After much deliberating, we finally settled on a plan for the chicken coop. It’s a pretty big structure, 4’x8′, but should handily contain our 8 birds.
We picked up lumber at Home Depot last night; 4 sheets of ply, 13 2x3s, and a handful of other dimensional lumber. It was enough wood to actually be kind of expensive, but it’s cheap compared to the $1500-$2000 you can expect to spend online for a coop.
We were up early this morning and were building by 8:00 or so.
By dinner time, the superstructure of the coop was built out, frame, roof, and gable ends. There’s still a lot left to do, putting on the roof, building the roost and nests, and putting in several doors.
We need to get the roof finished next, because the coop is going to start getting really heavy and difficult to move, once the roof is on. We’re going to want to put the roof on in situ, I think, which means we’re going to need a sunny day and be ready to get the whole job done at once.
If all goes well, we should be able to move birds in with one more day of work, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it’ll be at least another full weekend before we get it done.
Hang in there, chickens. Your new home is underway.