Stuck at Home? Build a Chicken Coop!

Yes, @balticbadger is back at it and blogging again. Renewed with a new sense of community and excited to see the dawn of a new era on HIVE!

Anyways, let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this blog.

Industriousness!

Nothing gets people through hard times like gettin busy, and no matter your definition of that, I promise if you keep the mind focused and sharp you will maintain lower stress levels therefore be a better functioning individual.

I’ve been trying to get @mrsbadger to agree that we should get chickens and with this whole corona virus scare I was finally able to convince her that we need them!

There was an abandoned outbuilding from the original homestead on the property from the 1800s and it was the perfect building to convert into a coop. Just needed to be cleaned and renovated.

Next, I put in the nest boxes. I bought a huge sheet of wood for the door and the boxes and it worked out to be the perfect amount of wood. I read online that you need one box for 2-4 birds. Even though we are starting out with 6 chickens, I wanted the option to expand in the future.

Notice the board in front I added to keep the eggs and straw in the box.

I was worried the chickens would roost in the boxes and I didn’t want to have to clean the poop out of the straw every day so I added a roost on the opposite side of the coop.

They love the roost! The hens roost there and on top of the nest boxes, which is fine by me because it’s easy to clean.

Special delivery! Six, 22 week old, hens. They were only 9.50€ a piece and already had begun laying eggs. I thought it was a really good deal.

The chickens figured out the nest boxes immediately and have been laying in there the whole time. We get about 3-4 eggs a day which is just the right amount for us.

Now we have a steady supply of eggs, something to entertain the children (and us), and a yummy chicken dinner once they stop laying! Eventually I would like a rooster to try and get some chicks but I am not ready for that yet.

Twins! And it even looks like a chicken.

I am really happy how this project turned out and in the end it only cost a little over 150€ for fencing, the hens, and wood.

Luckily, we already had the building and only needed to put in the work. I probably could have saved money by getting scrap wood from a friend, but due to time and corona I just bought it from the hardware store.

Do you have chickens? Any tips for a new homesteader?

Have a good one!

-@balticbadger