After months and months of working on it, the new coop is completely ready and installed in the new run!
Okay. Okay. It'll need a front panel once winter sets in. And a better ramp. And I'm not totally in love with the paint job, so it'll probably get repainted at some point. Oh, and I'll be tearing off the roof at some point and replacing it with a shingled roof.
But despite those little things, it's still a fully functioning chicken coop. Which, for now, equals = done.
:)
The coop and run.
Notice the nice door that lets me go in and out without endlessly jiggling the latch and theatening the safety of the curious hens inside. :) And the fact that I can stand up all the way once I'm inside! These are definitely improvements over the old (btw, I do intend to install some 2x4's and a tarp across the roof, both to provide cover in bad weather and to protect against hawks/owls).
A front view (the missing panel will go in the space on the left).
I found out today that the ramp is purely decorative - I set a chicken down on it and she slid all the way to the bottom! However, they don't seem phased by this - they just fly on up. *shrug*
Nice and roomy! And completely lacking in nesting boxes right now - I had originally intended to install them, but since the hens seem perfectly happy laying without them, it's slid to the bottom of the priority list. Plus, the little nests they make in the hay are so. darn. cute.
The back has two doors, allowing for easy cleaning (just slide a wheelbarrow underneath and rake out the dirty straw!) and plenty of access to the inside of the coop. Cuz I am NOT sticking my hands in to get eggs without being able to CLEARLY SEE that there are NO SNAKES. Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen.
See? Cutest little nest ever! (I did give them more straw, though... I wasn't sure how much to give them initially but it looks like they could use a little more).
I have some space under the coop to store my hay in the short-term, plus stick the feeder/waterer where they'll be sheltered from the elements.
The hens were extremely curious about our presence in the run - they were interested in the camera, the buttons on my dress, etc. :)
"Excuse me... what's going on?" :)
Me and my beloved hens!
In my denim dress, no less - rocking my inner farm girl. :)
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