Yesterday Keith wrapped up some of the details on our repurposed, remodeled, recycled chicken coop and so for all practical purposes of providing winter shelter, the coup is finished.
There are still a few holes in the roof and another small window to put in above the door and a couple of poles to attach to the front of the nest boxes for easier bird access, but the coop is functioning well and eggs are now routinely appearing within the big metal box on the wall. Naturally the birds did not just read an instructional brochure and then just start using the coop, no, we had to catch them while roosting in other parts of the farm, then toss them in here under house arrest. Once they catch on this is the place to go for fresh food and water they'll be allowed to free range outside as they please.
I especially love the design of the chicken roost. Made from tree branches just lazing about the yard Keith built it so it can be lifted up and hooked to the ceiling, allowing easy access to the manure gold that will accumulate beneath it.
The round wood wheel at the end of the roost is part of the old belt and pulley system of the building when it was-we assume- a woodworking shop.
The opening to the left of the window will be the chickens own private door so they can come and go freely after they complete orientation to their new facility. We don't worry much about raccoons or other predators getting in the coop as our livestock dogs, Fannie, the Great Pyrenees and Ashland the German Shepherd, live outside year round. They are excellent at keeping trespassing critters away from their farm animals.
On the other hand, they have no bathroom manners at all, often making their huge doggie deposits directly under my clothes line. It's hard not to take that personally.
Fabulous coop. I really like how you can lift the roosts up out of the way. Even though we provided about six nesting boxes, our hens laid in just two of them, often two birds in at a time. Silly chickens. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteThey are silly. Ours do the same thing, it's like hey if SHE is in there it must be better than my place.
DeleteMy (now empty) hen house was shop bought, and much too small. When I was young we had two big hen houses that you walked into and could stand up in. Yours looks just great; well done Keith.
ReplyDeleteI'll pass on your praise Cro, and yes it is so great to be able to stand up inside this one. I'm thinking a nice chair in the corner and cup of tea will make yet another spot to hang out and write. Of course I'll need to turn the chair over when I'm gone. Those chickens will roost anywhere.
DeleteThat's great! You'll be so happy with the roost. Ours didn't lift the first few years and was such a PAIN to clean under- I think I smacked my noggin every time! I'm so glad my husband fixed it to lift!
ReplyDeleteI love too there is room to get an entire wheelbarrow in the coop for cleaning.
DeleteThe chickens will be thrilled with the Holiday Hotel!! And the lifting roost, YES - my mother would've killed for one of those!!!
ReplyDeleteFor years we housed our chickens in a very cool moveable chicken tractor. Then one day we stopped moving it and man did the chicken gold pile up! We have indeed learned by our mistakes over the years.
DeleteI have a few pullets and am fighting with one right now to please stop laying her egg in my kune kune pig's bed! So far so good but if he lays on it it'll be scrambled and if he tastes it I'll never get there in time to get it before he eats it! I hear you on the dogs, we have a really big back yard, our little dog goes way down at the bottom of the yard, the big guy - under my wash lines!
ReplyDeleteExcellent job, when we had our organic egg farm all our houses were fitted with lift up perches.
ReplyDeleteClever design for lifting the roosts up. I had the same idea, for if I need to install more roosts in our existing coop. We don't need them at present. I was going to work a pulley system into mine though. We'll see. Grand plans and all that. ;)
ReplyDeleteLift up perches .... a brilliant design :-)
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