The Egg and I: Building the Coop (Day Two)

 

We started day two of our coop project by finishing the floor.  It is 36 inches off the ground so that I won't have to stoop to clean it out.  Beneath the floor will be the covered portion of the run where the chickens' food and water will be located.  In the upper left-hand area of this picture you can see the vent.  It is covered with hardware cloth and will have a matching vent on the upper right-hand side of the coop.  These vents will create circulation, but be protected by the overhang of the roof so that rain can't get in.

 

 

We also added our chicken tractor wheels to the coop.  The entire structure, coop and run, will be movable so that the chickens can be "tractored" all over the yard.

 

 

Next came the wall with the door for the chickens.  The door measures 12" x 12" and will eventually have a ramp attached to it.

 

 

My reclaimed door from the antique salvage place in Jackson went up on the front façade.  You'll be able to look at the chickens through the front windows.

 

 

Roosting poles were put up inside the coop.  The first one is 10" off the floor. The second is 10" higher and 12" further back.  Our research said that each chicken needed 5" of space on the roosting pole, but that seems like an awfully skinny chicken!!  Our chickens will 8 - 10" apiece.   Our poles still need some work with a rasp to round off the corners of the 2x2s.

 

 

Then it was time for the roof!! If you look at the tire, you will see that it is attached to a metal lever.  By lifting the lever 180 degrees, from left to right, you raise the entire coop so that the tire now becomes the fulcrum of the teetering structure.  Then by lifting up on the run, it can be pulled around.

 

My number one objective with this coop was easy maintenance!! The floor of the coop will be covered with dog kennel trays. (Having recently raised the Garden Friendly Dogs through their puppy stage, I can attest to the ease of cleaning a plastic dog kennel tray. I wondered if one of those trays couldn't be used in a chicken coop.) My dad designed an amazing back door where the trays will slide in and out.  I'll let him explain it to you.

So day two of the coop building project was a busy one!! Tomorrow is the last day with pretty weather before it rains for five days.  It will be another busy building day!

                                                                                  Love ya'll,
                                                                                          Shelli

If I hadn't started painting, I would have raised chickens.

- Grandma Moses