Well, I got started building a coop about the beginning of April. Now that it's complete, I call it the Mixed-Up Motel - 5 breeds of hens, and a construction design that's a little mixed-up! Here's what I had the first week of April:
Just a basic 4' x 8' henhouse - watch out for chicken math! The number of birds increased at a much greater rate than the size of the coop/run! Anyway, take a close look at the repurposed "book depository" cabinet I picked up at a yard sale by a childcare center closing. The holes in the top half are 12" x 12" x 12" - perfect for nesting boxes! Figured I'd use the bottom half for storage, but you'll see a change to that plan as we go.
See? Pretty nice nesting boxes...and a couple of natural dead cedar branches - very easy to find around here - and roosts! More about this cabinet in a minute...
This was about the 3rd week of May - finally started adding the run. Why Mixed-Up Motel? Does anyone see a difference in the two roof angles? And, by this time, I had 13 hens/5 breeds. Be careful of chicken math! Let's see...a 32 SF interior henhouse = room for 10 birds - 3 too many. And the run is going to be a gigantic 64SF - 6 birds. Oops! Thank goodness they're going to be free-range! Back to the coop...
Roof "trusses" being added - now can you see the difference? But at least we're getting there!
A few of the job site supervisors...
Finally finished yesterday! Now, remember the nesting box cabinet? See the glow in both pics? Here ya go...
Had to board up the boxes - they were becoming little playgrounds. But look! The bottom storage area has become a brooding box - kids now welcome! The thin piece of wood that had been on the back fell off while we were originally moving the cabinet, so I covered that with hardware cloth for ventilation and as a barrier from the older girls...mixed up again! Went to that trouble, then put the cabinet on the short wall on the outside of the 2x4 studs! Barrier not needed, but at least it will keep any babies from getting stuck behind the cabinet. Oh, well.
The doors were cabinet doors I picked up at Habitat For Humanity Re-Store for $5 each. I cut the centers out of them, and covered with hardware cloth - a great barrier and plenty of ventilation. I knew they were too small when I got them, so we used 1" x 6" boards all the way around for the height shortage, then put a piece of hardware cloth between the doors. Still need to add a couple of eyehooks to hold the doors closed - but a litlle wire off the roll of hardware cloth works fine for now. You can see the built-in roosting shelf, and I added a heat lamp.
A warning is necessary here...IF YOU BUILD A BROODER, CHICKS SHOW UP!Closeup of the placement of water and feed - obviously, chicken math came into play, or there wouldn't be any need for water and feed - picked up new chicks this morning at the PO! I'll introduce you in a minute...
Shot of the other end - heat lamp in place, and you can see the "roosting shelf".
The middle, showing the way we handled the gap between the doors. I want to point out a hint from a BYC member - unfortunately, I can't remember whose coop description - but if you look closely at the bottom right corner of the hardware cloth, you'll see a scew and washer - this is one of the greatest ideas I've ever heard! Made installing the cloth so much easier and quicker! So if you're the one who presented this idea - thanks much! I'll never use staples for that again!
The brooder in use - with the girls checking it out. I picked up the new kids at 7AM - the temp was in the mid 70s, and not supposed to go above 85 all day, with a chance of rain and a nice cool breeze, so the heat lamp is on, probably for a few days according to weather.com. Down side - I can't adjust the height of the lamp, so I'll pick up a thermometer tomorrow and make sure we don't go too high. I forgot to mention - the brooder is 4' x 2' - good enough size, I think, for a few weeks, once the Ameracaunas change residence.
Some of the babies checking out the ice cube tray feeders - yeah, repurposed ice cube trays - all arrived from Privett Hatchery in great shape! I got 25 kids, but my friend Tre ordered 9 Ameracaunas, so they'll be moving out in the next couple of weeks - that leaves me 16 Buckeyes - 14 pullets and 2 roos - going to try raising them to help preserve the breed...obviously, have to work on more room!
Some of the new arrivals warming up after their trip.
Another shot of the babies checking things out.
And a final shot of the girls checking out the babies - no idea what that large item is inside the right-hand door, but it's not a chicken. Shooting through the chicken wire, so probably something hanging down in front of the lens.
So there we are - Phase I completed. Sorry for the number of pics, but I'm very pleased with how things turned out - especially the brooder! Thanks to my friend Tre for helping me figure out how to pull that off! And many thanks to the many BYC members who submit their coops - helps tremendously in deciding what to do. Thanks for looking!
Have a great evening, and God bless!
So there we are - Phase I completed. Sorry for the number of pics, but I'm very pleased with how things turned out - especially the brooder! Thanks to my friend Tre for helping me figure out how to pull that off! And many thanks to the many BYC members who submit their coops - helps tremendously in deciding what to do. Thanks for looking!
Have a great evening, and God bless!
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