If you thought Dallas was just one big urban jungle, you were wrong and not considering the fact that East Dallas is home to quite a number of city chickens.

For folks interested in getting a look at how urban chickens live, the Peep at the Coops event on May 7 features some of the most innovative coups for raising chickens in North Texas.

The chicken coop tour is also part of a bigger Country Market event where folks will get a dose of how to live a healthier lifestyle too.

In its eighth year now, Laurie Petty, one of the co-chairs for A Peep at the Coops says “This is a one-day tour of private urban chicken coops in East Dallas. At the event people can learn more about urban, backyard chicken coops and how people right here in the city of Dallas are becoming more self-sustaining.”

Hosted at Moss Haven Farm for a second year the event includes a tour of eight urban chicken, food from One90 Smoked Meats, The Guava Tree Food Truck, Scot’s Cafe Potato Bar and

Snowdrop Shaved Ice, handmade items from local artisans and performances from Lake Highlands HS Espree and Wranglers, local choirs and bands and students from Zound Sound.

There will also be a raffle of a custom made mobile coop from the talents of Urban Chicken. 

“I think this event is so successful because people want to live healthier lifestyles,” Petty said. “These owners have an endless supply of fresh eggs and many also have thriving gardens that provide a healthy food source for their families.” 

In addition to helping visitors understand a healthier lifestyle, the Peep at the Coops tour is also the largest fundraiser of the year for Moss Haven Farm.  The farm is a 501(c)(3) outdoor learning garden and curriculum enrichment for students located at Moss Haven Elementary. It is also entirely supported by community and corporate support.  

“Our goal is to fund weekly S.T.E.M. education at our public school that receives no funding from the school district,” Petty said of the fundraising efforts. “Also, proceeds from APATC support our State Fair of Texas blue ribbon earning egg & poultry program.” 

Coop owners are chosen each year by submitting an application to participate in the Coop Tour. Petty said each coop applicant is visited and the coops chosen always range from a variety of different coops that show both basic and elaborate coop designs.

“We also try to have coops that have different varieties of chicken breeds,” Petty concluded. “Some coops have a small flock and then others have many chickens, we have one coop that has a flock of 18. One of our coop owners on the tour this year visited last year’s Coop tour and she went home and designed and built her own coop just from seeing what other people are doing.” 

The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The Country Market is free and the chicken coop tour is $10 per adult (children under 12 are free).