Chicken coop

We are building a chicken coop.  Its taking longer than expected, surprise, surprise.  We started with the floor.

Zander thought it was a dance floor

 We got many of our supplies for free.  Either from kind neighbours, or from the Reuse Center.  The Reuse Center deserves a post all to itself.  So many amazing finds come from there!  Its like a secondhand store, but everything is free!  Its all run by volunteers.  You can donate anything and take anything you want.  They have toys, clothes, fixtures, building supplies, kitchenware, electronics, appliances, games, puzzles, sports equipment, and just about anything else you can think to need.  Some of our great finds there were our fridge (in perfect working order!), metal roofing, a dehumidifier, a bench, even a didgeridoo!  For the coop we found a great metal door, and all the windows.

The door needed a bit of work and a bit of paint

Building is a family affair.  Even Finnlee got in on the action! 

Framed walls

We changed our design part way through to give the hens more floor space.  We're completely new to this whole chicken thing, so we're learning as we go

Nesting boxes with outdoor access

The roof is made of end slabs of cedar from the mill up the street obtained for next to nothing

Landscape cloth also covers the vents just under the ceiling to prevent predators from gaining access and to provide ventilation

The windows are 2 panes set into grooves for better insulation.  The opening is well protected by 1/2 inch landscape cloth

The chicken door is well protected by a chicken wire tunnel into the run

Chris put squirrel spikes on top of it so predators can't climb up on top

The outdoor run will give them a safe place to be when we are not home to let them free range

 The pine shavings we will use for litter are free from a local millwright.  

We made the food pipe from leftover PVC.  Holes drilled into the straight piece for chickens to get the food, a long pipe with elbow reaches through a small door to allow us to fill it from the outside.

The water bucket is an experiment.  A 5 gallon bucket with holes cut into the side and a water jug upside down to allow for a gravity fed water supply.  We'll see how the hens like it.

The perches are removable for easy (easier) cleaning.

The coop all ready for a our new feathered friends!  Fresh picked chard, cabbage, mint, clover, wild oregano and yarrow