Wednesday 3 September 2008

Blowing Ben's trumpet

This post is for all you chicken-lovers out there.....maybe you have chickens already, or maybe you dream of having chickens (that's me!). And of course, I want to tell you about my nephew Ben.

Ben (who was staying with me last week) has been designing and making gorgeous chicken coops for the last year. He finally has his website up and running, and his business cards printed.


He has kept chickens from an early age - his first chicken was called 'Chicky' - she used to come up to the french doors and tap on the window with her beak to say hello. Even my Mum grew to love her, and she wasn't a fan of anything with feathers.


The coop and run designs are entirely his own, and he makes them and paints them by hand, from start to finish, using superb quality components from the wood to the screws, and more.


His website is Oakdene Coops and his email is here. His coops can be viewed by appointment near Dorking, Surrey. There's the added bonus of seeing my sister's beautiful garden at the same time!

Any comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated, so do take a peek at his website! His order book is filling up thick and fast. Oh...and delivery is anywhere in the UK. So if you need a new coop, this is the place to go...

I know this is shameless promotion of a family member, but I am very proud of Ben and his coops are just gorgeous. You won't regret even looking!
Enough said.

27 comments:

Ali said...

Oh, they are a work of art. I toyed with the idea of chickens a couple of years back, but hubby vetoed it on the grounds of children tracking chicken poo all through the house.

Perhaps I could sell the idea on the real estate potential...

Anonymous said...

Oh, Diana they are beautiful. I want one now, the one for four chickens. I so wish I had the space but my garden is the size of postage stamp. Ben is very clever and hardworking young man and you are justified in being proud of him.

Pippa x

Needle, Thimble and Thread said...

I wish Ben was here in the States!

kristina said...

This is so timely! We're off to Epsom on Saturday for a chicken keeping demonstration. I'll definitely be emailing Ben. His coops are beautiful. K x

Pipany said...

Hello Diana. I am all in favour of shameless promotion - a man's got to make a living. The coops are absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately we make our own and they are nothing like as lovely as Ben's believe me! I really hope he does well at this. Rain here again - what about you? xx

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with promoting friends and family - you have every right to be proud of Ben! Have been looking at his website and his coops are gorgeous - the Rolls Royce of chicken coops! If only I had room for some chickens........

Gigibird said...

I actually think they are the most beautiful chicken coups I have seen....
Is that run all they need to be happy? I'm sure I could sqeeze one in my garden.......

dragonfly said...

They certainly are gorgeous coops! But I MUSTN'T want one too much...my Egloo cost an arm and a leg! And I've only had it a year... The chickens are great fun though!

Sally Anne said...

Oh I do so wish he could send one to me..our hens would think they were in heaven!

Gina said...

They look fabulous. You've every right to feel proud. I've stored the address away for when I eventually get my chickens!

Unknown said...

I am one of those dreamers. Those coops are fantastic. They look so dollhousey (maybe birdhousey) would be better. :)
Teresa

Just Original said...

We are in the process of saving up for an eglu, you have now provided me with a real dilema. They are very beautiful, in fact I might by one to live in myself!

Vanessa x

tess said...

ooh those are lovely, when we move I really want chickens, and the runs look perfect.

Simone said...

I too have an Eglu but those chicken coops look like very fine houses indeed.

Sarah said...

Wow, chicken luxury! And I love the cockrels he has posing for him, very grand birds. Our chickens live in a shed with a broomstick for a roost, don't let them see this or I might have a riot on my hands!

Tracy x said...

truly beautiful, and as such should be shouted about!
way to go Ben - i for one am so pleased that folk are considering opting for Ben's coops instead of the Egloo, Ben's seem to offer a far nicer environment for hens including a large run - hens will always be happier free ranging and the Egloo runs are just too small (in my opinion)
and whilst i am ranting about the rip off Egloo (how much!) - anyone undecided should consider if they would rather live enclosed by horrid plastic or natural wood??
rant over....
love to you
t x

This Vintage Life... said...

They're just lovely...if Betty didn't have an eglu already, I'd be in the market for one of them! I'd have a green and cream one. I think ben is going to be very busy.
Deb x

silverpebble said...

Gorgeous coops and arks - and how appropriate that he lives near Dorking - hens of Dorking!

A 3 in 1 comment here - that dahlia is as beautiful as ever - delicious colour, and I prefer the sea view through the old glass - it reminds me of Gina's little embriodered and appliqueed scenes.

MarmiteToasty said...

I have 3 chickens - Janet who we found wandering around outside our village Junior school, she is a sussex light, I picked her up and tucked her under me arm and walked home... she was free but I rushed out and spend 200 quid on a coop LOL but she roams the garden during the day...... then there is Mabel who just turned up in our back garden just before christmas last year, we do not know from where she came, she is a Silkie, and then we have Cedric our cockeral, who was my friends but her neighbours complained so he came to live with Janet and Mabel, the 3 of them are inseperatable and actually climb through me catflap when the weather is bad LMFAO and I often find the 3 of them snuggled up in me cat basket....

I LOVE the coops on the link...... and I KNOW WHERE I will be getting me next one.... fanks for the link....

I usually lurk here but just couldnt resist posting today lol

x

dottycookie said...

Those are seriously stunning coops. I wish we had space for chickens but if we put them in our garden we'd have to find somewhere else to put the children!

Jane said...

Diana - Talk about serendipity - Euan and I had decided to buy a duck house to mark our 15th wedding anniversary. Having seen these I have persuaded him that the ducks can move into the old chicken house (originally a duck house anyway) and the chickens can have one of these works of art.
I have placed my order,
Thank you
J
Oh and can I rail against the eglu as well - too small, much too small a run.

mollycupcakes said...

I've just found you via the fabulous Tracy over at Cupcakes at home and oh my goodness I'm so glad I did pop on and have a look. The chicken coops are amazing, I love the website. He's very clever and it's lovely to see he's on the chicken out campaign too.
I have to now pop on to his website again and ask if they come in any other colours like pale pink lol my fella sighing in the back ground lol
Thanks for sharing this lovely family website.
Take care hugs,
Catherine x

Exmoorjane said...

You promote away, my dear - I reckon you're entitled and by heck they are absolutely gorgeous. I am so NOT a chicken person but even I (and those who know me will have their jaws slack at this point) could go for chickens if they had houses like that....
Hmm. Sorely tempted. I suppose I could have one without the chickens??!!

melissa said...

beautiful chicken coops! your nephew is very clever. all the best to him- his business is going to take off, i'm sure.

Louise said...

Hi Diana, I was meaning to comment on the chicken coops. I so wish I had chickens, I would have one of these for sure, that blue paint colour is a favourite of mine. I shall recommend these to anyone I hear is interested in keeping chickens. x

Cheryl@Gingerbread Crafts said...

I have never seen such gorgeous chicken coops. It's a pity I'm not in the UK - maybe Ben could emigrate......

Anonymous said...

Hi, We've just bought one of Ben's coops & run & I must say how pleased we are with it. We are novices with chickens but they seem very happy in their new home (have 3 16 week old hens from Golden Valley Poultry).

HJ