Community Corner

Designer Digs for Backyard Chickens

Handy urban farmers can build any of 14 poultry palaces using the step-by-step instructions in a UC instructor's book.

A henhouse with a butterfly roof, painted in bright colors? A modern-day log cabin for Rhode Island Reds? 

Yes, architectural innovation for backyard chickens has arrived. Matt Wolpe, an instructor and woodworker at UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design, is co-author of Reinventing the Chicken Coop. His book includes step-by-step instructions for urban farmers who want to house their poultry in style.

UC Berkeley's NewsCenter recently profiled Wolpe and his designs in "Person of Interest: Matt Wolpe is building a better chicken coop." Check it out — your chickens will thank you.

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Are you an experenced chicken owner? Do you have tips for those new to fowl friendships? Tell us in the comments section below.


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