So this is how our chicken discussions have evolved. 2 years ago: Him: "You are a crackpot. I'll divorce you if you ever bring home a filthy bird." 1 year ago: Him: "NO WAY am I EVER building a chicken coop. You can forget it." 1 month ago: Him: "I have some bad news: I'm building you a chicken coop." 2 weeks ago: Him: "The coop will be 4' x 8', and 6' tall at the tallest point. Let's start off with 6 chickens." 1 week ago: Him: "When you get them, just get 12 chickens. Some might die." 3 days ago: Me: "The minimum online order is 25." Him: "Well, then we're getting 25, then, aren't we?" Today: Him: "I just realized that if we build the coop 6'x10' and make it 8' high for the back wall and 5' high for the front wall, that's a lot less scrap." Chicken logic is the process by which I went from crackpot to coop planner in 2 years' time. Chicken geometry is the process by which our coop plans went from a 4x8x6 coop to a 6x10x8 coop in a month. Chicken multiplication is the process by which we went from 6 chickens to 25 chickens in 2 weeks. I clinched the deal by telling him how smart he was, because he's building it big enough that he'll never have to do this again!!! (perhaps, though, this was my mistake, seeing as how it's inevitable that we'll get more chickens next year--I'm already pricing incubators!!!) Just thought I'd share--I've been giggling for days now!
Congratulations That is about how the chicken math went at our house, coop has been done for less than 2 months, guess who is planning the "breeder" coops to be completed by next summer with running water and electricity. I had plans for little coops, like your DH, BIG coop got built 12x12. I asked DH if he knew how many that would hold, and he did, go figure. Him...I want to make the breeder coops climate controled Me...what???...are you kidding me? Him.....They will need heat and a/c in the summer Me......shakes head because he didn't want chickens for 10 years and now he is making these HUGE plans and some of it just plain goofy and he has picked out breeds he wants now. He thinks we need to put up curtains and window boxes on the coop now. He thinks it will make it cute. We have either created monsters or they really are contagious and addictive. I would rent my DH out for repairs, but you would end up with things you didn't count on. The chickens and I, do not need a fridge or sink in the coop. I do not need electric and lights in the garden, why so the "critters" can find the vegetables better in the dark? I can promise you I won't be gardening after dark and the chickens won't be doing any dishes or need anything out of the fridge at night either.
What a good husband you have! Now mine was a chicken enabler from the get-go. So far, our coop is 20x8 and it is too small. Don't forget to include a feed storage room (4x8 is good), and I wouldn't make any wall shorter than 6+ feet to prevent head-bumping. Sincerely, Just another assimilated chicken fiend. (from Missouri, too )
Mine was: Me: i want 3 hens, i'll build a small 5x5 coop Him: yuck, chickens, don't expect me to help Me: See, small coop plans, you'll never have to touch them Him: Wow, have you looked at some of these chicken catalogs? How big is your coop? Why are you just ordering one kind? Me: Coop is almost done, 8x8 with eco roof like You insisted on. Him: LOOK! You can order Ducks too! Me: the coop isn't big enough for ducks. Him: You haven't done the run yet, you can add on can't you? 6 months later Him: have you finished that tractor for my dutch banties? What kind of housing do geese need? 6 months later Him: Is that coop for my Japanese banties wired for heat? We're going to need a seperate broody tractor soon. The prices for runner ducks isn't bad. Me: NOT MORE BIRDS!!!!
