Chicken Coop Re-Do, and Then Some!

Chicken Coop Re-Do and Then Some!-
I mentioned a few weeks back that we were going to re-do our coop. The small size is nice and compact, but too hard to clean and maintain. Hubby and my backs don't do well in that small space. So.... wait for it....... we decided to re-build and expand it. When you're a DIY-er the first thing you do is make a plan! We wanted the same footprint, just taller, and with more roosting room. We also wanted to add the hinge to the nesting box on the bottom to eliminate leakage. Dave added a wood floor for 1/2 the coop, to have a clean area the girls wouldn't dig thru. After Dave designed the re-do (with input from me of course!) he started looking for materials. We got a lot of used materials free, and thru the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. We also went to SHIP, a local used materials store benefiting a clean and sober facility. I actually found the $10.00 cedar/lattice custom made door, marked down from $110.00!

Dave figures we used about 80% - 90% used or hugely reduced, like the shingles- about 20% of new. We had to buy 2 sheets of plywood, a couple of 2x4's and normal hardware- screws, nails, caulking. I bought a gallon of the same color paint as we were low. We figure the total cost NEW would have been between $800.00- $1,000 or so. We spent about 1/4 of that, a good investment for us. I will say- we both thought it took a lot longer than we thought it would. It was a 3 day job instead of the one building the walls, then getting everything else done. When you're a DIY-er and working with used materials, it can take longer to cobble it all together.

So here the pics, and it's not painted yet, or prettified, so more soon! I'm hoping to paint in the next week. I've got the croupy crud, hacky-hacky.

 

                                                                    Materials piles

                                                     Backyard work station, old coop in back

              Dave pre-built the two main walls, then I helped him get them up and secured

Demo-ing the old coop

Lifting those walls was so much fun! HEAVY!!!

Temporary nesting box in the garden

Framing done

Roof going up

Roof on, nesting box on front. I helped install the upper windows and was on clean up patrol. 

Having the flu limited what I wound up doing. Oh well...

Nesting box on the front has a drop entrance, no more leaks...

 Dave finishing the inside up. New roosting area up in front of the upper window ($10.00)

Ellie test drove the new nesting box first... 

                                         
                                                             I LOVE my $10.00 door!!!

When it's all done I'll post photos, all painted the same sage green, with more fun stuff on the front. I'll also be caulking, doing a lot of tightening up for bad weather. It was a good time to do it, dry and mild, no veggies in the garden yet. We have lots of leftover lumber going to the freebies at Craigslist...

THANKS DAVE!!!

xxxooo