Done? Maybe…
If you’ve been following along, you know we built a 8’x16′ enclosed run for the chickens. You can read part 1 and 2 here. We had paid someone to build the Meaty Cluckers their big girl coop which we planned on attaching to our existing run so they had the most area to play in. The coop was finally delivered (ahead of schedule!) so we spend the last 2 weeks merging the structures into one big, secure, enclosure. It ended up being more work than I expect, due to some poor planning on my part, but in the end I think it came out pretty well.
Coops for a Cause
The coop we had built came from Coops for a Cause. It’s local here to New England and multiple friends highly recommended Jason and his crew. We opted for a 4’x6′ coop with all the bells and whistles. It has a fiberglass floor for easy cleaning, vinyl window, wired for electricity, automatic solar door, removeable nesting boxes and painted in our choice of color. At the time we ordered the coop, we didn’t have our existing run built so we also added a 4’x’8 enclosed run to the order. Both of these were delivered by Jason and he even helped get them into position. The coop craftmanship is top notch and better than anything I could have built. If you’re looking for a coop in the New England area, I highly recommend them.
It’s all connected
After delivery, my next step was trying to get everything connected and secure so no predators can get in. We removed the free, temporary, coop that chickies were using and filled our existing run with wood chips. Then I built a frame to match the shape of the new coop and after lots of trial and error was able to slide the new coop into the framed opening in our run. We spend 2 days going around and adding my 1/2″ landscape mesh to the skirting and moved some planters into place for extra predator protection.
Since the Coops for a Cause coop came wired for electricity, I was able to plug it into my solar inverter and installed a smart bulb into the coop. Now we have 2 cameras, a 12v water pump, and a smart bulb all running off free sun power. Speaking of smart bulbs – if anyone has a better recommendation for a smart bulb that can dim on a schedule – shoot me a message. I’ve tried Phillips Hue and Wyze and both scheduling apps suck.
The chickens are really loving the extra space to run – and they’ve especially loved being able to hang out under the coop where it’s cooler. We’re getting hammered with a heat wave of 95+ degrees, so we’re been trying everything we can to keep them cool and comfortable. It only took them a few nights, but they quickly learned to go into their new coop at night and so far haven’t been locked out by the automatic door.
I think we’re basically done with all the big chicken projects for now. The only other thing I might do is paint our run white to match the new run. But I’m undecided because the cedar is stained and it’s going to be hard to pain. What do you think? Should we paint the run or leave it as it?
