At first, you might think a tiny backyard house with Victorian-style architecture, a steep gabled roof, beautiful large windows complete with a flower box and front deck is a high end “she shed”. That is until builder Alex Verkruijsse opens up the nesting boxes. “This is where they automatically know to go into and then lay their eggs.” The impressive house is a designer chicken coop. “All our structures are 100% custom,” says Alex. “No coop is the same. We build everything from scratch.”
Alex began transforming Arizona’s urban farming landscape during the pandemic, starting with his own backyard coop. “My wife wanted a new coop. She wanted something pretty, and she kept sending me Instagram videos.” So Alex and his teenaged sons got to work, building a modern style farmhouse coop, complete with more than 10 feet of roosting space, glass windows and Dutch doors.
A neighbor then asked Alex to build him a similar coop. Afterwards, they decided to build one to put on Facebook Marketplace to see what would happen. Alex couldn’t believe it sold in just a day, soon turning their side hustle into a full time gig. Their business, Chick Inn Coops, was officially hatched and they now have customers across the county.
“Right now we do about 50-50. 50% is here in state, 50% is out of state. Alex believes the boom in business is partly due to the buzz of modern homesteading broadcast on social media. But he says Arizona, particularly Queen Creek and Gilbert, is a natural hotspot.
“I think those towns have done a very good job of holding on to their roots, knowing that these used to be all farm towns.” Alex credits our state’s climate as a big plus, even during the hottest months of the year. “The chickens just need a pan with water. They cool down through their feet. So they'll stand in footbaths. Backyard chickens can be the easiest pets you ever have.”
Alex didn’t start out designing and building chicken coops. Originally from Holland, Alex traveled the world working in the hotel business. He and his family were transferred to the States in 2006, eventually landing in Arizona. Chick Inn Coops is a playful name inspired by his former job. His wife also lent some creative input, which you also see in each of his designs. Every structure has two main rooms. First, the house, where the chickens lay their eggs and sleep on roosting bars. The biggest part of the structure is the chicken run. This is where they spend their days playing, digging and eating.
So which comes first, the chicken or the coop? “First and foremost, get the coop,” Alex insists. “Don't feel like you need to invest thousands of dollars, or even hundreds of dollars. There's so many great resources in regards to how to make a coop in an inexpensive way.”
You do need to keep in mind the amount of space you want to dedicate to a coop. Alex also emphasizes doing your research. “That's the other thing I would say to anybody starting a flock is definitely check with your town or city as well as HOA regulations.”
Alex and his family believe raising chickens is all it’s cracked up to be - and more. “Just sitting here watching the chickens. It's very peaceful."