Bee~ Journal of then...

[hqueen13]

Very cool, Bee! Can't wait to see pictures and the process!! I am quite curious about them with a though towards our future arrangements, but I don't know anything, and since I can't do anything it is a bit low on the priority pole right now...

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Thanks gypsi! I went and checked it out. It is good to see how others do their chickens and coops....as I am so new and such a greenhorn to all of this.

 

[Beekissed]

Getting so excited about this coop build! It will certainly be an interesting coop, I'm thinking. Today I bought some plastic for placing over the cap of the hoop, which will then be covered with a tarp. This is to insure no leaks~ if the tarp should wear through from wind and movement, the two layers of plastic under it will keep it from leaking.

Also? I wanted to have skylights on the upper sides of the coop...sort of long windows where I can roll up the window flaps and let light into the coop in the winter. The end caps will also be covered in plastic during the winter to insure more light in the coop as well. Solar warmth is a bonus I couldn't turn down for this coop design.

All the other cattle panel coops I've seen online seem so dark, particularly in the winter months. I've always had coops with huge windows and I've even added more when I could....I would never want any chickens to live in the dark if I could help it, nor would I give artificial light if I could help it. I know how much natural lighting in a house means to me, so I'm assuming other creatures like it as well.

I'm trying to use as much repurposed or recycled junk I can find around this place for additional features past the original structure of wood frame and cattle panels. Unfortunately, I sold all my old screen doors in my big yard sale last year, so if I don't find one in the classifieds, I'll likely buy one before I build one....the new ones are so sturdy and well built for $20 that I doubt I could build one as well as those.

I can't wait to post pics of the finished product and get everyone's critiques on the design and features, not to mention the pricing of the total build vs. coop desirability and worth.

 

[hqueen13]

Sometimes purchased really is cheaper!

Can't wait to see the end result!

(And I like sunlight too!)

 

[Gypsi]

Where did you find a $20 screen door? Last time I priced the best I found was $200!

 

[Beekissed]

Lowes has the cheapest of their screen doors at $19.99..and they are surprisingly well-built and sturdy. Now, these are wooden screen doors, not metal. Just Plain Jane ol' country screen doors. They have some priced at $20, $38, $50 and on up to the expensive and fancier doors.

Today I added one of the nest boxes...they will have outside access. I'll only have two next boxes on this coop as the Bat only wants 6-8 chickens right now but this coop is adaptable for up to 20 chickens and more nest boxes can be added.

I know that I had 30 laying hens and an aluminum unit that had 10 boxes...and they would only use 3 or 4 of them. Everyone wanted to lay where everyone else was laying. So, two boxes for 8 hens sounds fine. These actually may hold two birds at a time, I'll have to see.

The nest box idea was the cutest one I've seen(not mine, found it online) and I can't lay claim on it, only on the additional touches I added that the original idea didn't. I think you all will really like it! They will be easy to clean out, easy to replace if they get broken in any way, will have outside access and I'm insulating them with layers of hay and stiff cardboard so that laying will be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. That was the one drawback I'd read about outside nest boxes~they usually were not insulated and were cold places to lay or hot in the summer(either option can't be comfy!).

 

[Gypsi]

well my outside nest boxes were the preferred hangout in winter before the feathers grew back, but I imagine they are hot in summer.

 

[Beekissed]

It's raining on the tin roof and I'm drifting along on this as I lie back and close my eyes~got it on autoplay and it's like a narcotic! Simply LOVE this man's music more than any other artist..ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vS8...4mBoXvokN6VzEHKofO&lf=list_related&playnext=4

 

[Beekissed]

Got paint slapped onto the wood framing at the back end of the coop today and will start on placing the pop door and the welded wire tomorrow, as well as the wire for the awning on the back. Then I'll insulate the nest boxes and create outside access holes and cut the lids for the entrances...and then I'll be done with the nest boxes until it's time to place bedding. Yay!

My chicks will be here in two weeks and I want everything ready by then....can't wait! :bun Feels so good to have projects to complete again...I feel like I'm dead in the water when I am not hatching a plan.

After the chickens get settled, I'll be gathering materials for the rocket mass heater we will build. When the garden is in, we build! I'll be so excited to complete that project because I hope to make it both beautiful and functional. I can't wait to sculpt in the cob mix!

 

[Gypsi]

Guess I'm going to have to buy the book to learn to build one of those heaters!

When you finish your coop do you want to build me one? I've got chicks on order for April, to give me time.

My last red hen is now having egg troubles, but she's such a sweetheart she and the barred rock are just going to start the new coop on the lot I think. When I have it ready. Culling wasn't much fun, and they are good weed diggers.

I turned both of them out into the back yard yesterday morning, the dogs were in since I was home and it was cold and rainy, and they can potty in my pond area (I've seen yards smaller than it before).

So I left the big hens loose, set them up a feeding station in a large dog house, and a nest in a small igloo with nice straw. They spent the night together in the igloo after I gathered the one egg. I took their picture. They looked pretty comfy.

Today Red laid an egg with a thin scratchy shell.

So it is her, not the young birds not getting enough calcium. She is just a pet, weed digger, now. They wanted in the run tonight, circling it trying to get in, so I let them back in, and they roosted together in the coop, instead of on the roost in the run, letting the young birds have the big roost.
Camping out was a bonding thing? Might be less friction between the groups tomorrow, for having that day apart. I just want every bird to get enough to eat, and access to the nest.

Got a lot of bee hives and supers to build. about 20 or 25, depending on how wild I got on my order.

Gypsi