We've been busy building, next up was replacing the coop that was destroyed. Again, we used repurposed lumber and windows. The plan here was a bit different. Instead of setting posts in the ground, this is built on skids. This meant Dan could build it where the lumber pile was, near the greenhouse, instead of dealing with the mud near the chicken run. More importantly, it also means we can move it in the future. A mobile chicken house means we can take them away from their run when the grass is eaten up and put them somewhere with fresh pasture. We are always trying to make better use of our land and rotationally grazing areas with chickens reduces both mowing and insects while cutting down on our feed costs and giving the chickens a more natural diet.
This coop is also full of luxury features! While there is no removable window, there are ones that open. Ventilation was added near the roof with predator-proof wire. It sits much higher off the ground which prevents predators from lurking underneath and puts the chickens quite a bit higher up from ground level. This is really important, as we had a flash flood which reached all the way to the chickens' feet on their roosts last July. This should keep them safe in the event of another flash flood if the coop is near the creek. Dan also made a very special chicken door. It slides vertically to open and is extremely secure for keeping out nighttime predators. In the past I had to go into the chicken run each night to shut the door, but now I just have to pull a string! There is a small rope that runs through some plastic fittings to the outside of the coop, so I don't have to go in the coop or the run to open and close the door.
But perhaps my favorite feature are simply the door handles.
This coop is also full of luxury features! While there is no removable window, there are ones that open. Ventilation was added near the roof with predator-proof wire. It sits much higher off the ground which prevents predators from lurking underneath and puts the chickens quite a bit higher up from ground level. This is really important, as we had a flash flood which reached all the way to the chickens' feet on their roosts last July. This should keep them safe in the event of another flash flood if the coop is near the creek. Dan also made a very special chicken door. It slides vertically to open and is extremely secure for keeping out nighttime predators. In the past I had to go into the chicken run each night to shut the door, but now I just have to pull a string! There is a small rope that runs through some plastic fittings to the outside of the coop, so I don't have to go in the coop or the run to open and close the door.
But perhaps my favorite feature are simply the door handles.