It all started with,"Which came first, the chicks or the barn?" I had put off chickens for 7 years and two moves. I couldn't stand it anymore, listening to the little peeps as I browsed and bought my horses supplies. I sooo missed watching my chicksters, and one look at those little peeps was all it took. As soon as my hubby came home and saw the horse trough in the dining room he knew lol. Thus began our adventure. By a stroke of luck we found a leftover Bully Barn (they call them that here) as a damaged closeout at the local lumber/home improvement store. I made them an offer and then waited for the barn to be delivered.
Oops, things didn't go as planned. This is what happens when you get free delivery.
We insulated and took a lot of ideas from BYC members. The girls were fast outgrowing the trough. We had moved them to a stall by this time which they loved! We insulated, painted the floor, made everything ready for the girls big night.
We use PDZ and a poop board, the run is 16 X 16 and we are sectioning one side off for the mystery bantam chicks. The PDZ we already had and it works wonderful in the coop! Easy to clean, no mess, no smell and it cleans their feet and lasts forever. I use a metal pooper scoop and reptile seive to clean it. Still getting ready to build them their own little coop. My husband made a small hitching rail for my miniature horses so I am having him put it in front of the *barn deck*, it should look really cute. The coop is 8 X 8 and insulated with the floor painted with porch paint. It has stayed nice in there in this high 90 degree weather we have had all summer. The girls are scraping and pulling my sweatpants and giving me the stink eye because I ran out of mealworms and they are spoiled rotten. They pull on my pants or bootstrings, fly on my shoulder, or follow me around the yard like little pests if I don't give them a treat. I had to use a spray bottle to keep them out of my cherry tomatoes on the house deck lol. We put bird/deer net that is plastic net and UV resistant over everything and it works wonderful keeping out the wild birds who were eating everything in sight! It was easy to put up, didn't cost much and sure works. I put some over my tomatoes too lol. I have stumps in the run that they love, and for temporary yard shelter we turned a long low trough over and raised it. They love that thing. And my little composter is handy at the end of the run outside. Now I just need to finish the things we have, plant that little tree for shade, and maybe convince my husband that I need a weather vane on top, and pavers or a gravel walk to the gate lol. Thank you so much to all the people on here who gave us wonderful ideas to make our perfect Haven!
My husband saved a large wooden crate from work and together we built a miniature version of our large barn coop. This one is for the banties. I have a pair of Buff Laced Sebright's Forest Gump and his gal Dovey. Then my little White Japanese Geisha, and my pair of Bantum Barred Rocks, still thinking on names.
Temporarily we have the Banty coop attached to the same run until next summer. In the last picture this is what I saw when I looked out at the morning. I planted iris along the run, and there is a little tree planted there too for summer shade eventually. We put the little hitching rail in front for my miniature horses to tie to. Still a few little touches to do here and there next summer.
