My new project! Suggestions?

[Roxannemc]

Just WOW im so jealous. BIG!!!..not about cleaning 3 ft of goat poop though
What could be worse on this project? Easy breezy from here on in........ compared

 

[ottbjumper06]

140 years old. that's cool and a piece of history.
Thanks for sharing :cd

 

Yes it is a piece of history, which is why I like it so much!

 

[ottbjumper06]

This reminds me of my grandparent's chicken house! I am 48 yo...but the precious memories of helping Grandma get those eggs is still so vivid.......I can not wait to see this redone....CONGRATULATIONS! IT IS AWESOME!!! 

Thanks! Do you have any pics of your grandmas chicken house by chance????

 

[ottbjumper06]

That is going to make one awesome chicken coop. How many chickens get to live here? I could think of a lot of things I would want to do with it, but I guess the first thing is to make it safe and predator-proof for your chickies. Wish we had space like this. Really nice!  Good luck - keep posting pics as you remodel.

Right now I have 16 banties but am getting 22 more standard size!

 

[ottbjumper06]

So the remodeling starts tomorrow, expect lots of pictures! We are doing hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. I am still hoping for suggestions on little things to make it attractive! Right now the plan is to put flower boxes on the ledge of the windows and to put hens and chicks in a chicken pot by the front door . I also have something in mind as a nesting box, I will let you know more when it takes shape! Now I guess I need to make this known, I am perfectly aware that function comes before fashion so to say, and all of the flowerboxes and whatever are coming AFTER the building is remodeled. I am seeing some people are confused on my order of thoughts.

 

[mommyoftwo]

Have you tried going to the town library? Maybe they have old photo of what then town looked like in the past or old newspaper somewhere? If not maybe go to town hall and find out who oldest still living. In town and see if they remember going to "grandpa farm" when they were younger. You would be shocked on how while older people remember the events of their childhood, when they can't remember last week.

 

[aart]

So the remodeling starts tomorrow, expect lots of pictures! We are doing hardware cloth instead of chicken wire because I feel it gives an overall neater appearance. I am still hoping for suggestions on little things to make it cute! Right now the plan is to put flower boxes on the ledge of the windows and to put hens and chicks in a chicken pot by the front door

. I also have something in mind as a nesting box, I will let you know more when it takes shape!

The best reason it because it's MUCH more predator proof than chicken wire.
Really, is cute more important than dead chickens?

I'd seriously fix that roof before making any other improvements, no sense in building nice something under a leaky roof and chance the new improvements getting wrecked. Maybe it's not in as bad a shape as it looks, but it's quickly on it's way to trash.

Sorry, I'm just a function over form kind of woman.

 

[lavender pekins]

post loades of pics btw what breeds have you got/getting?

 

[ottbjumper06]

Aart- that must have sounded uneducated to you, but as I am brand new to chickens, I dont know any better so you must excuse that as I am on a steep learning curve. At any rate, the roof is not as bad as the picture makes it look and will suffice until the weather dries up enough here to actually be able to put a new roof on. I do feel even with the roof it will be better than the overgrown brooder the chicks are in now.

Lavender Pekins- i will! there was unfortunately no work that was done tonight because of a nasty storm and a power outage, so pics will have to wait until tomorrow! As for my birds what I have and am getting include: banties: gold laced cochin, partridge cochins, blue cochins and golden sebrights. im getting 15 different varieties from mcmurray hatchery on july 1st because I wanted one of everything! but i am getting some adult americanas next friday to add to the mix!
hope everyone has a nice night and stays dry!
-Emily

 

[LoneOak]

Making the building cute will be real nice but-----if you are going to use it for a chicken coop you need to make it function properly first. Build a small seperate room in it to keep feed and supplies. Consider dividing the space into 2 or 3 different sections so you have the opportunity to divide your birds if need be. Have the largest section with plenty of roosting poles, access to an outside run if possible and nest boxes easy to get to. You might want to have a small section where you will put a brooder for baby chicks which needs its on feed storage and water supply. When you put a new roof on it you might consider putting a gutter on at least one side and gathering rain water in a barrel to serve as water for your birds, here's mine

all home made from hardware store available parts.

Lots of things to thing about as you go about remodeling a fine old building but make it function before you make it pretty. Just a thought!