Our coop is finally functional!

[chanceosunshine]

We have a couple more things to do but I’m pretty happy with it. Now I need to name it. Then again I never named the first one. It took us forever to get the chickens in there and to convince them it’s where there supposed to be!
There’s to be a roost on the opposite side of the nest boxes as well. I just have to put a few pieces of lumber up.

This is our first coop. I still love it but I’m so excited to have a walk in coop!

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

Wow! It’s beautiful! I bet the chickens love their new home

 

[DobieLover]

I’m so excited to have a walk in coop!

I bet! What a back breaker elevated coops are. Especially when you have to remove chickens at night. Uugh!
Are you going to build a larger run attached to the current coop/run?
LOVE the door!
P.S. I'd install a predator apron along the bottom plate of the coop too. You'll get critters digging in that way if you don't.

 

[chanceosunshine]

Actually, both runs are pretty decently sized, so no, I won't be adding to them. Plus, they free range during the day.

The apron is already up, you just can't see it because I buried it.

 

[theoldchick]

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

It is gorgeous

My suggestion is to cover the inside walls with something washable as I have a neighbor who had a coop whose inside walls were Aspenite and it absorbs too much, you can't keep it clean so it ends up with mold and poo and mites and bugs (shudder)

Anything can do from a waterproofing you paint on (there is a liquid they use to make the insides of lobster tanks waterproof) to some old flooring like mismatched tiles to vinyl or even the thick plastic sheets you can use to cover furniture (those rolls in the hardware store like giant toilet paper but transparent) you can apply that like wallpaper. It just makes the cleaning so much easier

Sorry if I said too much, I find a little too important the things that make the daily 'cleaning' easier or difficult. I started with cleaning that too 2 hours a day out of my life just scraping poo & messes, and now I can be in and out including food& water in a half hour

Hope the girls start to appreciate your efforts Those spoiled little princesses

 

[chanceosunshine]

It is gorgeous

My suggestion is to cover the inside walls with something washable as I have a neighbor who had a coop whose inside walls were Aspenite and it absorbs too much, you can't keep it clean so it ends up with mold and poo and mites and bugs (shudder)

Anything can do from a waterproofing you paint on (there is a liquid they use to make the insides of lobster tanks waterproof) to some old flooring like mismatched tiles to vinyl or even the thick plastic sheets you can use to cover furniture (those rolls in the hardware store like giant toilet paper but transparent) you can apply that like wallpaper. It just makes the cleaning so much easier

Sorry if I said too much, I find a little too important the things that make the daily 'cleaning' easier or difficult. I started with cleaning that too 2 hours a day out of my life just scraping poo & messes, and now I can be in and out including food& water in a half hour

Hope the girls start to appreciate your efforts Those spoiled little princesses

That is on the agenda. It's just not the priority at the moment. I'm running out of chicken room and needed to get them in there. Thank you for throwing that out there though! I appreciate the advice!

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

That is on the agenda. It's just not the priority at the moment. I'm running out of chicken room and needed to get them in there. Thank you for throwing that out there though! I appreciate the advice!

I (completely!) understand. It is so much to do all at once and to think about. It gets head spinning complicated and really the hard part is a place you can get into and store all their "stuff" and keep critters out. The rest is just about making it easier on you. I found the biggest issue is I need my spouse to help build it, but since he is not the one doing the maintenance he doesn't appreciate that putting in 2 hrs once and saves me 10 to 15 min a days EVERYDAY is a great investment. He thinks it is just 10 min, so why do that big effort to save 10min ?

But I totally envy your perfect hardware cloth netting on the windows on the inside. And your totally amazing metal roof and solid walls. That is the hard part!

The big part is done my love! Enjoy the sheer beauty of it

 

[chanceosunshine]

I (completely!) understand. It is so much to do all at once and to think about. It gets head spinning complicated and really the hard part is a place you can get into and store all their "stuff" and keep critters out. The rest is just about making it easier on you. I found the biggest issue is I need my spouse to help build it, but since he is not the one doing the maintenance he doesn't appreciate that putting in 2 hrs once and saves me 10 to 15 min a days EVERYDAY is a great investment. He thinks it is just 10 min, so why do that big effort to save 10min ?

But I totally envy your perfect hardware cloth netting on the windows on the inside. And your totally amazing metal roof and solid walls. That is the hard part!

The big part is done my love! Enjoy the sheer beauty of it

I am definitely lucky to have a willing husband!! I think he thinks I’m crazy, but he seems to support that, so he’s willing to help whether or not he gets it.
We got an awesome deal on a commercial hardware cloth from a guy who used to raise game birds. It’s so heavy duty and makes it easier to build with.
It was a fun project!

 

[3KillerBs]

Looks great!