Chicken Condo - Part 2 (See part 1 here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ohiochkmoms-chicken-coop.48103/)
This is a picture of the chicken condo with the steel roof, the new enclosed run for them to roam and, in the background, the kids' treehouse (it matches the coop but the treehouse was first).
The picture below shows the back door propped open for the chickens to roam. We started out with eight chickens. We have four hens left. The other four were roosters. I gave them all away to other chicken farmers. I didn't want the roosters. Once they learned to crow, I was getting up at the crack of dawn and my neighbors were a little miffed at me. We do live out in the country though. As soon as I got rid of them, the hens started laying eggs.
We added the more professional looking ramp for them. We also have added in the last few weeks a door that opens to their run. This way, we don't have to leave the bigger door in the back open on the cold, winter days. The inside coop remains warm and draft free, but if they want to venture outside into the run, all they have to do is jump up and out. The small outside door opens from the inside and stays lifted by a hook and chain. At night, it gets closed and locked with a small clip. This door is not padlocked at night, since the inside door to their sleeping area is padlocked and secure.
Here is a better view of the smaller door that leads to the run.
This is how we open the nest box. It stays up by a hook and a chain. I can collect eggs and clean out the boxes this way. The kid's have stacked three concrete blocks under it so that they can climb up on them and reach down inside the box for the eggs. They love to get the eggs every day. There are five nest boxes. Like I said, we had eight chickens and were told they were all hens. So we accomodated for the majority. Only one of the boxes really gets used by all four hens. This box is padlocked all the time unless we are getting eggs or cleaning.
This is a picture of the chicken condo with the steel roof, the new enclosed run for them to roam and, in the background, the kids' treehouse (it matches the coop but the treehouse was first).
The picture below shows the back door propped open for the chickens to roam. We started out with eight chickens. We have four hens left. The other four were roosters. I gave them all away to other chicken farmers. I didn't want the roosters. Once they learned to crow, I was getting up at the crack of dawn and my neighbors were a little miffed at me. We do live out in the country though. As soon as I got rid of them, the hens started laying eggs.
MY FIRST EGG!!!
I was SO excited! We had gone on vacation and someone was taking care of them for me. When we got back, they started laying eggs. Four a day! I am still getting three to four a day, as of November 2009. Each one lays a different size and color. They are all in the brown family. I am not sure what types of chickens I have. The store owner said they were Rhode Island Reds. I think maybe three of them are but one reminds me of a hawk.
We added the more professional looking ramp for them. We also have added in the last few weeks a door that opens to their run. This way, we don't have to leave the bigger door in the back open on the cold, winter days. The inside coop remains warm and draft free, but if they want to venture outside into the run, all they have to do is jump up and out. The small outside door opens from the inside and stays lifted by a hook and chain. At night, it gets closed and locked with a small clip. This door is not padlocked at night, since the inside door to their sleeping area is padlocked and secure.
Here is a better view of the smaller door that leads to the run.
This is how we open the nest box. It stays up by a hook and a chain. I can collect eggs and clean out the boxes this way. The kid's have stacked three concrete blocks under it so that they can climb up on them and reach down inside the box for the eggs. They love to get the eggs every day. There are five nest boxes. Like I said, we had eight chickens and were told they were all hens. So we accomodated for the majority. Only one of the boxes really gets used by all four hens. This box is padlocked all the time unless we are getting eggs or cleaning.
Chicken Condo Part 3 >>>
