There are some features of Chicken City that I didn't show in my original tour—little design tricks and additions that have made such a difference to how well the whole system works.
The Secret Trapdoor
Between Chicken City and my greenhouse, there's an awkward corridor that fills with weeds and strawberry runners. I used to hate maintaining it—until I added a secret trapdoor.
Now I can open the door, drop down the ramp, and let the chickens do what they do best: weed, scratch, and clear that space for me. I only open it when I'm around (never overnight), but it transforms a maintenance headache into easy chicken enrichment.
The Misting System Evolution
In the early days when Chicken City didn't have much shade, I installed a roof misting system. It was expensive, took time to set up, and honestly? It started cracking and failing within a couple of years.
Now I've simplified everything. One mister on a hose does the job, especially since the plants have grown and create natural shade. The key is misting the ground, not the chickens—wet soil cools their feet, which is how they regulate temperature. I've also got a dish underneath that catches drips, giving them fresh cool water throughout hot days.
Eye-Level Roosts
This isn't revolutionary, but it's so practical: I positioned the main roost at roughly head height. When you need to do health checks at night (checking cloaca, looking for lice, feeling crops), having chickens at eye level makes everything infinitely easier than squatting or reaching.
The Pallet Boardwalk
Chicken City gets muddy in winter. Really muddy. So I designed the main walkway to be exactly one pallet wide. Now I just lay pallets down for winter, creating a boardwalk that keeps me out of the mud. In summer, I remove them and enjoy the space again.
Berries on the Walls
My thornless blackberry is planted outside the chicken courtyard, but I train the fruiting canes into the coop along the wall. This means the root system is protected from scratching, the plant gets what it needs, and I get berries growing on what would otherwise just be a wall.
The Double Gate System
Having two gates to enter Chicken City has been an absolute game-changer. Not only does it prevent chicken escapes (they always want to follow you out!), but the space between the gates has become incredibly useful storage for feed bins, supplements, and harvesting baskets—right where I need them, but safely away from the chickens.
These aren't the flashy features that make headlines, but they're the thoughtful additions that make Chicken City actually work day-to-day. Some were part of the original plan, others were retrofitted over the years, but all of them have earned their place.
If you're designing your own chicken coop or looking to improve what you've got, hopefully these ideas spark some inspiration!
More Chicken City videos:
- Why This is the Best Chicken Coop Design - Learn the design principles that make this system work
- My Chicken Coop Doesn't Smell - The deep litter method that keeps it fresh
Get more details on Chicken City, including rough plans
Find out more about my chickens and my edible garden ecosystem on Instagram - this is where I post the most regular updates on my Chicken City system!
