- Apr 8, 2014
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Well, my hens hit 9 weeks old over the Memorial Day weekend, and after lots of long days and late evenings, their new home was finally ready to inhabit.
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The coop and run from a side angle.
We added a simple roost out of some tree stumps and a large branch secured to them with 3" deck screws.
Simple enclosure for the run. I ran leftover paneling from the coop as a skirt at the bottom and along the wall to prevent intruders or escapees.
Cedar fence pickets made a nice and inexpensive lattice for the roof. We discovered it still lets in a little too much of the Phoenix sun, so I am adding some 1x1 cleat material in the gaps to block out more sun.
The hens enjoy the stump pieces and and peat moss/sand mix. I'm still adding more branches and such for them to play on in addition to a box for a dirt bath.
I made sure to allow enough room to sit in the run and hang out with the hens. The Barred Rock twins Sequoia and Daisy assume I'm simply another piece of furniture for them to climb on.
Tonight I will add the bedding material for the coop floor, block off the nest boxes and open the coop for their first night inside. Then all that is left to do is get the rolled shingle roof on and paint the coop. I'm still working on options for cooling both the run and the coop before we hit 110 degree days on a regular basis. Ice bottles in their water have helped so far, and I'll add more to their dirt bath to try and help them work around the oppressive heat. A misting system is probably next.
This has been a tiring but incredible process, and I'm so thankful for having a friend who has spent his life in the construction business for helping me design and execute this build.
Additional thanks goes to everyone on this site for posting their coops and runs. It was only after sorting through the pics on here for weeks that we decided how we wanted to build ours.
.
The coop and run from a side angle.
We added a simple roost out of some tree stumps and a large branch secured to them with 3" deck screws.
Simple enclosure for the run. I ran leftover paneling from the coop as a skirt at the bottom and along the wall to prevent intruders or escapees.
Cedar fence pickets made a nice and inexpensive lattice for the roof. We discovered it still lets in a little too much of the Phoenix sun, so I am adding some 1x1 cleat material in the gaps to block out more sun.
The hens enjoy the stump pieces and and peat moss/sand mix. I'm still adding more branches and such for them to play on in addition to a box for a dirt bath.
I made sure to allow enough room to sit in the run and hang out with the hens. The Barred Rock twins Sequoia and Daisy assume I'm simply another piece of furniture for them to climb on.
Tonight I will add the bedding material for the coop floor, block off the nest boxes and open the coop for their first night inside. Then all that is left to do is get the rolled shingle roof on and paint the coop. I'm still working on options for cooling both the run and the coop before we hit 110 degree days on a regular basis. Ice bottles in their water have helped so far, and I'll add more to their dirt bath to try and help them work around the oppressive heat. A misting system is probably next.
This has been a tiring but incredible process, and I'm so thankful for having a friend who has spent his life in the construction business for helping me design and execute this build.
Additional thanks goes to everyone on this site for posting their coops and runs. It was only after sorting through the pics on here for weeks that we decided how we wanted to build ours.
