New Chicken Coop

Changes are happening on our little homestead. The most recent one is our new chicken coop. This is our fourth chicken coop we've built in our 11 years of owning chickens. Our first coop we built was rather small, but we added onto it and made it work for many years with no problems. In 2017 we got rid of our first flock of chickens because they were fairly old and we wanted to start over with some young chicks. During this time we also tore down our original coop, with the intentions of building a new coop, but we ended up moving to the 'big house' that year. 

Due to the chaos of buying a fixer-upper and deciding to sell it within a month of purchasing it, my husband and I were unable to focus on building a new coop or buying chickens. But our oldest son decided he wanted to do it on his own. He built a small coop and bought 20 chicks (laying hens). Thankfully, the coop was small because when we sold the 'big house', a year later, we were able to move the coop back to our old house fairly easily. Fast forward another year and we just felt it was time to build a bigger coop. We'd actually prefer for our hens to free range all the time, but we don't have the space for that and they'd most likely eat all our crops. 

In previous years, we've also tried our hand at a using chicken tractors, but we discovered we preferred the stationary coop for our property layout. Every homesteader has to find their own way and what works best for them. There's nothing wrong with trying new things. When we're adding on to our homestead we try to take into account all of our circumstances ~ what works for one homestead may not work for another and that is perfectly okay.

We started building the new chicken coop at my FIL's shop, which is next door to where we live. We did not use any set chicken coop plans, just referenced a host of different ideas and went from there.

Before the coop got too big we used the tractor to relocate it to where we wanted it to be on our property. We haven't always had the luxury of a tractor, but it sure is nice to have around when we need it, especially when it comes to moving heavy things like our coop.

This is how we set up the inside roost and nesting boxes. Before we move the hens into their new home, we'll put a nice layer of pine shavings inside, on the floor.

This is my favorite part of the coop. Here is our 'egg grabber hatch', lol. This is located on the back side of the coop and it just makes it easier to locate the eggs.

Building the new chicken coop was a major family affair. It was a great learning opportunity for all of our children. Nothing like hands-on experience.

We up-cycled some metal off of our roof which was damaged in a wind storm recently, to finish off the roost/nesting box part of the coop. The reminder of the coop is closed in with chicken wire, including the top. We have many predators in our area so we have to make sure the coop is extra secure. We even lay some pieces of wood and blocks around the bottom of the coop to make sure the chickens are safe and sound ~ we don't want any little critters making a meal out of our prize laying hens. 

We currently have 17 chickens, which is plenty for us. We average a dozen or more eggs a day. We are planning to add some guineas and meat chickens to our homestead in the very near future. I'm not sure which ones will be taking up residence in the old coop, but rest assured it will be repurposed in some form. I'm so excited to watch our homesteading endeavors continue to grow and evolve. It really is so much fun learning new things.

 We've come a long way over the years. We've worked hard, made a lot of mistakes, but God has more than honored our efforts. I've said it time and time again, the simple life isn't an easy life, it's just a different life with amazing rewards. To be able to work alongside your most treasured people to meet the needs of your family is definitely a special gift from the Lord.

With Love & Hope

Jennifer