Remember this ol' thing? A decrepit horse buggy that we envisioned as an amazing moveable chicken coop six months ago has finally become a reality. After a new wheel rim, stripping it down to the bare bones, lots of 2x4s, a new cedar shingle roof, and a couple paint coats….
And voila!
This is by far the best coop that we've ever built and, hopefully, the most functional. In years past we've done the A-frame moveable chicken coops, a standard permanent one, and other weird structures to keep the chickens contained but with plenty of bugs to eat. This coop, however, will be perfect for hauling across a couple acres to move the chickens around as needed and be a safe-haven from potential predators that have a tendency to dig underground for a midnight snack (that was surely one of the saddest mornings finding a coop full of blood and partially eaten chickens. Damn raccoon.)
Although it may appear impossible to move this coop due to the weight of the structure, Shaun can give it a push from behind to get some momentum and I'm off like a draft horse pulling this thing around…until I get to a muddy patch. Let's just hope that doesn't happen again or those chickens aren't getting to fresh pasture until summer. Hmm…a draft horse doesn't sound so bad now that I think about it.
Our twenty Rhode Island Reds seem to be liking their upgrade from a rubbermaid bin in our laundry room. Almost 5 weeks old now and I'm eager to stop buying eggs from the store but we'll make it another three months and enjoy watching them grow into little egg-making ladies as we move them around the land, fertilizing as they go...
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