Old Wooden Playhouse Coop Conversion in Progress- Picture Heavy and more to come!

[HouseMouseHens]

I was too cheap to buy the $8 lid for the feed, but Goodwill had the perfect pot lid for .99. It fits perfectly. When the rains come, I figure it's good to keep moisture out.

Haha! I was too cheap too, but realized after I saw the chicks sitting on the edge and pooping in thier food that I should have got it. I'll take a look at a goodwill and see if I can save the money. Thanks!

 

[HouseMouseHens]

We got most of the rain water barrel done yesterday! We need to paint it green, and this picture was taken before we sunk the terracotta put down into the barrel. It's just sitting on top here. But it's functional! We got out the hose and make some test rain this morning.

 

[aggiemae]

That is a very clever rain barrel. I got a couple of that lidless type to make compost tumblers out of and have one left over but can't add it to the rain catching system since it was designed to use the barrels with removable lids, so I am going to hook up one like this to the coop.

This thread has been a treat. BTW are either of you coming to the chicken show is Salem next weekend?

 

[HouseMouseHens]

That is a very clever rain barrel. I got a couple of that lidless type to make compost tumblers out of and have one left over but can't add it to the rain catching system since it was designed to use the barrels with removable lids, so I am going to hook up one like this to the coop.

This thread has been a treat. BTW are either of you coming to the chicken show is Salem next weekend?

Thanks! And no, we don't get to Salem much... nor to chicken shows.

 

[MamazLilChicks]

Loved all the pictures of your coop!! We are just starting out and will be getting an old playhouse from my parents to transform!!

 

[aart]

Very, Very Cool build!! Congrats!

Wondering if you have an overflow plan for the rain barrel? I would think that you could get much more than 55 gallons of water during a rain event in your part of the country.

 

[HouseMouseHens]

Very, Very Cool build!! Congrats!

Wondering if you have an overflow plan for the rain barrel? I would think that you could get much more than 55 gallons of water during a rain event in your part of the country.

Oh yeah, we definitely get more rain than that very often! It has a 1inch hole drilled on the top front of the barrel so when it gets full it just drains out. I also leave the tap very slightly open in heavy rains and let it drip into a water dish for the dogs. I recently got ducklings, and plan to fence in a larger part of the yard for them and will be putting in a small "pond" for them right in front of the rail barrel so I can drain it into the pool for them. It doesn't have enough back pressure to hook a hose to, at least not our big 100ft hose, so our intention of watering the chickens with it didn't exactly work out as planned.

 

[aart]

Head pressure (created by height) is what it needs, but you don't have the height...bummer. Rain barrels are great in theory, but take a lot of proper prior planning to be effective.

 

[HouseMouseHens]

Yeah, the height isn't really a possibility with the gutters on the coop, but it works out fine in the nd because we can still use the water without a hose. It drains fine through the spout without a hose.

 

[mtocih]

Wow! love that coop! Very impressed with how it all turned out! I hope I can find my way to show hubby that light...that is awesome!