Gate installed

All that is left is trim, touch up paint, and chicken wire over the run to keep the hawks out.



The chickens spent their first night without a heat lamp. Nobody froze to death. The coop light is on a timer that turns it off before dusk to give them a chance to settle down before dark. It seems to be working.

They got their first chance in the yard last weekend. They did not exactly run out given the opportunity. Once the came out, they figured out they could scratch up bugs and that grass sprouts are quite tasty.

Fence Finished

It still needs a door and the posts need to be cut down to size. I ran out of nails in the middle of the last 2 sections, so yet another trip to Home Depot. Luckily the kids were available, so I picked them up on the way. They so love the Home Depot. :) They got dinner out of the trip.

Fence Started

I got two sides of the fence up. Another 16ft section for the front and a 4ft section for the remaining side to go.



The chickens moved into their chateau today. It took the first one 3.5 seconds to poop on the new bedding and another 2 seconds to find the food and start eating.

Ready for occupation

I finished the inside except for the sills for the windows. It is painted and has wood pellets down for the floor bedding. I built a three rung roost "ladder" for the monsters to sleep on. I am going to give it one more day for the paint fumes to settle down and then tomorrow is move in day. They won't need a nest box for another five months or so, so that can wait.



I bought the lumber and fence for the run. I will probably start on that tomorrow. I wish Home Depot and the feed store were open tomorrow. I don't need any thing, but the expression on the kids' faces when I tell them we are going is priceless. Surly does not begin to describe them.

Let there be light

I ran 1/2" conduit from the house to the coop and pulled 12 gauge wire. I tied the coop into the 20 amp circuit that has the microwave on it. The coop is not going to pull many amps with just a 60 watt bulb and the deicer on the waterer. I also put the other piece of trim on the front right corner.



My new favorite store is Fleming's Feed in Preston. They have everything that Home Depot does not. Chicken stuff, hardware cloth, all kinds of fencing, and baled straw. They also hatch their own chicks which could come in handy once the roosters in my flock make themselves known.

Shingled

I put the shingles on. Once the windows in the coop should be watertight.

Fascia board

Installed the fascia board and soffit. I also put in the wire mesh between the walls and the rafters inside the coop. The pop door and egg door got the rest of their hardware as well. With the fascia board up, the roof is ready for shingles. Sunny day tomorrow. Yay!

Painted

Two coats of a very blue self priming exterior latex. I cheated and used a Wagner Power Roller. When I get the trim up, I can put on the shingles. It should be watertight soon.

Weather Vane

Found one on the intarwebs, handcrafted in Maine, at East Coast Weathervanes.

Roof

Framed in the rafters and put the sheeting on. Doesn't sound like much, but it took all day. Burned a vacation day, but it is supposed to maybe rain tomorrow and I figured a roof was probably a good thing. No shingles yet. Or paint.

First Wall Sided

I got the shiplap up on the first wall today. I also built and installed the egg door on that side. It took slightly longer than I expect, about 6 hours. No rain so far today and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny. I hope to get the other long wall covered and the roof framed tomorrow. I should probably paint the shiplap before I frame the roof. We'll see.

Framed

The walls are framed and installed. I cut the flooring and started painting it today as well. No more construction because it is, wait for it, raining! The weather looks better later in the weekend so I can get the shiplap up, the doors and windows framed, and hopefully get the roof on.

Rain

Surprise! It rained today. No, really.

I went to Niantic and picked up the windows today. Stopped by Home Depot (again Surprise!) on the way home and got some paint and lumber to frame in the windows and to build the doors.

I got home too late for any construction, but I masked the windows and put the first coat of paint on them.

Subfloor

No rain so I framed in the subfloor. It is supposed to rain for the next whenever. I can frame the walls on the front porch and then install them when it dries out again.

Chickens!

I bought 6 Rhode Island Red chicks from Salem Feed and Grain today. Let's hope they are all lady chickens. If not, we will be having coq au vin for dinner one of these days. The youngsters are in a puppy crate in the basement under a heat lamp for the duration of the construction.

Also made another trip to Home Depot. I bought plywood for the roof, shingles, and hardware for the door.

More materials

I went to Home Depot in Uncasville for more materials this morning. I bought most of the shiplap I am going to need for the siding, the 3/4" flooring sheets, vents for the ends, and some flashing for the doors and window. Home Depot does not carry fixed windows so I am going to have to look around.

It is supposed to storm this afternoon, so I am not going to start the framing yet. That and I dropped a sheet of the flooring on my foot at Home Depot and my little toe is quite purple. All the wood is on the front porch out of the rain with a tarp over the shiplap for extra protection.

Getting Started

I started clearing the area for the coop on Thursday. I ran all the fallen limbs and leaf mulch through the wood chipper, cleared out the big rocks, and cut down the sassafras saplings that were in the way.



Friday was the first trip to Home Depot with the kids for materials. I bought the wood for the skids, flooring, framing, and roof. I forgot the concrete blocks, so we stopped by True Value in Mystic on the way back from Westerly.

Today I set the concrete blocks and leveled the foundation. Much digging and swearing was involved, but the skids are level.



Done for the day.