The Chook Cabin

Construction of the chicken coop began in March using lumber salvaged from my workplace. It measures 8' x 8'. We only had to buy four sheets of plywood and a few boards for the trim pieces, the rest of the wood was absolutely FREE! Gotta love that! The door is the former garage screen door that was blown off during a particularly violent wind storm in January. The window is a framed piece of plexiglass with a hardware cloth screen in front of it.

Jim worked very hard on the coop and I really have to hand it to him...he did an excellent job. Notice the little decorative piece at the roof peak. He came up with that design himself. It's the north star above a heart. My cousin, John, helped moved the coop onto its cinder block foundation. Isn't it nice to have a family member with a forklift?

The nestboxes were made from leftover scraps. There are eight total--four on each side. The coop faces south to soak up the sun in winter and is shaded by the shop. There are several pines around the coop that will provide shade for the chickens when they are out in their run. We won't be building the run just yet. First we'll have to cut the hen door and make a little ramp for them.

The chicks arrive next week, on April 14. I'm sure they'll just love their cozy little Chook Cabin!