Over the last week, Dave Foote (landlord, hobbit-wannabe) and I have been building our chicken coop. It is built to hold 10 chickens, but I bet it could hold more, especially since they will have lots of pasture to run around in.
Anyways, we framed the entire thing last weekend, and this weekend we cut all the walls and started attaching them. The front of the coop will have a ramp leading up to a single square door. On either side of the door, there will be nest boxes with hinged roofs (for easy egg snatching). The back side will have a couple of doors that swing down so I can scoop all the chicken poop out and turn it into compost. Composting bird droppings is a smellier and more involved process than composting vegetable scraps.
The other night we wanted to find out how much space a chicken needs to be considered "free range". Apparently in the US, the only thing that "free range chicken" means is "has been outside at least once in its lifetime". So, "free range" is another marketing gimmick, at least until the term means anything like what it sounds like.
Anyways, we framed the entire thing last weekend, and this weekend we cut all the walls and started attaching them. The front of the coop will have a ramp leading up to a single square door. On either side of the door, there will be nest boxes with hinged roofs (for easy egg snatching). The back side will have a couple of doors that swing down so I can scoop all the chicken poop out and turn it into compost. Composting bird droppings is a smellier and more involved process than composting vegetable scraps.
The other night we wanted to find out how much space a chicken needs to be considered "free range". Apparently in the US, the only thing that "free range chicken" means is "has been outside at least once in its lifetime". So, "free range" is another marketing gimmick, at least until the term means anything like what it sounds like.
Anyways, here are some more pictures:
My current pile of manure sacks, beneath an old bathtub:
The front of the coop. You can see the doorway in the center, with the holes for the nest boxes on the sides:
The backside, with openings for the "poop scoop" doors (You can see our compost bins in the background):
Today, I cut and installed the floor, along with the roosts (basically, sticks that the chickens sleep on). I'll post some more pictures later.
I'm so impressed Tim. It looks very professional :) and Marijke your a doll in the chicken box (only you could fit in a little cardboard box). Can't wait to show the girls. xoxo