Chickens are always an added perk to any homestead. Not only can they provide meat and eggs, these quirky birds are an inexpensive way to move toward a more sustainable lifestyle. It is because we love backyard chickens that MOTHER EARTH NEWS hosted our Classy Coop Giveaway. The sweepstakes ran from Sept. 14 through Dec. 7, 2012, and we are happy to announce our winner, Susan Courtemanche. The grand prize was a small mobile chicken coop which houses around 4 to 5 standard size hens. The coop also features an open bottom for grazing and fertilizing on the go.
Adding to the fun design is a set of 10-inch wheels and handles for easy maneuverability. By moving the hutch around periodically you are able to increase the area impacted by the chickens natural fertilizer as well as keep the
health of your chickens in top shape. An easy-access side door allows for quick food and water changes which just adds to the ease of maintaining a small group of backyard chickens.
Our winner lives with her nephew and niece-in-law in Bullard, Texas, with about 10 hens. Susan and her family have already received the coop and it is being put to immediate work. We were thrilled to see that she was getting eggs from her new coop in no time, using the egg collection door on the back of the hutch to make egg collection a simple chore.
Susan was so appreciative of her new chicken coop that she sent in these fantastic pictures of her and some very content chickens. She thinks the mobile chicken coop is “just so cute…and so do the hens!” Susan said she is going to continue to reference both MOTHER EARTH NEWS and our sister publication, Grit,to stay informed on how to keep her hens happy in their new home.
