The Grand Coop Adventure
Once upon a time, there was a lush green backyard, but it was a quiet space w/ only a fishey pond....it needs some chickens! But 1st, a coop!
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So here we have our trusty handy man, Dave, aka, DH. The base is 4'x6', 18" off the ground, & insulated w/ R13.
W/ trusty sidekick Jake, aka, DS, measure twice & cut once was the motto of the day.
Here is the back wall framed up & being overlooked by the supervisor, since we have no chicks yet! ​

DS making sure things are plumb.
Windows, vents, & popdoor. Walls are insulated w/ R13.
It's comming along nicely. The nestboxes are in & doors are hung. Time for some paint!
The coop is all painted up, it even has stencils on the inside.
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This one is above the nest boxes.
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The door.
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Can't leave out the ceiling! Yes I painted clouds on a sky blue ceiling. Those men in the white coats are gonna take me away for sure!
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Framing up the run. It is 25' x12', covered in 2"x3" welded wire, which is buried under sod 18"-24" apron style & w/ hardware cloth on the bottom 3'. Nothins' gettin' in w/out wire cutters!!
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All decked out & ready for the girls to move in! There is a removable screen made out of aluminum frame & hardware cloth for added ventilation. I wouldn't consider it predator proof, so I take it out every night, & close & lock the top door.
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Moving day!! The girls slept in their brooder box w/ the light on, in the coop. In the morning they woke up in the coop, ready & rarin' to go check out their new home. (Mom was close by for reassurances!)
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Here they are! All moved in, about 6.5 weeks old in this picture.
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Ok, there is alot in this picture. You can see the roost & the poop board. The nest boxes w/ the curtains to keep any draft off their backs when the egg collection door is opened. The 2 pvc J things holds their grit & their oyster shells. The popdoor( mid- left) has a wooden guard to keep the shavings IN the coop & not out in the run. I guess you can't see the feeder very well, it's that piece of PVC in the lower left. Their H2O sits up on bricks to keep it clean. This is the most recent picture of the coop after its cleanout this past weekend.
Here's the lucky ladies who get to call this coop home.
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Hanging out in their run on thier perch.
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Waiting for a treat or for someone to open the door so they can free range.
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Finally!!!
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Not only did I get a first egg, I got two in one day! So two 1st eggs! Yippee!!!!
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Here's the coop w/ the Christmas lights!

So that is our adventure into chicken farmers. This will be our 1st winter w/ the girls, who are now almost 6 months old. Most of the girls are laying eggs, but not all as of yet. We are trying some 6mm plastic on the roof of the run & along the north & west side. We'll see if it withstands the brutal New England winters we get here. Stay tuned!
The only changes I would have made was to make it just a hair higher, so I don't whack my head on the light fixture & of course make it bigger so I can add more chickens next year!!​
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