New Coop

Today, three cute chicks in the new chicken coop were a crowing to beat the band.

The youngest one was the cleanest having first stood in the sprinkler to soak her pants and the bottom of her shirt.

 The coop may not be real pretty and it may not be extremely well made since it was built by me, but it was cheap, cheap, (get it) and it will be warm come winter.

The shipping crate the coop started from came from my hubby's work after sitting on the mine site for a couple years then sat at our house a couple more before I got around to making this small coop. By then the box was a bit warped but a few more two by four boards straightened it out enough to make it functional. The addition of insulation left over from residing the house made it far warmer. Plus some plywood, the thinner kind, added to the outside gave it a solid exterior. I used left over paint for the undercoat. Then I used left over pale pink paint for the interiors last coat of paint. I'm sure it will delight the one year old hens. After all doesn't every young female love pink? Okay, I didn't at that age but then I will confess to being rather different than the crowd. But I'm sure these girls will appreciate the feminine color along with its light reflecting properties. 

Efficiency is the name of this game and that's why the door is also the window. The roof of the coop can be easily removed for cleaning of the coop.

My coop may not look like a beauty and I may not be able to walk inside to gather eggs but the price was just right. The girls, meaning the hens, will appreciate the warmth that the low ceiling will give them in the fifty below wind chill when the howling winds are frost biting anything exposed and that includes combs.

They will appreciate the fact that coop sits on the ground not up in the air over a run. I know a run built underneath is efficient but it also makes the thing mighty cold in the winter and with the high winds we get, there is a good chance the coop will get blown over. Never under estimate our winds for I've seen four horse sized sheds blown over if not face in the right direction and secured to the ground.  

And though the kids have really enjoyed playing in it pretending that they are the hens, today we will be hauling home cow panels to frame the run. Somehow I think the grand kids will enjoy having hens in the coop just as much. 

I haven't forgotten about the tomato soup but it's my birthday and I'm going to go and celebrate.