Building New Coop/Barn...Phase 5 Great Barn Build, OCCUPIED! 3/6/16

[Peanutsmomma]

Xander's coop where he is now was formerly full of Blue and Buff Orpingtons. They were so huge and the area so small that I could not find a good roost situation for them. So, I built big Suede a roost shelf to sit on. In winter, I put hay or shavings up there. It's only about 27" above the ground, easy on the legs, no balancing required, doesn't get in the way of floor space, etc. So, Xander inherited the shelf. Now, there's only one blue Orp left, big old Dusty, who probably weighs 9-10 lbs herself and of course, Rowena and Wendy, Atlas's sisters, don't really need it, but we just decided to move the entire shelf over there. That is plastic garden fencing, now re-stretched on the frame after all these years of use it's had.

Here is a photo of Suede shortly before he passed away snoozing on his shelf. See how it cradles his big old body?

That is a great idea! I was wondering about those when I was looking through the pics as well. Love seeing the pic your Suede.

Your comment about the hens allowing themselves to be overmated is certainly true in the case of our hen who is prone to mating injuries. After keeping a keen eye on her for the past month I don't think our rooster is being rough on her as she is just a little hussy, bless her heart.

Qur rooster cannot walk by her without her squatting for him. It is so interesting how the hens who are his size don't pay him as much attention.

 

[speckledhen]

Windows taped and barn ready for paint, yea!

 

[aart]

lol

 

[1muttsfan]

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, my. My back really hurts. I'll be in bed by 10 p.m. for sure, maybe sooner. A sneak peak, though the future wall color will make it appear a tad different. There will be some overspray but I felt I could at least get some of this done ahead of tomorrow. I can say I am going for the spatter effect, LOL.

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And the oh, my eyes, my eyes yellow. I think the green walls will tone it down. I went crazy and did the half wall in the extra pen with it. I mean, what good is it other than a chicken coop? It doesn't appear that bright in my house, but then, my house is darker than this barn, even with the plastic on the barn windows.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, my. The paint. I've decided to paint only up to the first 4', though when DH started spraying, he went above that mark in Atlas's pen (didn't finish up high). When I saw how much paint he was using, I told him to stop and only do up to 4'. He was having issues with his sprayer. Really is not necessary to paint higher since the main goal for painting the OSB was for easier clean up. And I've used all the Oops paint I bought, plus some I had left over from the house after the fire. I have only the two unopened 5 gallon buckets of flat paint in sage and midday yellow colors, plus a partial gallon of exterior satin deep forest green that my main coop and my house is painted. Those could go on the floors. I was hoping to avoid the flat paint if I could but I can't if I want floors painted. The storage area will most likely not be painted, really not much need.

As far as those colors go, the Soothing Green Tea looks more like Granny Smith Apple to me and surprisingly, is my favorite of the two. The Granny Smith Apple is a very yellowy green. I had to use some of the sage from my interior house, which, in comparison, appears very dull, but hey, it's a CHICKEN COOP! Must keep reminding myself of that, LOL.

Pictures later, but don't expect Better Homes & Coops. OSB isn't pretty even painted unless you use a gallon per 5x5 section and trust me, it's sketchy, just used to basically seal where the poop flies. We are taking a break after doing walls. Will go back and spray floors in a bit. We have five hardware cloth screen frames ready for the windows (why are 2x2's always so twisty, no matter now carefully you pick them out, ack!), two with hinges and wire already attached. May need to buy some wire. I scavenged this wire from other coops.


My signs blew off their previous locations so they get to stay here, woven through the fence wire. There will be a gate into the new big pen to the left of that yellow sign. The current Old Hens' Retirement Home & Hospice is out of the picture to the left of that.


Xander's Soothing Green Tea Pen. I personally would call this color Granny Smith Apple, not the other one, but whatev...

 

[1muttsfan]

Call it any color you want as long as the chickens can get in there!

 

[speckledhen]

Call it any color you want as long as the chickens can get in there!

They don't care, I'm sure. DH decided to use a roller on an extension rod for the upper walls. He grabbed the yellow flat paint and began doing those down to the 4' mark to meet the green, BUT he got over-enthusiastic and began painting over my green semi-gloss with the yellow flat above Atlas's roost until I said, "WHOA!". He was getting tired, we both were, but we got all the walls painted and all the floors, too. It's, well, cheerful.

 

[1muttsfan]

My little coop is a recycled little girl's playhouse, and is BRIGHT apple green on the inside. Never seemed to bother the birds.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

All my nestboxes are purple.