Hen-ington manor in the process-lots of pics

[phoenix_rising]

We're in the process of building our new hen house. (I say "we" but read "me"!!! lol...) It's in the middle of two yards for the girls which will soon be fenced in. It's not done yet, but will be very soon. Check it out:

This is the front as of today. The chicks will use the "people" door to get into one of their yards. And then we have a window for ventilation and light. The window will be covered in chicken wire, and there will be two shutters that will close at night/winter.
I'm considering making the door one of those two peice doors. I think that may be more work than it's worth but...what do you think?!

(this was taken a different day when the front wall hadn't come along as far) We've got five year round girls and four nesting boxes.

The boxes are hinged (yes it will be latched, but no hardware until the paint job is done) so we can get eggs without going in the house.

don't mind my terrible paint job...I ran out of the paint that was in my paint tray and it was looking like it was going to rain...but I'm shameless so I took pictures anyway!!! lol. It's going to be trimmed in white. We wanted it to match the house which is a darker blue than shown here so it doesn't match...but whatever. I like the color anyway. You can also see the little hen door that opens into the second yard. I'll post more pictures as it goes on! Yay!!

 

[WingingIt]

It's coming along nicely. How big is it?

 

[redoak]

Looks nice so far, and I like the color too.

 

[phoenix_rising]

It's 8ft by 8ft and the roof slopes from 8ft to 6ft.

 

[MHF]

Looking good.

 

[BethESH]

Well, you've got my vote...AND I'm excited to see what you've done...I have a platform that's 8x8 and I'm planning to do a shed roof that's 8' in the front and 6' in the back...sound familiar?

I'm considering doing the nesting boxes on the outside as you're doing. Are you going to add some bracing underneath yours, or is that overkill?

I'll be cheering you on - keep up the good progress!

 

[tryingtohaveitall]

It looks great!

 

[phoenix_rising]

The nesting boxes do have one brace under neath but they are very sturdily in there. I worked it in so it's hanging halfway inside the house and halfway outside the house. I found it gave it a sturdier feel. I screwed it into the plank that is above the boxes and below so it doesn't even wobble. The boxes are each aprox. a foot by a foot by a foot.
Sadly...as this is my very first large project like this...I've never done a roof. So aparently my thoughts on what I needed for roofing...isn't suitable for our serious snowy winters

I talked to a carpenter friend of mine and he "garenteed" that the whole thing would colapse. Now...this is the same guy I talked to about my original plans and said the snow should easily slide off....but clearly we had two different ideas and...whatever. I don't want the whole thing to fall down so all my hard work will be topped with a tarp roof for now. Cheap...and very sad to me..but you gotta do what you gotta do. *shrugs* Then in the winter we'll move the girls up into the house they're in now (which is inside our insulated garage..but this house is only big enough for five girls and the new house is big enough for the 25 birds we will have. (20 meat birds, 5 egg birds) so we'll move them up to their "winter home", tear down the tarp so the snow can just fall through and then put it back next spring. I guess it will work...and the blue may go nicely with the blue painted walls. *shrugs*
Live and learn

 

[lunkerchicken]

I like it! How many chickens will you have? Keep the pics coming!

 

[phoenix_rising]

Currently we have five full grown auracanas and just brought home 21 day olds-7 birds of 3 different breeds. We do use chickens for meat as well as eggs so we'll be culling the flock down to five to seven birds. I will keep the pictures coming for sure! As soon as I can get it to stop raining I can get back to work!!! lol.