Made in Seattle: Saltbox Chicken Coops
Do you keep hens? Are you thinking of keeping hens? House your hens in style with a Saltbox Chicken Coop, built here in Seattle by Berg Danielson, a finish carpenter. Originally a project for his own chickens, Danielson's design has evolved into a functional throwback to the Saltbox aesthetic - a mix of country quaint and modern convenience. Assembled from planks of cedar and a box of nails, Danielson's chicken coops are sturdy, rot-resistant, and will keep your hens (and eggs) safe and snug.
How classy can one chicken coop be? Read on to find out.
Tell me about yourself. What is your background, and how did you get started as a finish carpenter?
I grew up on Bainbridge Island and had "handy" parents - so I learned basic tool use and building early on. In college, I studied Literary Non-Fiction writing, and after graduating I worked as an outdoor instructor; teaching sailing and climbing for a several years. I found myself living in my 25' wooden sailboat in Ballard between my outdoor trips, and gradually grew tired of that and decided I wanted a house. Carpentry was by far my most marketable skill for making any real money (it turns out neither sailing nor writing pays very well), so I started working for a local high-end remodeling company.
Do you keep chickens yourself? How did you first get the idea to start building these chicken coops?
Yes. We got chicks last spring and have been loving it. Our girls (hens) are in their prime and we are getting more eggs than we can eat and give away. I built a couple of different coops and my "Saltbox" coop evolved from these. I really love the scale of a chicken coop, and I drew several sketches over the winter trying to perfect the perfect coop - with the idea of making them to sell. Having been laid off last spring and with a new baby, I was taking the pursuit very seriously!
How did you come up with the design?
Well there is form and there is function. In terms of function I wanted something very easy to use, easy to maintain, secure from predators and rodents and very long lasting. The first thing I wanted to do was have the whole hen house off the ground a ways - make it really tall. Most coops of this general size are these squat affairs that require daily kneeling in the dirt to reach in and get your eggs. I wanted a design that maintained peoples dignity and civility while collecting eggs - you just walk up to the back door, open it, and there they are - at the same height as you kitchen counter. I also incorporated many features I have learned that both humans and chickens enjoy - an interior elevated roost with a little window for them to see out (and for us to see them); a ladder down to the ground that can be raised with the pull of a cord to seal off the coop; wheels for moving the thing around the yard; a wire mesh floor so the manure falls through and you never have to clean it.
In terms of form, I wanted to offer an alternative to what I saw as a bevy of kitschy coops out there. I personally don't care for the gingerbread, red barn, or the victorian mini-mansion themes; and could do without the faux shutters and flower boxes below the windows. Nothing against this - I just personally wasn't drawn to these. I guess I have a minimalist aesthetic and wanted to make something more austere; something that would age gracefully over time as the cedar turns silver colored from our salty winds. I saw a lot of old saltbox barns in Mendocino county on a recent trip up the Northern California coast and it seems that those dapper old fellows made an impression on me.
How long does it take to complete one coop from beginning to end?
I've got it down to about three days now. It's a lot of work because It's a "built" structure just like a little house. One of my aspirations was to eliminate all plywood, glue, wood preservatives, tar paper, and plastic from the construction - which I was succesful in doing, except the wheels have plastic treads. Almost everything else out there is a plywood structure that is stapled together with a asphalt shingle roof. This coop could have been made a hundred years ago and I think people really like that. Its rare to see something just made only out of solid, real wood and nails these days.
What kind of wood do you use? Why “Western Red Cedar”? Where do you get your wood from?
Western Red Cedar is a remarkable local species. It has an amazing resistance to decay due to a high concentration of fungicidal and herbicidal oils (these oils are also what gives it its enchanting scent). It is also relatively light for its strength, and remains quite stable in the harsh outdoor environment - meaning it will not bend, warp and crack like other woods will during the wet/dry, hot/cold cycles of our seasons.
Some of my wood I have milled for me by a family outfit called Smyth Lumber Mill in Indianola, WA. Some of it I get from a local fence-building company who generates a lot of shorter pieces of Cedar that they cannot use and would otherwise throw in the landfill. The rest I get from my local lumber yard here in Ballard.
How have you designed your coop to be safe from predators?
There are no gaps larger than 1/2" anywhere on the coop. I usually make and connect a larger, site-built run area to the coops for my customers, and there are several tricks to make these secure. One is to use wire with only a 1/2" opening - not the traditional "chicken wire" which has a 1" opening. The other is to dig the wire down 9" or so to keep animals from tunneling under.
What about Fantastic Mr. Fox?
Good question. Since it is impossible to make a coop completely impervious to a clever fox who is only limited by the laws of stop motion animation, I have just tried to make it difficult enough that he will look to the next hen house. And in Seattle, he will not have to go very far!
Do you know of or recommend any classes on keeping chickens in an urban environment?
Yes, Paul Farley is our local chicken guru. He teaches an excellent class through Seattle Tilth called "City Chickens 101."
What other projects are you currently working on?
My other main project is finishing our house which I started remodeling when I bought it five years ago. After that, I am going to make a series of long skinny tables for hallways, entryways, and behind couches!
Are you available for custom freelance work?
Oh you better believe it.
$725.00. Free delivery in the Seattle area. Delivery to Portland for $100.
Berg Danielson can be contacted by email at berg.danielson(at)gmail.com or by phone at 206 909 2427
