All the comfort that a duck or hen could ask for - Country Living in the West

Sunset, July, 1990

Contented clucks and quacks come from the residents of this deluxe coop in a San Diego canyon. Built on a steep slope, the three-level structure has all the comforts that a mallard duck or Black Australorp chicken could want: shelter from the elements, private compartments for egg laying, room for roosting chickens, a split-level feeding tray, an automatic water dish, pine shavings for scratching, even a small pond for swimming and drinking. Humans weren't forgotten either. Simple wooden details are patterned after the turn-of-the-century Craftsman style. The open upper level, protected by an angled, shingled roof, allows plenty of storage for gardening supplies. Inside, there's a lift-top bench above four nesting boxes.

The 6- by 7-foot top section steps down almost 2 feet to the coop's middle level, a 4-by-4 framework covered with wire mesh. This 4-foot-wide middle section extends 12 feet across the hillside. At night, three regular-size doors in the middle section enclose the birds and keep marauders out. The lowest level, also 4 feet wide, measures 15 feet deep. It houses the pond and feeding stations. Dale Clark designed her coop with help from contractor William Jones.