The Morin Chicken Compound aka Hen House - A Work in Progress
Current picture of the run and coop(s)
Old pic
Update 7/12/11
Coop started and this was as far as I could get in the hot humid weather. I'll try again Thursday.
Thursday's progress - even have the fake rooster nearby.
7-22-11 Trying to make progress but the heat and humidity are absolutely oppressive. We finished framing and DH is putting the roof on for me. I've begun to build the manure box - but yesterday's high of 112 heat index (read humidity enough to be a sauna) caused me to move slowly and quit early.
The humidity even made my camera fog up! This picture is before DH put the roofing in place. My goal is to have it mostly ready within the next two weeks so they can move into like a big brooder while it's still hot outside. I'll set it up for summer ventilation and work on the winter windows before fall gets here. So much to do!
Aug 7th pics - almost done with the coop and about 50% done with run. It won't win any contests for pretty or straight - but I don't think the chickens will care.
Yes I have an automatic coop door - my one luxury that will hopefully keep me loving my chicks longer. Despite what the kids say, I am certain I will be the one opening/closing the coop and taking care of the chickens. That is the add-a-motor which will be solar powered shortly and it works great so far. DH installed it yesterday and it went up and down without a hitch. I used old metal drawer slides from a drawer we didn't need for the door glides and a piece of 3/4" plywood we had lying around for the actual door. I'll paint it soon so it won't be so ugly.
Aug 8 2011 - It's Lockdown today with our next batch of 4 eggs (2 AC, 1 WP and 1 EE) and time is running out to move the 3 wk old White Leghorns from the brooder by this Thursday to make room for the new chicks. So I'm releasing control over the "prettiness" of it and allowing my kids to prime and possibly paint the inside today - even in this humidity - at least that's the plan, but with a 10 & 8 year old brother & sister - the plan may have to be modified once the paint battles begin.
Aug 13 2011 - Well, only AC (Ancona) made it - the rest of the eggs didn't
However I managed to find two little 4 day old chicks that are a mix - BCM Roo and Araucana Hen - and they're adorable. So I've moved the WLs into their coop - that is 95% finished. I still have some wiring issues and strengthening to do as well as add the autowaterer, larger feeder and better hooks for the screen door.
Here's a few pictures of our newest flock. RIP Bandit - died of unknown causes at 22 weeks old afer laying us 5 beautiful green eggs.
Here is the mostly finished coop. It's amazing what a little paint can do.
The newest additions to our flock - the Lavender Orpingtons and Silkies
Flock changes since we started our project:
1st clutch: 4 White Leghorn roosters and 1 White Leghorn pullet (kept 1 rooster Foghorn and 1 pullet Snow White - rehomed the other 3 roosters
2nd clutch: 3 pullets AC (Ancona), Smokey (EE) and Bandit (EE) (Bandit died of unknown causes after starting to lay
3rd clutch: 4 Lavender Orpington pullets and 1 Lavender Orpington rooster - Francis confirmed by his crowing at 15 weeks old; 3 Silkies, Rokk, Topspin and Daisy, Rokk died of unknown causes at 10 weeks old We think Daisy is a rooster and Topspin is a pullet.
SHHHHH don't tell anyone but we have 10 eggs (7 green and 3 white) in the incubator - due to hatch on 2/5/12.
- turned out only two hatched - Spots & Sunny. Pullet and rooster.
4th clutch - AM & 2 Wellies hatched by Smokey as a broody.
5th clutch - 6 silkies hatched by Smokey - gave all away. 2 silkies hatched by Topsy - kept two - one is definitely a rooster the other not sure.
6th clutch - Smokey hatched 2 Blue Splash Marans - I'm hoping one is a pullet, but the other looks like a rooster. Topsy hatched two silky mixed chicks - sex unknown!
UPDATE 2/4/12 - Smokey has gone broody and is sitting on 3 of her eggs & 3 of Snow Whites. She's due to hatch on 2/21/12. We also have 2 new chicks born 2/4/12 - offspring of Bandit EE and Foghorn WL roo! They are adorable. Sunny (still have she's a pullet) and Spots (gave away he was a rooster). Smokey hatched out the 3 roosters.
And here are my newest eggs - going into the incubator on 2/7/12 - Welsummers on the left and Ameraucana on the right. Unfortunately these two batches of eggs netted 3 chicks - 2 Wellies and 1 AM - all three were roosters. I gave away one and sold the other two.
I'm looking forward to a beautiful rainbow of colors in my egg basket
Current picture of the run and coop(s)
Old pic
Update 7/12/11
Coop started and this was as far as I could get in the hot humid weather. I'll try again Thursday.
Thursday's progress - even have the fake rooster nearby.
7-22-11 Trying to make progress but the heat and humidity are absolutely oppressive. We finished framing and DH is putting the roof on for me. I've begun to build the manure box - but yesterday's high of 112 heat index (read humidity enough to be a sauna) caused me to move slowly and quit early.
The humidity even made my camera fog up! This picture is before DH put the roofing in place. My goal is to have it mostly ready within the next two weeks so they can move into like a big brooder while it's still hot outside. I'll set it up for summer ventilation and work on the winter windows before fall gets here. So much to do!
Aug 7th pics - almost done with the coop and about 50% done with run. It won't win any contests for pretty or straight - but I don't think the chickens will care.
Yes I have an automatic coop door - my one luxury that will hopefully keep me loving my chicks longer. Despite what the kids say, I am certain I will be the one opening/closing the coop and taking care of the chickens. That is the add-a-motor which will be solar powered shortly and it works great so far. DH installed it yesterday and it went up and down without a hitch. I used old metal drawer slides from a drawer we didn't need for the door glides and a piece of 3/4" plywood we had lying around for the actual door. I'll paint it soon so it won't be so ugly.
Aug 8 2011 - It's Lockdown today with our next batch of 4 eggs (2 AC, 1 WP and 1 EE) and time is running out to move the 3 wk old White Leghorns from the brooder by this Thursday to make room for the new chicks. So I'm releasing control over the "prettiness" of it and allowing my kids to prime and possibly paint the inside today - even in this humidity - at least that's the plan, but with a 10 & 8 year old brother & sister - the plan may have to be modified once the paint battles begin.
Aug 13 2011 - Well, only AC (Ancona) made it - the rest of the eggs didn't
However I managed to find two little 4 day old chicks that are a mix - BCM Roo and Araucana Hen - and they're adorable. So I've moved the WLs into their coop - that is 95% finished. I still have some wiring issues and strengthening to do as well as add the autowaterer, larger feeder and better hooks for the screen door. Here's a few pictures of our newest flock. RIP Bandit - died of unknown causes at 22 weeks old afer laying us 5 beautiful green eggs.
Here is the mostly finished coop. It's amazing what a little paint can do.
The newest additions to our flock - the Lavender Orpingtons and Silkies
Flock changes since we started our project:
1st clutch: 4 White Leghorn roosters and 1 White Leghorn pullet (kept 1 rooster Foghorn and 1 pullet Snow White - rehomed the other 3 roosters
2nd clutch: 3 pullets AC (Ancona), Smokey (EE) and Bandit (EE) (Bandit died of unknown causes after starting to lay
3rd clutch: 4 Lavender Orpington pullets and 1 Lavender Orpington rooster - Francis confirmed by his crowing at 15 weeks old; 3 Silkies, Rokk, Topspin and Daisy, Rokk died of unknown causes at 10 weeks old
We think Daisy is a rooster and Topspin is a pullet.SHHHHH don't tell anyone but we have 10 eggs (7 green and 3 white) in the incubator - due to hatch on 2/5/12.
- turned out only two hatched - Spots & Sunny. Pullet and rooster.4th clutch - AM & 2 Wellies hatched by Smokey as a broody.
5th clutch - 6 silkies hatched by Smokey - gave all away. 2 silkies hatched by Topsy - kept two - one is definitely a rooster the other not sure.
6th clutch - Smokey hatched 2 Blue Splash Marans - I'm hoping one is a pullet, but the other looks like a rooster. Topsy hatched two silky mixed chicks - sex unknown!
UPDATE 2/4/12 - Smokey has gone broody and is sitting on 3 of her eggs & 3 of Snow Whites. She's due to hatch on 2/21/12. We also have 2 new chicks born 2/4/12 - offspring of Bandit EE and Foghorn WL roo! They are adorable. Sunny (still have she's a pullet) and Spots (gave away he was a rooster). Smokey hatched out the 3 roosters.
And here are my newest eggs - going into the incubator on 2/7/12 - Welsummers on the left and Ameraucana on the right. Unfortunately these two batches of eggs netted 3 chicks - 2 Wellies and 1 AM - all three were roosters. I gave away one and sold the other two.
I'm looking forward to a beautiful rainbow of colors in my egg basket
