Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Fancychooklady]

Looks great Ben, reminds me of a little miners hut. All it needs now is a picket fence and some flower pots.

 

[lindz8504]

I think it looks amazing! What did you use to oil the outside? I am going to have to do something to mine this summer and really like how this looks!

 

[Fancychooklady]

I wish I had taken pics of the inside of coro cottage when I finished painting. Our perch setup is like yours and the buggers manage to poo on the wall. Your coop would be perfect for a sand litter along that wall under the perch.
I'm really getting hooked on this sprouting thing. The chooks love it.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I think it looks amazing! What did you use to oil the outside? I am going to have to do something to mine this summer and really like how this looks!

The outside was mostly done with Cabbott's exterior treated pine oil. Took about 6l (1.5gal) But I feel we got a better result from the cheaper linseed oil I finished off with.. A light sand before hand would have made for a better job. I skipped that step partly because the guy over the back works nights and secondly because that was a good excuse to be lazy lol.

I wish I had taken pics of the inside of coro cottage when I finished painting. Our perch setup is like yours and the buggers manage to poo on the wall. Your coop would be perfect for a sand litter along that wall under the perch.
I'm really getting hooked on this sprouting thing. The chooks love it.

That is looking great, we got some good sprouts, but not that thick and lush. Nice job.

I just got back a long run, so after undoing my hard work with a bacon sandwich I am going back out to do a bit more work. Alicia is doing well too now, not 100% but up and about, talking and keen for that chocolate she could not eat the other day.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Got a bit more done today, cooler day which always helps with working outdoors (Australian cooler, not Michigan cooler!!!)

Still have the ramp to do, still not sure how am going to tackle that, got a couple of ideas to look at next time I am out there.

Almost looks lived in while the flock was out in the yard this afternoon.



The temporary nest boxes. A few milk crates lines with all weather carpet and straw. Leftover pantry offcuts to make the lips and anti perch cover. Inside dimensions of almost 13x13x13 (320 mm's) Looks a bit small for my liking, so the real ones will be a bit bigger when they are made. Upper two have little perches. I had them three wide and two high, but they went under the main roost so I have to stack them.


Painted the floor, put double door magnets on, fitted the windows and added some mesh to the inside so we can open the windows when needed without things getting in or chickens getting out.


Trying to track down some lino for the floor before putting sand down over the top. That and the pop door ramp and the flock can move in and track the place.

 

[NovaAman]

The milk crates might look small, but I'll tell ya, my birds love their milk crate. Yeah, just one, and it is open side up between two other tote box nests. But, its not been used as a roost.

We are looking at a heat wave here this week. Gonna have a quick melt and rain, and I fear a swamp... All my skids are buried under 5 feet of snow. Might try and get 1/2 dozen bags of sand and crushed Crete in the coop area where it flooded big time last year... Not looking forward to this week. Am actually quite anxious over it...

 

[Bens-Hens]

If I could Nova I would come round and lend a hand, clear some snow and toss out any other trash you got that need tossing out.

Good luck.

 

[lindz8504]

 

[Bens-Hens]

NICE!!! There are some sweet colours there.

How long does it take to collect that many?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Got a bit more done today, cooler day which always helps with working outdoors (Australian cooler, not Michigan cooler!!!) Still have the ramp to do, still not sure how am going to tackle that, got a couple of ideas to look at next time I am out there. Almost looks lived in while the flock was out in the yard this afternoon. The temporary nest boxes. A few milk crates lines with all weather carpet and straw. Leftover pantry offcuts to make the lips and anti perch cover. Inside dimensions of almost 13x13x13 (320 mm's) Looks a bit small for my liking, so the real ones will be a bit bigger when they are made. Upper two have little perches. I had them three wide and two high, but they went under the main roost so I have to stack them. Painted the floor, put double door magnets on, fitted the windows and added some mesh to the inside so we can open the windows when needed without things getting in or chickens getting out. Trying to track down some lino for the floor before putting sand down over the top. That and the pop door ramp and the flock can move in and track the place.

Ben that nest box is bordering ' genius '. I may need to show that to hubby. He made a little nesting hut using cherry baines and metal sheeting off the side of an old horse float. I'll get a pic , when it stops raining.