Coopaholic

Five years, six coops. 
How did this happen?

The first coop I built, as I recall, was pretty darn perfect.  It kept the young ladies safe and comfortable, and it looked rather adorable in the backyard.  

When Lucy's feet were damaged by disease, of course I had to build the Special Needs coop for her.  It, too, looked good and served its purpose.  

With no reason to build another coop, I started sketching and building chicken-tractors and play-structures and cage-things... 

....because you can never have too many tractors and play structures and cage things.

But when my little barred rock, Pigeon, came along, she and I needed a project. Pigeon inspired me to build just one more coop.

Pigeon was a good little helper.  

Here's Coop #3.

Pigeon never lived in this one. Nobody ever lived in this one. Though my heavenly blue morning glories lived ON it.... and it did serve as a handy jailhouse for Lil'White on the many occasions that she deserved incarceration.  

The flock grew, as flocks do, and I decided that my precious ladies needed a more glamorous, palatial space. I found myself sketching again....

and I found myself sawing and drilling and wrestling hardware cloth again.

Coop #4 was bright and spacious, 

with a 12' x 5' covered run and a big picture window.   A few months later, I added an 8'X8' back room.  This was it. This was perfect. I was done. Ta-da! 

But still, coops kept on happening. 

I don't even know why I built this little thing.  

Lucy does love to get herself wedged into the front porch, though, and Daisy once laid an egg inside.
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  

Two years ago, when that freak October snowstorm hit New England, an oak tree crushed the little red coop I had built with Pigeon. 

No chickens were harmed, as it was still vacant.  But my confidence was absolutely crushed. From that night on, I lay awake wondering if my ladies were safe, or if they'd be the next victims of a plummeting tree limb. 

I wished I'd built my coops out of two by fours instead of toothpicks.

This spring I took the plunge and sprang for a solid prefab structure.   

It was a rather ugly 6X8 shed made of two by fours and pine planks -- but it was a structure that could stand up to the perils of an oak forest.

As soon as it was plunked down into the yard, I revved up the ol' saber saw and extracted that tiny front window.  No tiny windows for my gals.  They like lots of light and air and a good view.  I cut three more huge windows on the south and west sides, too. 

I added a nest box, then built the ladies a 16' X 6' covered run, filled with roosts and logs and feeding stations.  

Meet Coop #5!

Now there was room for the three older gals as well as my four new nuggets. 

....and of course I can always add on.

The new coop was complete. The ladies were thrilled. I was done.  
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  

But the nuggets, having moved from my living room into a cage on the back porch, were homeless. They needed a bigger space, but they also needed another month or two to grow - in size and in smarts - before I tossed them into the big coop with those scary old ladies. 

I fought the urge to drag out the tools, but then I met a neighbor who had some nice windows to sell for $5 each. 
They were really nice windows.
I bought one. 

I designed a little coop around it, 
made with scraps from coops gone by.

Introducing Coop #6!

Daisy approved.

I put the little ladies inside, showed them where to roost, and locked them up for the night.  

The four little pullets slept in a piggie-pile in the corner. 

The next night: 

They still didn't figure it out. 

Night three: 

they discovered the roost.

Night four: 

Well done, little ladies!

Was I done?  
Almost.

I turned their little coop into a chicken-tractor with a sidecar.  

Am I done now? 
Yes.

...til my power tools recharge.

N E W C O O P !

I think this is the design my chickens were hoping for:

But this is the design I chose :

  --and they love it.

It's a lot like the old coop, but twice as big, and I gave it all sorts of nifty updates... two nest boxes instead of one, lots of ventilation for hot nights, little doors all over the place for filling the feeder, for changing the water,  for the girls coming and going..

I would be tearing down the old coop completely, but not until the new one was finished.

The mini-coop was staying put.  

It was a handy first-home for little Fern and Daisy, and I'm sure I'll be using it again.   
Also,

the mini-coop was a nice place to grow Heavenly-blue Morning Glories, my favorite.

Wow -- when I look at these photos, I think the construction looks kind of impressive.  
Honestly, I pretty much eyeballed the whole thing. There are no right angles.
But with a couple of power tools and a million drywall screws, anything's possible.  

These here building inspectors gave me the go-ahead, so 

here it is!  the new coop.  And the old dog house, and the little coop.
That little piece of string supports bird-netting that covers their whole yard and keeps out hawks, who sit in the trees all day, watching the hens and licking their lips.

The ladies are thrilled with their big new coop. 
Why is Marky dressed like a pumpkin, you ask?  
I made him a blaze-orange vest so he won't get shot while bounding through the woods.  

See, now he doesn't look so much like a bunny.


The little dog house in the chicken-yard used to be Marky's,

but he fancies himself a rugged outdoorsman, and refused to go inside it,

so Pigeon and Lucy took it over.
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  


Autumn is molting season.  
This year it was Lil'White and Pigeon who decided to molt.


They each have their own molting styles.

  

Lil'White drops all her golden feathers in about a day.
The coop looks like a chicken exploded,
but Lil'White still looks as voluptuous as ever.

Pigeon's feathers fall out one by one.   She started two months ago, and there's no end in sight.   

Wherever Pigeon goes, she leaves a little stripey trail.

Little Fern's feathers are all over the yard, too, but not because of a molt.


Next post :
PLUCKED !