Let the coopening begin!

Good going!
I too thought your walls were rounded in the pics and was hoping you were going to be able to insulate and sheet inside but figured maybe it would be too difficult if they were rounded (like a grain bin!)
Glad they are square and you will be able to insulate, I cant understand anyone not insulating their coops, warmer in winter, cooler in summer whether you add heat or not , the insulating is a win-win situation I think.
It will be as nice as your photo studio when you are done!

I tried old fashioned white wash last year when I had mites. It made everything so nice and clean!

The coop is naked! Pressure washed and old trim stripped off.



More work has been done to the outside - I added two windows, mostly.

Here's the south side, with the existing windows. I just replaced the missing panes of glass tonight (not shown). I may have missed my calling as an antique window repair person.


The interior is now insulated, vapour barriered, sheeted and ready for painting, which is good, since the first occupants arrive on Friday!

Painting begins tomorrow!

Looking good! And just in time for the new chickies.

Interior progress! Forgive the weird choppy panoramic photo. And the mess.



I just have to finish trimming out the two windows on the left side of the photo, build four window screens, build a solid door, build a screen door, prime the trim, and put a couple of coats of paint on everything.

I have chickens arriving tomorrow, and a kid home sick from school today, so I don't think the painting will happen before they get here! Although you never know ... I am SuperWoman.

Once it is "ready" for chickens, I will keep plugging away at it and finishing up more of the exterior work.

The coop has chickens in it!! 

I did, indeed, get a coat of paint on, window screens built, and a door built before the chickens entered the picture. Still need to do the second coat of paint, but it's raining today, so I will wait for a day when the paint will dry more quickly. 

As you can see, my new "white" chanteclers had a great time scratching through the layer of shavings to the nice dry dirt underneath, and gave themselves a series of dust baths. 

Now aren't you glad you have a dirt floor!

Well, they're glad that I do. Lol

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Well, I have chants as of Friday at 9 p.m. lol They are the breed I have been researching and wanting for a full year! I'm so excited about them.

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Ah, been waiting for the day when we get to see the finished coop.  I could have lived in that, never mind the chickens.  It looks like a beautiful teeny tiny cabin, just my style, smiling.  Wow.  What a most incredible job you have done with the work, man oh man.  Go back and look at the original pictures, and always remind yourself of this accomplishment.  I am so impressed.  Dirt floors, yep, chickens will scrape away all the shavings to find that earth, they can smell it I think.  Soon earth and shavings will be one.  That will surely help to keep the coop dry.  Your climate?  Describe please?  Is it a dry climate?  Humid?  Just curious, and curiosity never got this cat .  Ya, so you are on to your wish list for chickens.  Beautiful birds, and happy that you are one step closer, well actually, many steps, cause looky at your chickeny barny!!  Have an awesome day (remember to answer my questions please), CynthiaM.

Jealous!

Cynthia,

Well, it's not *done* yet - still lots more work to do! But it's safe for chickens at this point, which is what needed to happen first.

Our climate is not usually too humid, although we have our days of high humidity. 

Of course,  now it's supposed to rain for the next week, so that is going to hinder all the painting that needs to happen!

More weird panoramic photos of the progress of the coop!

Roost and poop tray (basically a giant litterbox for chickens) is now done. Ignore the unpainted plywood leaning against the one wall - that's what I use to block off whichever freshly painted surface I have just finished.


Rollaway nest boxes are on the wall and being completely ignored in favour of digging holes in the ground to lay. Husband finished wiring the outlets AFTER I took this photo, of course.


And here are my girls "helping" aka trying to find a way to kick shavings and crud onto freshly painted walls.

I should have told you, those girls "love" being as high as they can!! Lol. If you want the one to lay make a shelf at approx 5' off the floor and she will lay her egg on that shelf consistently!! She never used the nest box here, just laid on a shelf which usually held extra dishes until she came, then the dishes were pushed to the floor so she could lay her egg!! Lol.

Wow, I have been in people houses that aren't as nice. I better not post pics of my new coop, it would be embarrassing.

bckev wrote:Wow, I have been in people houses that aren't as nice. I better not post pics of my new coop, it would be embarrassing.

Just wait until it's really done, lol.

Have you tried fake eggs? I have plastic eggs (easter egg things will do) and most of my hens (White Chanteclers and Buckeyes) will lay in the same nest box as the fake eggs. The fake eggs are very fake too, I am going to get ceramic ones which look much more like eggs and are harder to kick out of the nest.

But there is always a hen or two who likes to make a dimple in the shavings on the floor!

Lovely coop! I am sure it will give you years of pleasure...

heda gobbler wrote:Have you tried fake eggs?  

Not yet! I will have to get some. Or maybe some golf balls ...

I think you will be impressed....

Wow, I love what you've done with the place! So nice and bright inside.  Your hens will be rewarding your efforts for years to come.  


I use golf balls to train my young pullets where to lay. Works well and I like how easy they are to clean.

The coopening is progressing at a more rapid rate as winter approaches. We got it primed and the first coat of red paint on the outside now, so once I get the trim painted and put on, I will post new photos.

The layout on the inside has changed some, too - definitely evolving as I go!

Well, the trim is not done, but here's how it looks after one coat of red paint. Spraying is THE SHIZ when it comes to farm buildings - this 14x24 building can receive a coat of paint in one hour.



Now all the other buildings in the yard look shabby with their faded paint. I predict much painting of buildings next year.

must...buy...powersprayer...