We are almost done with the coop!

[lovemychicks9]

Well we finally are about done with the coop. The inside is basically done. We just need to add nesting boxes when the girls are ready, and roosting poles and those go up next week. Outside just needs a coat of paint and to add the fencing for the run. This use to be an old dog run/kennel and was falling apart and had no doors or window. My husband got some old lumber that was being tossed out and on the side of the road by his work someone tossed two doors to the road and he grabbed them. We bought new wood for the inside walls and wire for the pen and inside on the rafters. Inside he ran wire and screen between the 2 sections and now we can open the door on the other side of the shed and get cross ventlation. In the front of the coop here is where we will wire off for the run, see our hen door on the front? The run will be 10 by 16 and inside is 10 by 8 for them. He even put up gutters for them so they won't have puddles. Then we ended up painting half the see through roof panels because when the sun would really shine it would get way to hot for the chickies plus way too light for nesting boxes later. I want to paint in Barn Red and hubby just laughs and says ; but the house is tan!" I also included a picture of the girls and check out the new feeder. Works great and NO more seed on the floor wasted!!!!

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http://s258.photobucket.com/albums/hh254/thomsmom01/?action=view&current=IMG_0689.jpg

http://s258.photobucket.com/albums/hh254/thomsmom01/?action=view&current=IMG_0689.jpg

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

COOOOOL - I love it when a coop is built from left overs..

 

[LynneP]

Wow and you have your babies! I'm waiting- May 16 is official Chick Day in the village. It's a great feeling to recycle materials and the folks here are so creative, like you! What will you use on the run? We''ve received some 1/2" hardware cloth finally and will start installing it tomorrow....

 

[lovemychicks9]

Since they will not be out after dark I wil just leave the dirt as is but we are sinking in the ground 8 inches with hardware cloth and then the pen itself will have from the rafters all the way into the ground we are using 1/2 inch chicken wire and covering over that with 1/2 inch hardware cloth on the fence and the same for the door to the run also. I think that will hold the coons at bay and even if they got in there is no outside latch on the hen door and unless the hens learn how to unlock the door from inside they can not get it pen. Hopefully foiled the little varmits. the coop itself sits on a cement pad so rats and mice can not dig in.

also when it is done I will through grass clippings and nonpoisonous weeds for the girls to peck at over the dirt for them. good way to use the grass clippings up and hubby loves it!

 

[LynneP]

It's great to have concrete indoors. We had to re-mortar some sloppy drains in ours and we found outdoor drain covers that can be removed with a screwdriver if they get clogged. They're rodent-proof too. We're off our property often enough that I'm going to have to wire the floor of the run- the foxes and coyotes here will strike in daytime. yeesh.