CandiceN's Member Page

Hi all!  We currently have 4 hens.  Up until a few days ago, we had 2 sex link hens. Then I realized one of my hens looked more like a rooster! And yep, he was.  So he's gone to a local farm to protect some ladies and make some babies , and we've just added 3 RIR 20 weekers to our coop with the remaining red SL hen. She's quite a bit younger than they are, so hopefully she can handle the transition. The RIRs are all showing signs of impending egg laying so we await our very first egg ever. 

Our current coop:

We got this oversized dog house off Craigslist for free last month.  It's about 6 feet tall at the highest, and the floor is 4X8.




Over the past few weekends, we've renovated it.

Next to our old coop. Quite the upgrade for the girls!


We started by pressure washing it and using a shop vac to clean out the inside. Then we added split doors to make it easy to check on them/grab eggs without them running out the door. Also cut the chicken door.



Put hardware cloth over the windows, and added a roost across the back. (We took the back wall off to make it easier to work on). The roost bars lift out so that we can get in there and move around if necessary.




Added paint and plexiglass windows (which will be propped open during the warm months and locked shut in the Winter).




Added a second roost, this one goes from the corner of one window to the opposite corner of the other.  This one also lifts out for convenience.



Moved the run over and attached it to the new coop.



Inside the new coop - we put weed cloth down and then sand (we need to add more sand, but it's a start).  Added the food and water dishes, and put the old roost down for them.  We also have a nest box in the corner that I didn't get a picture of (we cannibalized an old side table drawer and made one), with a golf ball in there to hopefully show them that's where to lay when they start (they aren't old enough yet).



The "girls" - checking out the construction   (The black one is the rooster, which I didn't know at the time this was taken)



And enjoying their new house!

Up next we need to expand the run to give the 4 hens we now have more space.  We've only got 32sq ft run space and I'd like to at least double it if possible.  Darn hardware cloth for being so pricey!  :)  I'm watching Craigslist for more fantastic finds. I'd love to do something like a 6 foot tall chain-link pen that we can just line with hardware cloth or welded wire so they have space to go UP as well as OUT. I'd like to be able to stand up in the coop, too. We'll see what I can find!

I also need to find a way to get the food and water dishes off the floor.  Since I took these pictures, I've added a 1 gallon waterer.  I also have the materials to make a 5 gallon pail feeder like I've seen here on BYC on other pages.