Fallen Sky Cluckery

 

 

 

My goal 

 

 

 

 

 

~~~~~

 

In April 2012 I purchased 6 day old chicks from the local feed store. Now at 4 months, they are beginning to grow out of their first coop, and we must prepare for the future including winters and egglaying and comfort for our little flock.

 

I've searched and researched tons of coops here on BYC, and pulled some features I really enjoyed, and handed my ideas and inspiration piece to my brother who happens to be an architect. He was quite puzzled by my request But once he started drawing, he understood he had to fit certain elements within a 4' X 5' space, it became a challange.

 

Now into July 2012, we finally have begun to build the future coop. The name is based on the Henny Penny "The Sky Is Falling" 

 

Size of coop: 4ft X 5ft. 

Materials, wood, shingles, vinyl flooring, windows, doors...yet to be determined...

 

 

FLOOR-4x5 BASE

 

 

NAILING DOWN PLYWOOD TO BASE

 

 

STICKING VINYL FLOORING DOWN (legs stand 2 ft off the ground 4x4)

 

 

WALLS WILL BE 2ft HIGH (Door facing WEST)

 

 

DOOR IN THE CENTER, WILL BE 2 PIECE DOORS (wall isn't attached in this photo so it looks crooked)

 

 

 

7-28 WORK HAS PUT US BEHIND SCHEDULE BUT BUILT 3 WALLS TODAY. 

 

 

 

 

 

7-28 THE RUN DOOR IS 10" wide X 12" high

 

 

 

 

 

finished the frame and started to cut the walls 8-6-2012

 

 

 

Door to the run. 10" wide X 12 high" Run is facing north. 8-6-2012

 

 

 

South side where the nesting boxes will be 8-6-2012

 

 

 

Oh no! The inspectors are here :) 8-9-2012

 

 

 

They approved the headroom under the coop 8-9-2012

 

 

 

Checking the seams 8-9-2012

 

 

 

Flower and Sammi discuss the door frame 8-9-2012

 

 

 

After a lot of soggy days, we returned to find the plywood a bit wet, but all in all things are coming along. 8-12-2012

 

 

 

The north (door) and east side. debates about vents. Winters are tough, might leave east side w/o a window or vent. 8-12-2012

 

 

 

From the south side. This is where the nesting boxes will go (coop isn't crooked it's the photographer) 8-12-2012

 

 

 

Adding west wall and trying to figure out the nesting boxes 8-14

 

 

adding walls to south side. 8-12-2012

 

 

 

Nesting boxes 8-25

 

 

side view 8-25

 

 

Interior view nesting boxes 8-25

 

I know things look pretty raw still, but soon we'll start adding trim and extras and it should come together nicely

 

8-26-2012

Huge progress made on a beautiful sunday afternoon. We go the roof framed and the rafters started, and the stone wall and garden cleaned up behind the run

 

 

While Hubby built, I cleaned up the stone wall

 

 

 

All clean!

 

Garden behind the coop

 

 

 

 

dding the run beam

 

 

 

 

view from the run

I planted some thyme , blue bells and periwinkle to grow around the rocks and keep

the weeds down

 

 

 

garden behind run

 

 

 

Roof added 8-27 we had to put the canopy over because of rain,

there are vents on the door side where the roof and the walls meet. 

 

 

 

roof 8-27

 

 

 

large overhang to help keep water off the nesting box. We rarely get storms from the

south, but when we do..they can be rough.

 

8-29 adding nesting box holes and roosting bar

 

dad's liittle helper

 

 

adding holes, so they have some privacy

 

 

 

 

 

close up

 

 

 

 

3 different sizes just in case they get picky :)

 

 

Addiing a removeable roosting bar in front of the boxes

 

 

close up

 

8-30 a first coat of paint! Barn white base. I read the nesting boxes should be dark

so they have privacy while laying so I painted them deep purple

and the interior sky blue and white

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sorry so messy! It's doubling as a tool box for now

 

After a couple bad weekends of hurricane rains, we got a sunny day to work and finish some of the details off.

 

 

Start of the run

 

 

painting the doors

 

 

adding the roof

 

 

first coat looks pretty!

 

 

Roof of run finished

 

 

 

random photo of progress

 

 

Studs painted on the run

 

 

 

 

adding Hardware cloth over vents in roof usingg staples

 

 

 

Starting to come together. Cut off excess from the front overhang

 

 

outside view of hardware cloth for vents

 

adding tar paper membrane (donated)

 

 

 

other side tar paper'd

 

 

top piece tar paper added

 

 

Door placed but not set

 

 

 

 

Lots of work done today progress! yay!

 

 

door to nesting box

 

 

 

 

 

 

Added base under coop to attach hardware cloth to

 

 

 

 

Rohan the wonder corgi inspects the height, also shingled the roof 

 

 

looking good!

 

 

Wrapped coop so to eliminate drafts 

 

 

wrapped coop to eliminate drafts

 

 

 

so close! Have to build a ramp, hardware cloth and door hinges, and the interior roosts, door on run...

 

 

 

door hinges!

 

 

 

beautiful front door

 

 

 

moving day! 9-15

 

 

 

comfy!

 

added a ramp, but it was too dark to get a pic last night, will get one today. Nothing fancy, just shingles with steps for now. I find the shingles help keep their nails trimmed. We have siding too, but Rome wasn't built in a day. But within the week it should be looking much prettier on the outside 

 

 

temporary ramp

 

 

The weather has been almost perfect, but time is getting away from us to continue our build. 

We have done several small things, adding a door on the run and weatherstripping, but hopefully this 

weekend (sept 29th-30th) we can get the siding up and painted before it's too cold to paint.

 

Here's the new (unfinished) run door

 

 

 

10-6-2012 Finally we have some siding! It's a fabulous change to the coop! I also added weatherstripping around the 

the door above to keep any small critters out (chipmunks) and finished the hardware cloth at the top where the sides meet the

roof. I will get some more detailed photos.

 

 

 

The flag is there to remind me my first egg was laid on 9-11-2012. 

 

 

 

I placed temporary boards around where they eat and drink, the pups seem to like the taste of 

layer pellets, and the girls sweep them around with their feet, just keeps everything cleaner, and 

the pups not so interested in the coop.

 

 

 

north east side 

 

 

 

nesting box (south side)

 

 

 

success!!

 

 

 

fall 2012

 

10-7-2012 3 sides of siding done! We'll do the last side (run side) next spring. Now just have to paint it, and

the girls are set for winter.

 

 

 

 

showing how the siding was finished V

 

 

Fine tuning

 

 

Adding PVC food bin. It's resting on 2 bricks, but we'll add either a cement block or wood underneath

when time and weather allows

 

 

Added a cinderblock under the water, later we'll add a light bulb inside to heat the water in the winter

We had combed through a lot of designs and concepts for heating water but find for our coop this will

be the easiest one to use

 

 

My experience with this above waterer, is they work well and are cute in design, but are kind

of light and easily pushed over by frisky chickens. 

 

weekend 10-13/14

 

 

With thr season of building coming to a close and cool morning greet us daily, I put a

primer coat of paint on the wood Oct 13th

 

 

Very chilly day I painted with winter gloves on, and the paint was thickened by the cold

but I got it done

 

 

it's getting there!

 

 

Sunday started rainy and cool, but by 3:00 it was over 65 and beautiful, inspired I added trim color

and a 2nd coat of paint

 

 

 

so fun to finally see our dream come true. Come spring I'll add one more coat but I am steps away

from finished

 

 

 

It's so pretty!

 

 

hard to believe this didn't exsist 3 months ago!

 

 

end result 2012

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone that has helped inspire my design and make this dream come true!