La Casa de los Pollos

We were dealing with a boggy bit of land around the side of the house, so I measured out a border and built a sloped brick edge to raise the interior ground level. Not knowing what predators might be around [we're next to bush], we laid ground netting which was later laced onto the side and roof netting to create full enclosure. Hubby then stepped in to translate my fanciful sketches into wood - a boxy coop with a Temple or Ark theme. We'd carefully read all the advice on BYC regarding ventilation, and set in one high, one low horizontal windows [netted]. There's a brood box with lid on one wall, while another wall is fully hinged and opens upwards so I can slide out the base tray for cleaning. Convenience was key. I didn't keep the hardware store receipts though...!

Inside are two removable roosting poles. Our 3 boys chipped in with the painting, given that it was supposed to be a school holiday project. Our five pullets came home on the very last day, while I was still lacing up the netting.

The magpie loved all the witchetty-grubs I found whilst digging.

The base netting is in place. One wall is fully hinged for access during cleaning.

The frame for the run actually sits up on six bricks and doesn't contact the ground.

Ready for residence! ..... Welcome to Renji, Contador, IceMight, Strathy and Sauron [don't let your sons name your hens!]