It feels like a long time coming that I've needed a chicken coop. But really I just started this whole chicken adventure in June of this year. I went through many different makeshift coops and finally the day came when my official permanent coop was built.
My Dad came to visit and built it for me all the while saying things like "why exactly do you want chickens?" lol...I guess I can't blame him. He doesn't understand like I do the joy that comes with raising chickens. Aside from eggs you get constant entertainment! throw in a few turkeys and some ducks and the fun triples:)
I gave him a general idea of what I wanted from research online. I told him it needed to have perches, nesting boxes, good ventilation and be reasonably draft free. I told him I planned on putting a heated water source in the center surrounded and lifted off the ground with cinder blocks as to prevent a fire. I also planned to have a hanging feeder inside so that in the harsh heavy snow months they could just stay inside the coop.
I've decided to do the heavy layering method for the droppings. Even though I hadn't thought about that or planned for it in the coop design. It works anyway with layering straw, corn cob, wood shavings. I also bought 50lb alfalfa to lay in the nesting boxes because it comes apart in compact layers and lays nicely in the nesting boxes. Whereas the loose straw they'd just scratch out and the boxes were getting soiled. This way they don't remove the alfalfa and I can just add or take it out like a mat and shake the dried droppings off.
Here are a few pictures of the New coop! We have snow now and I'm so happy I have this coop!
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