My ALL(!!) done city coop - the girls have moved in!

[BlueBetween]

Thanks everyone! I'm guessing they will use it to go up more than to go down. I'm going to put a roost in the run on the center posts.... I'm guessing they will jump from the pop door landing to the roost and then down.... but we will see. Soon!

CheekyChooks, It's 10 X 4, with that extra 2 foot overhang for rainy days... I went back and forth about that, but at first I only had 3 chickens, so I took the overhang for myself. Still, the hen house part is 4X4 and so the run is 6X4. They will also have a chicken yard on the back side of the coop, and either a tractor or another couple of spots that will have a temporary fence that I can move around as needed... Still figuring those details out.

 

[BlueBetween]

Well, here we are... still not done.

The doors are giving us fits, and the roost/ poop board is making me a little bummed - I thought the board would be lighter so that I could pull it out to clean it, but it's too heavy to want to do that every day... I'll have to get a brush or something with a handle long enough to reach the back. Plus, it's pretty ugly looking through my maybe-not-so-clever-after-all window design. Hmn.... Maybe if I paint it all white?

And then, to top it all off, the slide out trays that I was hoping to use for the litter on the floor... didn't really fit and look ridiculous. All in all a disappointing chicken coop day.

Chickens still in my house. Oh well.

 

[monica.stromberg]

Wow! Beautiful coop- the color is fantastic. Nice to have some blue in Seattle, right? Everything is so pretty and the ramp is awesome. I have to admit though, what I really lust after is the STORAGE! Too cool! I printed a picture of your coop for years to come...

Paradise Chickens
"Poultry in Motion!"

 

[rainierlass]

Nice!!!

A suggestion - my poo board is about the same and I got some boot trays and
put on the board - i line them with newspaper and sprinkle StallDri on
them - makes it a lot easier to clean than having to remove the board itself - wayyyyyy too heavy!

 

[BlueBetween]

Thanks Rainierlass

I put some stick on tiles on the board, but trays are interesting. I tried to put those under the bed storage boxes on the floor of the coop, but it was not really a great idea, it didn't fit perfectly for one, and I was afraid the uneven-ness (sides and bottoms) would cause problems when the birds jump off the roost. I really want it easy to clean since it's so close to my house and my neighbors... I don't want it to stink and I don't want to dread the job every day/week.

Speaking of the roost... I wonder if I need a ladder up to it for them?

Also, I wonder if I paint all the inside white, if that would make me happier about the windows looking in on the ugly roost? Hmn.... so much to wonder about today. I also need to figure out how to rig the pulley/rope to open the pop door. Shouldn't be too complicated, right? LOL

Monica, thanks - storage was key! Storage, an external egg box, and a secure attached run were the three features I was going for. Oh, and easy to clean. I hope that works out..

 

[Keltara]

Oh that is so beautiful!! Our coop is still under construction as well, and I am planning to paint mine the same color as yours! Mine will have chocolate brown trim though.l Very nice job!

 

[BlueBetween]

Quote:
Mine will have chocolate brown patio furniture so I can sit and watch my chickens

LOL I love the turquoise, I have a glass studio behind the coop (I don't know if any of the photos show it) but it's a boring gray color and I'm thinking of painting it citrus green. My husband thinks I'm crazy, of course.

Keltara, I just looked at your page - you have the best photos!!! How cute!

 

[Keltara]

Quote:
Great tip Maggie! I love that idea. I'm going to use that for our coop too.

 

[Chickencoop1996]

 

[BlueBetween]

oh, and about my zig-zag chicken ramp? The chickens love it! They love to roost on it, of course. So now it's all covered in poop. Hah. I'll have to build them a run roost now.