Coop (Pt. 2)

It's dawned on me as we ready the "new" coop for its first fall season, that I never followed up with the finished product, which is a relative designation at this juncture. 
I'm not altogether pleased with some aspects of the interior and continue a re-design in my head.
But they seem content with their upgraded accommodations, and CAM frequently reminds me that's what matters.
Having all their supplies with them in one place is great, though on occasion they still follow me into the shed where the treats had been stored. 
An added bonus is the privacy the building created on the NW corner of the property.
Feast your eyes on these photos below and know that those are some mighty lucky chickens.
(Go here for their story and pictures of the original house.)

CAM designed and cut this ventilation all out freehand!

My sweet helper girls Amy and Viv knocked out the base coat in no time flat leaving more time to play!

CAM did an excellent job selecting the color

As well as fulfilling my 'cute' requirement: there's even a peep hole

Digging out an area for the pen attracts opportunists

The dog kennel came with the original hutch
We also re-purposed material from previous projects

Reinforcing with hardware cloth at the base will aid in predator prevention

Fresh pine shavings line the pen and will look like hell in a matter of minutes

See?

Guess what? Obrahma's chicken butt! (Down the ramp.)

Rhoda, Large Marge, Obrahma, RC & Brigid (RIP)

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We just can't get away from tarps: summer was too hot without shade

Because the roof is clear, the sun heated up the interior quickly; covering kept it cool

I painted the interior for a fresh look; while doing so also allowed me to eavesdrop on the deck builder's convo
Diatomaceous Earth along inside perimeter despite some rumblings in the Chicken Community; it's dusty, but I believe in its benefits

Ramp prior to paint
Isn't that some fancy flooring for birds to poop on? We intended to experiment with sand many keepers are fond of, but defaulted to straw since there's still so much around

Lots new nest boxes w/ mint to ward off flies and keep the coop smelling good

The chickens really don't like it, but tough. They also don't care for the design of the boxes...

...so we added the old one on top for a little privacy, which lessened their anxiety

The mint still does its job in the rafters and doesn't annoy them anymore

 

My grand design idea of the ladder has not met with success; 3 gals roost on the back shelf while RC is up on the crossbar

This sleeping arrangement lasted less than a week

Now that's it's the rainy season, tarps come off to allow in more natural light

And a roof covers the run to keep the gals dry

Arty coop shot (C) Rachel M. 7-13

Eventually, the large rocks excavated from various Crap Pits (tm) will surround the cage for even more protection and plantings of medicinal herbs and edible flowers will follow.
Like everything else up in this piece, it's a constant work in progress and always changing.
That the hens spend so much more time here in their new spot tell me they're really diggin' it and I still get a rise looking out the kitchen window to catch them in the act of crazy chicken antics.
That never gets old.