New Coop being Built at MoonShadows Farm

[MoonShadows]

Today's progress:

2x8s around floor perimeter with 2x4s between 2x8s and outside sheathing - To contain Deep Liter


Sheathing is 1x various widths rough cut Eastern Yellow Pine - Front Windows & Ador1 Door installed.

Hopefully, next weekend we'll get the sheathing finished on all 4 sides. I still have to make frames for the windows and Ador1 door.

More pics to come next week.​

 

[MoonShadows]

Got a coat of Blackjack57 down on the floor earlier this week.



We were hoping to finish the sheathing today, but soon after we started working, it started raining, and has been raining all day. So much for the beautiful day that was predicted.

The only thing we got done before the rain was to put 1 x 2 welded wire on 3 sides of the base of the coop. (The front side does not need the wire since it will be in the run.) The top part will get covered by the sheathing, and we'll cover the part on the ground with soil/grass or gravel.



Chicks are due to go into the coop tomorrow (6 week birthday!), but it looks like we'll need another week.

 

[MoonShadows]

We lost most of last weekend to rain, but so far we have had sun this weekend, and we're building again. We got the other 3 sides of the coop covered with boards


And, the Front windows and Ador1 Door framed out.




North Side with Human Door installed and window framed out


Back side with open nesting area.

Hopefully, tomorrow we'll finish framing the last 2 windows, cover the nesting area (to be completed after we build the run), put up the fascia boards and soffits, staple the battens on, put in the poop board....and, move the girls in. They just turned 7 weeks today. They need to get out of the brooder (even though I expanded it) and into the coop!

While we have roofing paper on the roof, it looks like the tarp will stay until we can move the girls into the run during the days. I don't want to be hammering on shingles with them inside.

 

[MoonShadows]

Well, three straight days of work, and we finally got enough done to put the girls and 1 guy in their new home.


You can see the poop board with the galvanized pans (filled with PDZ). The roosts are probably a bit high for them yet. I did put a plank so they can walk up there is they wish.


We are pretty sure this Delaware is our 1 rooster.

Still to be done: shingles on roof, battens to cover cracks in boards, build nesting boxes, replace temp. hardware cloth on window with frames to hold the hardware cloth, stain the outside, build the run!

 

[mckeesbackyard]

Looks awesome!

 

[aart]

Wonders how they are gonna like the shingle hammering...should be interesting!

May need some cleats on that plank.

Gorgeous coop!

 

[MoonShadows]

Thanks mckeesbackyard.

Thanks Aart.. I was going to put cleats on it, but I was just so tired. Maybe I'll get out there today and do that if the rain stops. I did put dandelion leaves all the way up the plank and onto the roost. They ate all the ones on the plank within the hour. I haven't been back in today to see if they made it up to the roosts. Hopefully that tarp will last a few weeks until I can get the run built. Then, when they are in the run, I will do the shingling. I don't think they would like all that hammering while inside.

 

[MoonShadows]

Well, it's been two weeks since we put the chickens in their permanent home. It still isn't finished. They are 9 weeks old now. They are becoming very curious about the "outside world" as you can see from this first picture. It is time to let them into their run, but it still isn't built. So, today we quickly put together a temporary run that they can use until we get the permanent one built. With school letting out in less than two weeks, we should be able to get back on track with building.

We used some wild strawberries and cracked corn to entice them out. After about 1/2 hour, 9 of the 16 had ventured out.

 

[MoonShadows]

With the summer here, and that oppressively hot weather behind us (hopefully), we are finally getting to building a more permanent run. \

We decided to keep it to 16 x 10. We are using 3" galvanized nails to connect the pressure treated 2 x 4 sections and they rest on 4 x 6's. The last section we will connect with galvanized deck screws. This will make it easier to remove when/if we want to expand the run.



The end wall and roof are next.

As you can see, we still have that blue tarp covering the roof. We just scored free roofing. A neighbor up the street has red metal roofing left over from a job. He is going to drop it off this weekend.

Here are some new pics of the flock...down 2 since last writing. We gave away 2 of our 3 roosters.


"The Boss"


"We love our Ador1 Door"


"Just hanging out"
'

"Waiting for their daily treat"

 

[aart]

Nice! Cool Beans on the free roofing!