Chicken Coop Progress

 Scott has been a very busy guy. Here are updated pictures of the progress he has made on the chicken coop.  

The first picture is of the interior of the coop. On the right are the six nesting boxes.

 

This is the back of the coop with the nesting boxes closed. He made them with two doors; one that opens to collect eggs, and, the other one opens to clean out the soiled nesting materials.

The pictures below were taken the day Scott put the roof on. We opted for a metal roof and slanted it to keep the rain from running down into the run. There is an overhang to provide the chickens with some shade. The second picture is of the roost. Since we've never built a coop, I'm not sure if this is high enough. I only read that you need 10 to 12 inches per bird. We only plan on having 4-5 hens and maybe a rooster. Since the board is 8 feet long, it should be just fine.

This is the last set of pictures Scott sent. He took these yesterday to let me see how the sides of the coop look. We decided to only have one set of doors to open for cleaning. Originally, we thought about double doors on both ends but he thought a solid piece of wood would offer more stability to the coop.

 Now we just have to figure out how much of an incline to put on the ramp that goes into the doors. This is Scott's level at a 6 ft. length. He sent me pics of 5 and 4 feet lengths. This one looks the most reasonable.  I read through a few discussion boards and this seems to be a concern for all new chicken owners. I guess we will go with the 6 foot length because Leslie was worried that a steep incline would be hard on their little chicken knees.

I'm hoping to be able to get this painted during spring break.  All that is left construction wise is for Scott to build the run.  Then I'll have to start chicken shopping. I'm so excited!!

Chicken Coop Progress

A few months ago, I posted that we had decided to get some chickens. In that post, I warned whomever was reading that this process would take "two weeks" Money Pit style. Well, Scott has remained true to form. But in his defense, this unbelievably wet summer and fall have kept him from getting the coop completely finished before winter. I told him that he didn't need to rush because chickens don't lay much during the cold months anyway.  However, it is now possible to see that he is turning my sketches into a reality and I'm starting to see what the coop will eventually look like.

The picture below shows the rear view of the coop. The openings are to the nest area and will have doors with latches to keep predators (and grandkids) from getting in. On each side, Scott will cut pieces of plywood to fit and add hinges to the outside. It will make it easier to keep the interior clean. He is going to run the chicken wired down along the bottom so the chickens have an additional area to access.

 The next picture shows the front of the coop. There will be ramps from the doors to the ground. He built it higher in the front to allow for rain run-off and a place to put a perch. We are putting a galvanized tin roof on the top; but, you can see that there is a space along the front that doesn't reach where the roof will be. Scott left that open so that he can put wire across it and allow for ventilation inside the coop.

back of coop

front of coop

 The coop sits on the west end of the property we own in Killeen.  There will be a large run in the front of the coop. It will have a screen door in it so that we can get inside without having to stoop over.  We have been stalking Pinterest and other blogs for innovative ways to dispense water and feed. Some of them are pretty far fetched and other are pure genius.

side of coop

I've done some research to see which chickens are the best for the hot climate we have in Texas. I also do not want to mess with raising chicks. We hope to get our first chickens around Easter time. So far, I'm really please with what Scott has done. I can't wait to see if completed. 

Chicken are Coming

A few months ago, I started thinking about ways to make the land where the yellow house is located more productive. We have about 3 acres around the house and have never really done anything on it except fight cactus, cedar, and rocks. Our boys, the fire fighter and the geologist, have lived in the house since the hubby and I moved to Temple. The yard has lost it's well cared for look; and, most of the cactus and cedar are starting to reclaim the property.  It makes me a little sad to walk around the place and think about the years we spent clearing the land and making it a nice place in the country. We keep trying to get the fire fighter to buy the property, but he says, "It's too much house for me." However, I don't think he will ever move out because "That's too much trouble." So, we are faced with a problem: try to sell it in the condition it is after having 2 bachelors live in it for 7 years. Or, use what we have to make a family compound capable of sustaining life.
Hence, the chickens are coming.  It is the first step in making the place more life sustaining.  (More about that in another post.)
Anyway, the fire fighter is also the family genius and can turn any of my sketches into a reality. I drew a rough sketch of a chicken coop and he turned it into plans.

For the last two days, he has been working on the frame for the coop.

I'm excited to see how it turns out. Knowing that the fire fighter's building ethic is taken from the movie, The Money Pit, it might be a while before it is finished. But, we are off to a great start.
Updates to follow as the "...two weeks" elapse.