With a little help from my friends - New Coop Under Construction!

[gryeyes]

Yesterday (Wednesday) the Master Builder did some more work on the coop. He built the Dutch-style door and put the pretty brass hardware on it. Then he remembered it all needed to be primed and painted....

Here's he is painting the primer (Killz2) on a side wall.

I haven't yet selected the exterior paint, so the hardware went back on the door so we could use it.

Farmer Lew reported sneak attacks on his ankles by George Seabright, who launched his skirmishes from under the protection of the raised coop. One of the Splash Jersey Giants settled down comfortably on the front steps.

There is a "flipper" style door-keeper-opened thing, which will hold just the top portion, or the whole door if the slide-bolt is engaged to lock both sections together.

Even with just the primer coat on it, the coop looks so good!

Yes, I put my bottle tree back up.

Side view with the small window opening.

Other side of the coop, also showing part of one other coop and a portable yard sink I set up to use for easy, outside clean-up.

Yah, yah, tacky "rural" setting. Works for me!

Phoebe, the hen Kalie gave to me decided she wanted a higher view of things.

Kellogg and two of the three Lav Orp sisters took over the raised garden bed they all love to utilize for bug hunts.

This weekend I am going to prime the interior of the coop. Hopefully I will also be able to find an acceptable color of exterior Oops! paint at Lowe's, or from Home Depot, maybe.

Next week, the Master Builder will install the automatic chicken door and build the ramp/ladder for the flock to get up to it. Plus some sort of roost arrangement. I purchased the largest chicken door panel because of those Jersey Giants and Lavender Orpingtons.

Here's the Black Jersey Giant having a look-see from everybody's favorite high perch. (That's my bedroom window behind him.)

 

[HHandbasket]

Great pics of the chooks! Nice work on the coop, Farmer Lew. Maybe one of these days I could get you to build one for me....
LOL.

I know, I know... when we move.

 

[Miss Lydia]

hi enjoyed the tour. beautiful birds love them Jersey Giants.. the coop looks great and i know your excited to get eveyone moved in and settled, and now about Farmer Lew, has he said yet when he will be taking his road trip?

 

[farmer_lew]

Whether or not I take a road trip depends entirely on whether or not the lottery tickets we bought are big winners.

 

[HHandbasket]

I love Linda's Jersey giants. They are so sweet and docile. Their size might make them seem intimidating, but they're 10 times more docile than those vicious little sebright roos she's got out there (though I love George and Alex, the sebright roos... hehehee... George flogs me every time I come over).

 

[Miss Lydia]

went to my 2nd chicken show this past sat. and my did they have some nice Jersey giants there.. maybe because of size they don't have to try to make an impression, they are one.

 

[PepsNick]

Love your chickens, Linda. The coop is looking great!

 

[gryeyes]

Latest coop construction will allow actual flock occupation within the next couple of days. There's more to be done, of course, but the basics have been completed.

The chicken door has been cut out, the ramp built, and the auto-door installed. Hardware cloth is over the two windows, but will need to have the framing strips put down around them. Hardware cloth also needs to be set over the ventilation openings at the tops of the side walls. An awning of sorts will be built over the people door.

Vinyl was laid on the floor.

We decided not to run the remainder of the vinyl up the back door behind the main roost bar, as it would take either the installation of a plywood INNER wall or a whole lot of cutting to fit around the studs. Primer and a good, exterior latex semi-gloss paint will be fine.

The automatic chicken door was installed.

A solar-powered interior light has been installed, just inside the people door.

This is the collector for the interior solar light. (You can also see the light sensor cable for the auto-door hanging out at the very corner of the coop.)

The row of nest boxes has been set up just to see how it all fits together.

A second roost will be built above the nest boxes, with a poop board system set up above the nests.

While we were admiring the work and discussing the next steps, Greta - one of my senior hens - decided to check out the ramp and chicken door. She entered and studied the row of milk crates, then walked over to look at the roost. Just like that, she hopped up onto it. You should have heard us exclaiming over this miraculous event. "Greta's on the roost! Greta's on the roost! Look at her checking it all out!"

One of the Splash Jersey Giant roos hopped up the front steps and looked inside the coop. Farmer Lew closed the door, addressing the roo, "No more people door for you. Learn to use the chicken door." Shortly thereafter, George Sebright stood at the closed people door, looking around with what can only be described as confusion. "Where's the thing? There was a thing here. A big thing. Now it's gone. Where's the thing?" He finally hopped down and went looking for a hen to harass.

Greta came to the chicken door opening and looked out and down at the ramp.

We discovered the cross strips are a leeetle too far apart when Greta slid rather awkwardly down the ramp between each cross strip. After we stopped giggling, the Master Building said he can get some anti-slip mats to staple in the open spaces. Or we might just nail some more cross strips on the ramp.

Since these pictures were taken, I've put in the fourth milk carton in the row, brought in a wooden bunk bed ladder and placed it behind the roost bar up against the wall, for those that wish to get up really high. Dunno if that will be the best thing to do, but I'm going to see how it goes.

I hung the feeder back inside the coop from the front rafter. I'll load the coop and nest boxes with pine shavings in the next couple of days, with the full knowledge the walls still need to be primed and painted. I may or may not wait for that step. I wanna see hens in those nests!

 

[Cass]

Wonderful coop.

I strongly suggest you paint before you add shavings or you'll have shavings in your paint.

 

[HHandbasket]

All I can say is, who's that gorgeous linoleum-installer you got workin' for ya there??? LOL!