New Coop, chickens first night tonight!

[Cluckatar]

Hello All,

Thanks to all the folks that gave us advice on getting our coop built! Here are a few pictures. Our first five chicks are spending the night out there tonight. I miss them in the kitchen

I still have my two 3 week EEs in the house though, and it is very much time for the 9 week old girls to stretch out. They love the new coop. I mean, there's food in there, what's not to love?

Note that with all those latches, we still tightened the thing up with a c-clamp at the bottom. I'm telling myself it's just paranoia.

 

[hearthnsoul]

How excited you must be!! Fantastic Job!

 

[Zahboo]

I love your turken

It looks awesome!

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Congratulations! It feels good to finally get things finished doesn't it?! Your kids look thrilled too! Those chickens are going to be lap chickens for sure.

 

[Cluckatar]

Thanks

I've just checked them for the third time since dusk. They seem perfectly happy, but I hope they're not minding the cooler temps. I believe this will be the first time they've been in the actual dark at night. They've been next to the 3 week old EE's so they've had the heating lamp shining nearby.

 

[SimplyForties]

What a lovely little chicken house!

 

[sloallie10]

that is really good! how big is it?

 

[BantyRooster]

Nice job on the coop.
I love the looks on the face of your kids.
Priceless.

 

[Cluckatar]

Chicky's Hideout is a 4x4 square. It's raised 2' off the ground for both safety from predators and in case the creek ever rises above the bank. It's come even with the bank once in the 8 years we've lived here (right now it's a good 8-10 feet below that), so those extra 2 feet should keep our girls safe.

The high end is somewhere between 7 and 8 feet, and the low end is about 6 feet tall.

We haven't yet built the enclosed run, it's half done and should be attached by next weekend. Once the hens are full sized I have plans for a larger ranging area that will cover the entire side yard, but be fenced off from dog entry. The neighbor has a cat that hunts and I don't want them out loose until they are bigger than the cat.

And my son thanks you for the cute Turken comment

He picked her out when I was buying my 3 day old Welsummers and the Barnevelder. She was in the brooder with them and we couldn't leave the barn until I said yes to the Turken too.

 

[crait]

I love it! It's soooo cute! Haha!