New coop Progress updates and pics

[aart]

Nice stuff there!
Good plan change.

 

[MistyMountain]

So, life happened a bit. School started. Two sports seasons came and went. A little work has been done since the last update, to include bracing and siding the east side.

DH is back to work on this with plans to have it done by Christmas. The hardest part about working on it has been that he can't just go out and work an hour before it gets dark. Set-up and clean-up take time, and by then he barely has time to gather his thoughts.

He is focused on the west side, which will include two exterior egg collection doors and a large size pop door for direct free ranging (bypassing the run) as well as clean out. It will be easy to park the tractor with the loader bucket right under the door for me to push out the bedding once or twice a year.

I will try to get updated pics this afternoon.

 

[MistyMountain]

Pictures as promised!! Getting there!!

 

[MistyMountain]

More work done. The rain this week threatens to delay construction, so the coop probably won't be done by Christmas. Either way, it is totally worth the wait! Once dh is done with the building part, I will have to put the blackjack down on the floor.

Here is the west side. Two egg collection doors accessing 3 next boxes each. The larger door is a pop door to bypass the run for free ranging as well as a cleanout door. We can easily park the tractor with the loader right outside and push or toss the bedding out once or twice a year.

 

[MistyMountain]

Batten done on the west side. All this side lacks is the clean out door.

 

[MistyMountain]

More progress pics. Please ignore the mess, lol! I'll edit to add text on the pc.

This is the human door and the main pop door. Both will open into the 10' x 20' run plus under the coop area. We have some giant fly rocks that we will use as the step up into the coop and still need to build the chicken ramp.

The window trim and batten is now complete on this side. We decided not to do the hardware cloth over the top of the windows. There is great ventilation all the way around the coop, so I do not see myself leaving the windows open at night for any reason. If we change our minds, we may add in something on the inside in the future.

Egg collection doors and larger pop door/cleanout door complete.

A solid day's work is probably all that is left on the coop. Some trim details need to be finished on the outside still. Inside, we will be putting a 1"x8" at the bottom of the door to keep the bedding inside. Nest boxes (6 total, two levels of 3 boxes) and roosts still need to be finished.

Once all of the above is complete, I will paint the floor and up 6" or so of the walls with blackjack 57. Once that cures, we will move 'em in! They will stay on lockdown until we finish the run, which should not take too long. We have all the material and lumber to get the job done, just need to find the time!

 

[aart]

It's lovely!

You'll want those windows open at night in summer for a cross breeze I'll bet.....but you can slap up some mesh in the spring.

 

[MistyMountain]

I feel like I need to bring this thread back to life. It has almost been a year since we started on the coop. Since then we have cleared and planted an additional acre of pasture for my horse out back, took on a bottle baby calf, and cleared just under two acres of 100 or so super tall virginia pines and white pines from the house to the barn. Half of that was planted in the spring and will be over seeded this fall. We also fenced in the front 3/4 or so acre for our now 250lb calf. All this between the normal chores has kept us busy. Believe it or not, we like trees! Just not pines. They break halfway and become dangerous. We will be replanting some hardwood trees for shade behind the house in the future.

Finally some time to finish the coop. We have worked the past couple of days to get the nest boxes framed out and roosts put up. We also put the remaining pieces of the floor down. Everything should be done tomorrow, and I will then put the blackjack #57 down on the floor. Hopefully we will move the flock in on Sunday and they will spend the week locked up in the coop. We won't have the run ready right away, but they will need to adjust to the new coop for some time anyhow.

I have been monitoring the temp in the coop and am quite pleased. The persimmon tree provides great shade and the ventilation seems about perfect. It has been a few degrees cooler inside the coop with two sweaty people working than it is outside. I have no doubt that the increased coop area and decreased flock size will be quite comfortable for everyone, even in this heat.

I will try to snap some pics tomorrow!!