- May 6, 2013
- 4
- 0
- 7
It all started when my girlfriend wanted to get 1 chicken. She raised Dutch rabbits and through someone she knew she got an Easter Egger hen. I built her coop in a weekend, attached a run, and thought my job was done.
Well, you know my job wasn't done. I knew my job wasn't done. We added 4 more birds over the next 6 months, and I converted a doghouse into a coop. Then we decided to add a splash of color. We added some chicks, then we lost them within a few days because of our mistakes with housing. So we tried again, did much better, and during their first outside morning we lost 7 of 8 to a stray cat. The 3rd time we added babies our supplier added a few chicks to our order. We arrived to see our 8, plus another 17! So we took home 25 more birds and converted 2 old rabbit hutches into brooders. So now we have added New Hampshires, Langshans, Lavender Orpingtons, and Wheaton marans. We of course ended up with a lot of roosters, but since they were free we didn't complain. The roosters got went to freezer camp at a friend's house, the hens got a new coop built.
At this point girlfriend has transformed into wife, and things are running smoothly with our flock and bunnies. Hens laying eggs, bunnies doing what they do, namely, make more bunnies. So I go out of town, come home and find the brooders full again! Barred rocks, Barnvelders, Jersey Giants, Black Copper Marans, and Buff Orpingtons. So I decided I could keep nickel and dime building coops piecemeal, or I could go for the gusto. I asked 2 friends if they wanted to spend a Saturday helping me build a chicken coop. They (foolishly) agreed. When they arrived and saw the plans it took promises of significant amounts of chilled malted hops and barley to convince them to stay. Took 2 weekends but we finished the large coop! 8x8 with a metal roof. Not bad for 2 veterinarians and a forklift operator.
Added lattice around the bottom to keep birds from nesting there, then added our nest boxes and perches. I had been lurking on the boards for a while and kept seeing how hens preferred buckets to nest in, so we decided to just give them buckets.
The ladder style perches have hooks that attach to eyes on the wall studs so that they are sturdy, but can be removed for cleaning.
The smaller coops will be used for grow out areas until the teenagers are full sized, then we will see if we have any problem children who need a smaller flock, that will be there coop. The original A-frame will become the quarantine/is this hen laying? coop. We will move the 2 smaller coops down the hill when the rain stops and it dries out some, so that the new coop has wings, one on each side.
Now we are wondering about lights, but I really don't want to run electrical down the hill, so a little solar charger may be in my future.
Well, you know my job wasn't done. I knew my job wasn't done. We added 4 more birds over the next 6 months, and I converted a doghouse into a coop. Then we decided to add a splash of color. We added some chicks, then we lost them within a few days because of our mistakes with housing. So we tried again, did much better, and during their first outside morning we lost 7 of 8 to a stray cat. The 3rd time we added babies our supplier added a few chicks to our order. We arrived to see our 8, plus another 17! So we took home 25 more birds and converted 2 old rabbit hutches into brooders. So now we have added New Hampshires, Langshans, Lavender Orpingtons, and Wheaton marans. We of course ended up with a lot of roosters, but since they were free we didn't complain. The roosters got went to freezer camp at a friend's house, the hens got a new coop built.
At this point girlfriend has transformed into wife, and things are running smoothly with our flock and bunnies. Hens laying eggs, bunnies doing what they do, namely, make more bunnies. So I go out of town, come home and find the brooders full again! Barred rocks, Barnvelders, Jersey Giants, Black Copper Marans, and Buff Orpingtons. So I decided I could keep nickel and dime building coops piecemeal, or I could go for the gusto. I asked 2 friends if they wanted to spend a Saturday helping me build a chicken coop. They (foolishly) agreed. When they arrived and saw the plans it took promises of significant amounts of chilled malted hops and barley to convince them to stay. Took 2 weekends but we finished the large coop! 8x8 with a metal roof. Not bad for 2 veterinarians and a forklift operator.
Added lattice around the bottom to keep birds from nesting there, then added our nest boxes and perches. I had been lurking on the boards for a while and kept seeing how hens preferred buckets to nest in, so we decided to just give them buckets.
The ladder style perches have hooks that attach to eyes on the wall studs so that they are sturdy, but can be removed for cleaning.
The smaller coops will be used for grow out areas until the teenagers are full sized, then we will see if we have any problem children who need a smaller flock, that will be there coop. The original A-frame will become the quarantine/is this hen laying? coop. We will move the 2 smaller coops down the hill when the rain stops and it dries out some, so that the new coop has wings, one on each side.
Now we are wondering about lights, but I really don't want to run electrical down the hill, so a little solar charger may be in my future.
