Coop Is Done!

[nancypo]

Girls went out today during daylight, and I connected the 2 sections, to show what I can do in the winter. In the warmer weather I can use either and move the tractor around on its own...

"PRU"

 

[nancypo]

I did realize today that the back of the coop, which faces S/SW, is where the prevailing storms come from and that the floor would get soaked in a heavy rain. Since half of the back is cedar pickets lined with hardware cloth, that's a problem. I temporarily added some plastic on the back. Tomorrow I'm going to build a "storm window" to cover the area, removable, out of new 1x2's with new clear plastic to keep the girls dry. I may add a wider roof if I can find more cheap plastic roofing. But I think the storm window will work great! Our feeders I bought ate up too much floor space, so I'm taking them back. Then my husband said, "why don't we make it bigger and bump out the back?" And this from a guy who didn't want chickens!!!

 

[Lalaith]

What a cute and clever coop! I love it and I love that it is made from repurposed material! How heavy is it to move (if you were so inclined)?

 

[nancypo]

The 2 of us moved it from the side of the house, heavy but do-able. I wanted it on 4x4's in case we needed to move if for some reason. No my husband is talking about running power out to it, for heat in the winter. He's in the electrical biz, sp parts would be wholesale.... He's funny...

 

[nancypo]

And excuse the mess in the backyard, we're adding/building a pond next, hence the rock pile. The open dirt area is our vegetable bed, getting planting this month. Then the area will look nice!

 

[chickerdoodle]

I understand the mess--we have one here too. Dear hubby just finished a nice storage shed and is currently working on the coop. He built me a beautiful 1,000+ gallon above ground pond this year (mostly late last fall and early spring due to weather). We chose a straight sided above ground pond to foil those clever raccoons--they like sushi too!

I would mention that it is important to chicken proof your pond as well as chickens will check it out and if slip in they will drown. Ours has a floating net for that which also keeps the herons from trying to catch our beloved scaly friends that we've had for many years. We have lots of Great Blue Herons here--one was standing on the edge of our pond yesterday eyeballing the fish and checking out our net. They are a humongous, fish killing, bold and crafty--albeit handsome bird, I'd really like to

but they are protected. Gotta get along with the wildlife.

 

[nancypo]

My chicken are NOT free ranging in the backyard, as to the pond....