This is a chicken coop I built today completely out of scrap materials. Well, almost completely. It can house 4 birds. In a perfect world, I may have done things a little differently... but then again, maybe I wouldn't. The form followed the on-hand materials. If I had some piano hinges, it might have nifty egg-retrieval doors at the back. But since it's a small coop for a small number of birds, it may be just as easy to retrieve eggs through the front door.
This is a view of the door/ramp closed. It needs a latch to hold it closed. I think my mom has some left-over hook & eye latches.
This is a rear view of the coop. Now all the scraps didn't come from our construction projects alone. I first ran out to Paula's this morning and cleaned out her scrap pile. Then we ran out to the Garnett farm and picked up a pig for my mom. (I know, not related, but still exciting. It is wrapped in little packages and in the freezer, so it isn't the grunting type.) Then I got scraps from my mom's house. That, combined with our scraps (and a few things we have around here for future projects that will just need to get replaced before we get started) and a day's worth of my elbow grease went in to this coop. Really. I didn't get my morning shower until 8:30 pm. Oof!
Here is a view of the inside. This is 2 nesting boxes, with little perches in front of them. The opposite side looks just the same. So other than that latch, I just need some red roofing screws to put in the top and she'll be ready to go. Of course, corner molding and paint would spiffy it up a bit. I've even thought of using some of my decorative hooks for hanging flower baskets to attach to the front for hanging a feeder & waterer...So what am I going to do with this coop, since I plan on housing far more than 4 birds? Well, it's for a friend. She will have 3 hens, and I might talk her into a rooster... :) I hope she likes it! If not, I'll have to get those piano hinges, corner molding, some primer and some paint. And more elbow grease.
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Update: I'm not as young as I used to be. This "little" project has had me awake with a pinched nerve by 2:30 am the past 2 days. That drill! Why it happens only at night, I don't know! I need to go to the chiropractor. I need to stop doing unfeminine tasks and sew or something instead!
Billie, the coop is very well done. I would find it difficult to give away after all that hard work (and now the fruit of the labor---pain). Excuse me if I laugh but after reading and hearing about all your farm work escapades, I can't see you sitting down and sewing, knitting, or crocheting. You have to be too still for those!
I bought a sewing machine last year when I was losing a lot of weight. My intentions were to take in all my clothes so I didn't have to buy new ones. That lasted through about 4 needles and several yelling fits. I had bought a cheap machine thinking it would suffice. It didn't, so gave that one to my mom because she wanted it. I got a "nicer" one and...it STILL broke needles and didn't do what I wanted. Thus, I gave up and went shopping (for clothes)!
Read your ongoing baby saga today! I like the names but also like Samson (dog or not). DW had mentioned Shiloh one day and I wondered why it sounded familiar. You mentioning the Pitts lets me know why now. TP and I were looking through the Bible recently to find names and we found Shi Shank and Sisra (Sis for short). However, DW didn't think they were good choices. So we are back to the research. If we find any good ones, we will enter the naming contest.
Oh, quick share---My parents' young friends have 9 wee ones and all have Biblical names except one--Ashley. When they realized what they had done, the search was on for finding her name (or a derivative)in the Bible. I have been told they found it but not sure what they used to get out of that dilemma!
Have a terrific 4th and careful with the fireworks and food!
Thanks for your compliments on the coop! I was told today that it looks like a man made it, not a woman! I think that was a compliment...!
Really, I can sew! I reupholstered our couch and made curtains before I got pregnant with Samuel, and somewhere along the line since then, I found another couch and 2 matching chairs at a garage sale and reupholstered them. I used a sewing machine that was as old as I am, and it is now retired. I have yet to figure out the new one (clearance display model--no owner's manual.) My mom got a really nice Pfaff off e-bay but it has an owner's manual the size of a set of encyclopedias and I have yet to tackle that one as well. Actually, I tried, but it's too high tech for me!
I want to learn to knit, crochet, and spin--I'd like to have sheep or cashmere goats some day, spin the yarn, and knit something with it. I think it would be really neat to say I followed a product all the way through the supply chain! :)
Shiphrah's middle name, Abrielle, is the French, feminine form of Abraham, so I can see how a name can be stretched to fit the mold! Other S names I've found are Shulamath and Synteche, but David nixed those as well. :) I'm not in any hurry. :)
You have a happy 4th as well! :) Careful with food? I think I'll start that on the fifth. Maybe. :)
Oh, and your tension was off--that's why the needles broke. I've done my fair share of that as well. Very frustrating!
I love my coop, I can never thank you enough for all the nice things you do for me. Now, for the really important stuff...the hens, Carlotta and Gina love it too as they blessed us with two big beautiful eggs this afternoon!
Thank you so much,
Paula, Carlotta (Rhode Island red w/black trim tail feathers) and Gina (RIR w/red tail feathers)..LOL...
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