Once I had the frame and the plan for the nesting loft, I started adding windows and walls. I constructed two windows in the loft for cross ventilation in the hot months. I intend to install outside shutters on the windows to do the opposite during the cold months. I made the window on the bottom large so the hens can get some sunshine, if there comes a time when they're locked in their crib during the day. So far, they've been spoiled and allow to roam freely in their fenced-in backyard. I'm pretty sure I made a mistake with the kind of cage wire I chose. I bought it before I read-up thoroughly on predators and coop designs, so I didn't know about the durability of traditional chicken wire. Oh well! I guess it's a good thing that I used screws for just about all the construction, so when the wire rusts out I can easily replace it with a heavier gauge. This is the point where I knew something was wrong with my skill saw; it started acting very angry whenever I used it to cut some of that re-purposed wanes coating. I began to dread using it, and would look for other things I could complete without. Pretty soon, though, it was impossible; I had to soothe my saw's temper and change the blade. In the mean time, I took my miter saw out of its box and put it to use. I couldn't cut the wanes coating with it, but I could cut frame pieces with it. Boy! talk about nervous; I was definitely afraid to engage the intensity of that blade. But, I did, and soon I was over my trepidation. It actually encouraged me to start on the roof.
So the chickens crib is starting to come together, at this point. The chickens fully claimed it for their daytime use. At night they would roost on a fence post, nestled by blackberry vines, by my living room window. Although it made me nervous for them to be exposed to the elements and potential predators, I capitulated and installed a shelf big enough for them all to fit on, for the time being. They hated the dog crate that I kept them in, for some reason, but on some occasions I would still use it. There was a few nights when it poured down rain, and I would wake-up in a panic knowing the birds were unprotected. I would leap out of bed and fly down my stairs, out the sliding glass door, to find them stock-still, stupefied, and looking straight up into the pouring rain. Struck by a combination of amusement and horror, I would snatch them off their fence roost, one by one, and secure them in the loathsome crate, where at least they would be dry and not drown. Later, I investigated the strange rain behavior and discovered that it's not likely for chickens to drown, despite human intuition.
Once I had the frame and the plan for the nesting loft, I started adding windows and walls. I constructed two windows in the loft for cross ventilation in the hot months. I intend to install outside shutters on the windows to do the opposite during the cold months. I made the window on the bottom large so the hens can get some sunshine, if there comes a time when they're locked in their crib during the day. So far, they've been spoiled and allow to roam freely in their fenced-in backyard. I'm pretty sure I made a mistake with the kind of cage wire I chose. I bought it before I read-up thoroughly on predators and coop designs, so I didn't know about the durability of traditional chicken wire. Oh well! I guess it's a good thing that I used screws for just about all the construction, so when the wire rusts out I can easily replace it with a heavier gauge. This is the point where I knew something was wrong with my skill saw; it started acting very angry whenever I used it to cut some of that re-purposed wanes coating. I began to dread using it, and would look for other things I could complete without. Pretty soon, though, it was impossible; I had to soothe my saw's temper and change the blade. In the mean time, I took my miter saw out of its box and put it to use. I couldn't cut the wanes coating with it, but I could cut frame pieces with it. Boy! talk about nervous; I was definitely afraid to engage the intensity of that blade. But, I did, and soon I was over my trepidation. It actually encouraged me to start on the roof.
This is the bare bones of the hens crib. Oddly enough, I think they knew it was theirs, and moved in right away. The frame is 4ft X 4ft. I knew I wanted a nesting area, and I didn't want to bend down to retrieve the eggs, so I made it into a loft. I also knew I wanted to be able to close the loft up during the cold months. The nesting area takes up only half of the loft, so I can install a trapdoor that will seal off the rest of the area.
Chicken Crib

Once I had the frame and the plan for the nesting loft, I started adding windows and walls. I constructed two windows in the loft for cross ventilation in the hot months. I intend to install outside shutters on the windows to do the opposite during the cold months. I made the window on the bottom large so the hens can get some sunshine, if there comes a time when they're locked in their crib during the day. So far, they've been spoiled and allow to roam freely in their fenced-in backyard. I'm pretty sure I made a mistake with the kind of cage wire I chose. I bought it before I read-up thoroughly on predators and coop designs, so I didn't know about the durability of traditional chicken wire. Oh well! I guess it's a good thing that I used screws for just about all the construction, so when the wire rusts out I can easily replace it with a heavier gauge. This is the point where I knew something was wrong with my skill saw; it started acting very angry whenever I used it to cut some of that re-purposed wanes coating. I began to dread using it, and would look for other things I could complete without. Pretty soon, though, it was impossible; I had to soothe my saw's temper and change the blade. In the mean time, I took my miter saw out of its box and put it to use. I couldn't cut the wanes coating with it, but I could cut frame pieces with it. Boy! talk about nervous; I was definitely afraid to engage the intensity of that blade. But, I did, and soon I was over my trepidation. It actually encouraged me to start on the roof.

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