Since Buffy and Penguin absolutely hate each other we had to build a new coop and a run to keep the two separated. Buffy will have a cohort of hens and Penguin will keep the Araucanas.
Just before Christmas, the fencing was started and the area for the run marked out. It's actually larger than the current one, but just devoid of much vegetation. Trench digging and laying out a skirt is a must. Foxes are in the area and notorious for digging through fencing.
We could have spent about $1000 for a brand new coop, but I had mainly pallets and other scrap material. This way, I could tailor the coop to the space (slightly slopey and under a tree), plus it is significantly cheaper.
Had to mark out the base and get them level. First wall is up.
Not long after, the second section went up too.
The second section included the space for the chicken door and a window.
They were kept up by bracing until I could get the proper frame up. Unfortunately, we had a rain and wind event overnight. Which meant, I had to put them up again, and these panels are really heavy!
Opposite wall got put up. It has a large window for us to peekaboo at the chickens.
How awesome is a mitre saw? $99 including the stand. Bunning was having a great sale that day :)
So much more accurate (and faster) than a (blunt) handsaw.
The top brace went in and stabilised the whole structure. I added an initial door, but I hated this one and it came down soon after. Built a much better one after.
External nest box building. I thought it looked like a kids park bench at this stage :P
Nest box installed. I read that foxes could potentially lift up the lid of the box and crawl into the coop. Gaah! So I will have to put a hasp on it.
At this stage, the entire coop has cost about $20
For us, the fence is just the primary defence. The coop will have to be as fox proof as we can make it. This includes putting a wire floor on the inside. In case the fox gets past the fence and tries to dig under the coop. If we could afford it, we would have poured concrete on the floor, then again, we would have bought a metal, un-chewable coop. Yes, I heard that foxes will chew through wood and the other day, I heard that they chewed through the tie wire holding the fence and slipped in between fencing!
The wire floor will be covered by a thick layer of soil and a nice soft ground for the chickens. The roofing was what blew the costs out. I chose clear plastic as the coop was situated under a tree which would make this coop very shaded. I wanted as much light as possible inside.. At over $20 a panel and 5 panels, $100 just for the roof.
Oh, and I had to buy roofing screws too...erm, add another $20 to that.
So that was started on the Christmas holidays and it is now 20th Jan. Still have to finish off part of the fencing. The automatic chicken door arrived today and will most likely be installed this weekend. That and a new perch is all that is needed! Hopefully, all done by the 24th. So 1 month to hand build? Not bad I think. Considering I have no building experience! Once the chickens are in, I can worry about paint. They are so nosey they will probably want to help me paint! Stay tuned for the final pics!
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