So along with moving cattle, I got several things, accomplished and semi accomplished with the chickens.
I have a new batch of meat birds coming in the next couple weeks so I needed to get a securable coup built that would keep the predators out. It doesn’t look like much other than a wood box at this point but I should have it looking like an actual coup next weekend. The main door will be were the missing panel is right now and will be an actual swing door. I have built this coup in place inside the main chicken run due to the fence being already there. I would eventually like to figure out a way to make the roof section (the area of the roof currently missing) open-able as well like a lift up but for now i will only be semi securing it and tar papering it for weather protection on the roof. I will also be cutting holes for windows (wire mesh) and adding closeable flaps to let light in but keep draft out. Wheels will be added so i can easily move it around, for when I decide to move it a permanent location/pen.
Half a meat coup
The new brooding coup turned out perfect, albeit not visually perfect but better than i originally expected. I think it looks good and is roomy enough for momma to brood the eggs. Although she was a little mad the first day i put her in, I haven’t heard a peep from her Sunday or Monday. She has just been contently sitting on the eggs. My only concern at this point is that since the eggs she is currently sitting on are from the new hens I don’t know if they are fertilized with them being so new. I thought about waiting another month but mama was ready to sit on eggs so I figured what the heck. I will candle them next weekend and see if there be any life in them.
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 Inside the brooder |
 9 Eggs being brooded |
 Mama taking a break |
I also got he shingling started on the main coup. This has been a long time coming. I only got about half of it done due to the fact that laying the new laundry room floor in the house squirled my knee up and its feeling all funny and swollen. I will finish it next weekend likely. I have a couple more improvements to do to the main coup but they are not important and can wait. I need to put a better closing door on the coup, the one I have is make shift at best. Maybe something that closes and opens easy enough that I don’t have to shove it to get it closed, some kind of roller door would be good and a pulley type system I can do it from outside the fence. The other thing is the back panels need to be redone, I want to make the two big doors that swing open, right now I have to unscrew the fiberglass panels to clean the coup, its annoying at best. I also wanna redo the egg box door, maybe do this also as two swing doors instead of a single 4×8 plywood lift panel.
Other things accomplished this weekend