So my poor chickens finally stopped sleeping in their old TV back
and moved into their coop last night! We were totally wiped out as a family by the most horrific flu. When we finally got back to it it turned out there was only a few hours left of work
So if you remember this was a change of plans coop - originally meant to be an A frame tractor for 3 silkies. Plans scrapped and worked out a way to give more surface area with an open wire part underneath (we get hot summers). While I would never build this again (design wise) I'm thrilled with the finished result
You can see from the lines in the roof there is a storage area in the loft and access to the coop as well from the roof on this side and a tunnel for them to get to the run - they loved the tunnel straight away and had no problems with it:
Lockable pop door on this side so the whole coop is predator proof at night and permanent ventilation on both sides (excuse the messy bits on the fence - they are now in the storage area!):
The interior - the roosting post will be lifted (although they are not bothered, they have been sleeping on a log at ground level forever - in fact when I spied on then right on dark only the Sussex and the Silkie were on the post and the other 2 were on the floor - I think I've damaged them with their strange accommodations
!). There will be nest boxes installed on the right (eventually i'll probably do external ones on the right hand end but we have other projects we need to do now)
The ramp - I set the breezeblocks staggered so there is a step. Jury out on how this will work out - I had to kind of push / lift them up last night (the silkie I just carried and put in through the roof) and this morning only 1 managed to get herself down and I had to lift the rest (should have maybe left them to figure it out!). If they really can't work it out I have thought of a way of seperating the 2 parts and making the A frame be on some breezeblocks, block up the floor and open the side then have the run bit to the side and just add some wire over the top. Time wise I'd rather they got on with it and worked it out (how long do chickens take to learn things?) but as we made it modular it can be lifted apart as needed.
Can't wait to get my big walk in coop built on this concrete base (plus a metre overhang) and this will be used as required for new chickens etc. - need to let the hubby have a rest first
! they are taken from the same spot (with the barn door and light from behind me). the ramp isnt' connected in the 2nd photo but comes up and rests on the lighter wood baton on the left side of the hole and runs down to the right as per the top pic! I HTHs
