Well, Frank knew of what he spoke, for sure. This chicken coop is no ordinary coop. I used the design from a coop I found on a chicken forum. Let me digress. A few years ago, I learned about chicken tractors. You build a small pyramid like structure and attach a short run for the chickens. Then you move the tractor around your property so that the poop fertilizes your yard and the chickens don't destroy one place. Chickens scratching can denude the ground. However, this is done with a handful of chickens - three, maybe four at the most. When I was confronted with the choices of chickens, how could I stop? And the place I ordered from had a minimum order of 15! You can't just have three breeds, so that makes 20, and then they throw in a couple more and you find yourself with a very large flock!
So, tractor idea out the window - and coop building commences.
You can see the beginnings here - footings set, two guys hard at work. The lengths we go for the girls.
The windows for the coop are from freecycle. I posted a request for vinyl flooring, but no luck = I may have to plead with a flooring company to give me some odd pieces. Nothing but the best for the chicks!
A word about the chicks - they are trying to fly. They sprouted wings overnight, it seems. These little feathery wings pop out from behind the chick fuzz. Sometimes they run and jump, regardless of what or who might be in their way.
Also, if you anthropomorphize the chicks, an easy task, it is easy to imagine the conversations they have. They stop and look at each other quizzically, as though running into an old high school friend whose name they can't remember. One tilts her head, the other tilts back, they nod, then walk on. Sometimes four or five of them will face the wall of the tub, heads still, motionless, as though expecting the door of an elevator to open.
Anne at Echo Mountain View Road chickens
