The Result of "We are NEVER Having Chickens"
I have wanted chickens for as long as I can remember – and my husband’s response was always “Never!” Life was pretty busy with 3 children, so I pushed the idea aside. About a year ago, I stuck up the campaign again and this time found him to be more agreeable!
At first, he said I could have chickens if I could build the coop - and since I'm no Bob Villa - I decided to start looking for pre-assembled chicken coops on-line (ha ha!). When my husband saw the prices, he decided that we could do a better job ourselves!
This little three-sided shed has been on our property since we moved to our house 20+ years ago. One day early this Spring my husband said we could make a pretty nice chicken coop out of it.
So the construction begins…….Floor installation.....
Inside the coop - 'our side' up front and 'their side' in the back. Since I work full time, I knew I'd have limited time the mornings to check on the girls. We built a 2-room coop so I could gather eggs, store food and check on the chicks without walking through the mess!
Knowing the construction would take a few weeks, I planted our summer crop of corn where the outdoor chicken run will go..... Outside door and front window are installed.
The nesting boxes go in. They were built so egg gathering can take place on 'our side'.
Nesting boxes on 'their side'.....
Linoleum floor and clean out doors (flush with the floor) for easy clean up.
The outdoor run gets started.......the chain link fence and gate were part of a dog run we weren't using and the posts left over from a fence project we did a few years ago. Wood siding on the coop takes place of the old tin siding. My husband owns a glass shop so the windows, outer door, and screen door all were from his 'bone pile'.
I wasn't originally a fan of the yellow paint (on sale) but have grown to like it a bit. We added shelves for storage. Chicken wire divides 'our side' from 'theirs'. Window will be installed in the back for cross ventilation.
The roof of the outdoor run is almost finished. We re-used the corrugated tin from the original shed siding.
Solar panel installed for a bit of light in the evening. I'm amazed at how well it works!
The finished product! The chicken door can be opened and closed from outside the coop. The girls love their new home and it's easy to maintain and looks beautiful!
I'm so grateful for my husband's talent, hard work and especially for his love and acceptance of my desire to have chickens. We both enjoy checking on the girls after work and get a few laughs at their unique personalities!
