The Chez Poulet Story

I started raising backyard chickens in 1998 in Houston, Texas. At that time I bought a beautiful cottage coop from England, which I named “Chez Poulet”. It was well-made and lasted a very long time. In early 2009 I moved to Austin, Texas, and wanted to bring the chickens along. But the company I had brought my coop from no longer shipped their coops to the United States and I wound up buying another coop. I had to remodel the new coop extensively from the roof down and wound up spending way more money than necessary for it.

My other business is home construction www.paloent.com and my Construction Chief, Karl Caillouet, is a master woodworker making beautiful furniture and cabinets. Since sustainable living is a goal of many people, Karl and I set out to build affordable, well-made coops for small backyard flocks.

~ Patsy

The Austin Ranchette

This attractive coop is raised from ground level to protect the chickens from predators and keep the chickens cool and dry at night. There is easy access egg collection and a slide-out roost for easy cleaning. Multiple windows provide excellent ventilation. This coop occupies a small footprint for use in confined spaces. Optional walk-in run allows daytime protection from other pets and predators. For more information or to purchase this coop, simply email patsy@chez-poulet.com.

The Chicken Ark

This ark is very low profile and can fit in a small space. It is also movable so that your chickens can have fresh grass and so your yard is not completely denuded. It can be easily slid by one person with the chickens in the lower portion or carried by two people with the chickens in the upper portion.

All sides open for easy access to eggs and for cleaning. The ramp is lowered in the morning and raised at night for predator protection. The ark can hold about a dozen pullets, 8 bantams, or 4 full-sized chickens. This is meant to be a self-contained unit but if you live in an area where your chickens can free-range you can house more adults comfortably as they cuddle pretty close at night. For more information or to purchase this coop, simply email patsy@chez-poulet.com.

Photos

Here are some interesting photos the 2010 Austin Funky Chicken Coop Tour, as well as some others from the past. You can see we really do have a passion for raising your own chickens.