed vintage six-sided gazebo at one end with a large center perch that forms the center support for the chicken wire that wraps it. The structure runs along the back of his garage and has a concrete floor that keeps the predators out.

The chickens produce about 16 eggs a day and he has close to 20 different breeds. I loved the Crinklaw’s watering method that ensures clean water without refilling. He uses chicken waterer cups that are connected to a 50 gallon drum of tap water (a rain barrel can’t be used because of possible bacteria contamination) No more changing 5 gallon water containers, the chickens always have fresh water without waste and he can go out of town without worries.