Coop Project: Maken the Plunge & Getting Chickens

[Rock Home Isle]

I finished the back of the run in the morning and then began work across the front.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

This is a photo series of the final steps of the run.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

My son mowed the lawn for me today while I worked with my daughter and my soon to be Son Inlaw on finishing the run. My son put the lawn clippings in the run and once it was completed in went the poultry.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I moved the waterer into the coop and found that there was some sprouted bird seed that was growing under where the waterer sits...it didn't take long for the pullets and the little cockerel to home in on a nice meal of young sprouted seedlings.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Round up was so easy tonight...I just walked around the run and picked up birds and placed them in the coop. Now for the next stage of my plan...I want these birds to put themselves to bed at night. NO more Chasing chickens and puttin 'em in the coop.

So here is a photo of my drop pan that sits under my waterer. The ducks make such a mess with water, that it is a must have item if you're going to have both ducks and a waterer in the coop. The ducks splash and play in the waterer and the water drops through the screen and into the hog pan...no wet unhappy chickens and I just empty the hog pan each day. I got these ducks' number...

 

[Rock Home Isle]

In behind the waterer is the feed hopper and the flock will spend tomorrow in the coop with pleanty of food and water. I'll crack a window if its a warm day...Then the next day they will be let out into the run, but the feed hopper and the waterer will remain in the coop...so when they get hungry and thirsty they will have to go back into the coop to meet those needs. A few days of this and they'll be putting themselves to bed at night.



Then all I do is go into the run at sunset and close the coop up for the evening. Its the way we used to train our flock when I was a kid.... I HOPE THIS WORKS.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Once they have put themselves to bed...BY THEMSELVES...for 3 nights in a row...then I'll start opening up the run and letting them forage in the backyard again.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

There was so much that got done today...besides the run being completed, my son mowed the lawn and that is always a huge deal with me. I care about the way my yard looks. And my soon to be Son Inlaw rototilled the garden....it was like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders and I could focus on completeing THAT DANGED RUN.

There's kind of a theme here and it is centered on THE RUN.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Yesterday my wife and I planted two Honey Crisp Apple Trees...Ya just can't have to many apple trees.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

But more importantly...THE RUN IS DONE.