Coop's coming along - slowly - LOTS o' new pics on page 3

[oldchickenlady]

Mine is going slow too...I hired an out of work neighbor who is rather handy. I did the floor, we (me, neighbor, my son, and his son) got the framing and exterior walls done one day, and the second day (I had to work) neighbor, son, and his son got the rafters and roof on, windows installed, wire over the open ventilation section, and door done. Since then I have been working every day I am off on painting the walls and 1x4 trim, putting on the trim and putting more hardware cloth over the gaps between the overhang rafters and the upper part of the wall. Husband painted the interior studs, but he painted them barn red (the exterior color) even though I told him the inside was gonna be white!

Made him mad so he hasn't done any more on it! I can't get my son to help me more than an hour or so...inflicts on his busy social life ya know! So...I'm doing it myself! I am almost done with the outside, then I can start on putting down linoleum and painting the inside and building the roosts and nest boxes. Maybe I'll have it done by the time the girls are ready to lay!

I hope so! Keep plugging away at it, it will get finished eventually! Yours looks very nice by the way!

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
White makes it look bright, but also show the poop decorations the chickens will add to the walls. I painted one of my coops sunny yellow inside and the other a sky blue.

I say paint the inside what ever color will make you feel good and happy when you walk inside to visit the girls ~ the chickens won't care what color it is!

 

[MissJenny]

Wow -- that's nice -- such a handsome coop.

I commiserate with how long it takes. My girls are still in the kitchen while the coop gets slowly built -- but it's so hot at this point that even if the coop were finished tomorrow I couldn't very well put them OUTSIDE!

They're House Chickens!!

Let us see your flock in their new home when it's all up and running!

Jenny

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

Thanks for the compliments everyone! Hubby is really doing a bang up job! I like the gambrel roof too! It looks spiffy, and there's more room for storage. The reason we opted for a gambrel roof is because we bought some lumber out of the Peddler (the East Texas version of Craigslist), and most of the lumber was less than 6' in length, so it was too short to do an A-frame roof.

Sorry to hear about your paint miscommunication, chickenlady (I refuse to call you old!). Maybe you can talk some neighborhood kids into coming and painting for you for a nominal fee.... I used to buy my brother off with a six pack of Yoohoos. He'd do just about anything for that chocolate flavored drink.

sgtmom, I might just pick a different color than white for the interior. Or maybe I'll just paint it speckled, so the poop will blend in.

lol Miss Jenny. We have a small window unit that I have entertained putting in the coop for the peepers, and I may just do it...

Rachel

 

[atimme]

Looks awesome!

 

[ChickaBea]

This is looking so great! Can't wait to see more!

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

Your wish is my command, Chickabea!

Here are some pictures of today's progress on the coop:

Hubby hung the recycled door I got at the local junk barn for $30.

And he had to build a back door for the coop. Rather than buying a door, he just built this one out of OSB.

The interior of the coop. The framed out area is where the nest boxes will hang.

Another interior shot. Tomorrow I'm hoping he will build a screen door between the chicken area and the storage area.

Nest boxes also purchased from local junk barn for $30. Hubby installed new roosts because the existing ones were kinda moldy and gross. I also have to replace the bottoms because they are metal and corroded, but my overall investment in the boxes is still less than it would have cost new. Not sure if hubby could have built them cheaper...

I've been thinking about spray painting the exterior of the nest boxes, or should I just leave it like them as is. What do y'all think?

Rachel

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I love what you have done! I'm glad to see that you have ventilation and lots of windows. I had to convert a hog farrowing shed and don't have near the natural light you will. Your husband has done a great job.

 

[sianara]

Quote:
My suggestion is to sand and spray them. You'll be so happy you did once you install them and see how fresh and new they look in your fresh and new coop! (Don't forget to wear a mask when sanding...

)

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

Thanks! We got our windows and most of the studs and 2X4's out of The Peddler. I think he's done a wonderful job too, but he's a perfectionist when it comes to construction, so I really didn't expect much less. I do have to keep reminding him that it is a chicken house, and that the chicks are just gonna poop all over everything.

Rachel