Cozy Chicken Coop

The chickens are growing like crazy, eating scraps when they can, and preferring to stay outside.  Thank goodness because they were outgrowing the chicken brooder box to the extreme, and sleeping in the doghouse.

My Mother's Day "present" is finally finished!  Well, it still needs shingles, but it's done, and outside, and chicken-ready!  I am so excited to share the coop with you.  I promised DH there would be no pictures of him on here. I am so thankful for his hard work.  I keep having to remind myself that building/maintaining things IS how he says "I love you" -- accepting your spouse as they are is not always easy, but it is so very vital to your marriage!

Framing

Phase one was planning and framing.  Here's a refresher photo.  DH has this amazing ability to just start putting together an idea and figuring it out as he goes.

Phase two was assembly.  He put the frame up and together, made the roofing trusses.

Phase three was windows and siding, then interior.  We got three small utility windows.  And 4'x8' siding boards.

Assembly

Painted and with door

Siding & windows

Inside you'll find plywood walls and self-stick tile floor.  There are 5 nesting boxes.  In the finished pictures you'll see the perches too.

A glimpse inside -- nesting boxes

DH built a chicken hatch on the left under the windows, and a full-size door for easy access and cleaning.  On the right is the exterior access to the nesting boxes.  The chicken hatch and the full-size door have latches to keep varmints out and chickens in.

We are using a re-purposed dog pen -- and the old doghouse was still in there.  They actually started settling in there before we moved the coop.  DH cleared up the pen, moved the doghouse and loaded up the coop (shingle-free for now) on the trailer to move it.  DS1 & 2 were the big helpers, too.  Before shots:

Temporary housing.

The coop "landing pad" -- blocks leftover from
our porch re-do, and 6x6" timbers to level it.

chickens exploring their pen -- about 2 months old

And the adventure of moving a coop.  Boys in the fort, chickens in the old stock tank/pool, dog in the house, me directing -- just glad I didn't let him hit the garage ;)  This was ratcheted down during moving, and DH used steel pipes to roll it on and off -- from point A to point B.  I am truly amazed at his handle on applied physics and how these things work with one person doing it -- he didn't even need my help!

Now the coop has landed in it's home, and it's propped up high enough that the chickens can get underneath for shelter/shade.

Inside they have perches, a ramp and five nesting boxes, and floor space for the food to be inside until a sheltered feeder is built.










I have also clipped flight feathers, as the girls were perching on the top of our fence.  Hopefully I clipped enough...if not I guess I try again.

Truthfully, one of the neatest things has been watching my boys help dad build this.  They learn by doing -- my dear mother-in-law once said:      

The best kind of play is working along side you.  Enjoy the quality time; they are learning 

real life skills and 
having fun!