The Adventures of PeteMan: Chicken coop!

This kind of got buried a bit ago, but I wanted to announce the completion of our new chicken coop! This is significant, not only because it will allow us to raise our very own chickens for eggs and meat, but also because it offers a model of sustainable home agriculture even for those who have very little land.

It is also significant on a personal note because this is the first free-standing structure I have every designed and built. As you can see below, some of the craftsmanship betrays my amateur status, but as long as it continues to be functional I don’t think the chickens will notice how ugly it is.

Below you can see the progression of construction from zero to finished.

The only tools we used to make this were a hammer, wire cutters and a hand saw...oh, and nails.

We started with four A-frames, supported by a central "spine".

Normally, I would have wanted to use a lot more wood in this project. But with a limited amount of money, (not to mention having to carry all the materials from the hardware story on foot) stretching a fine screen seemed to do the same thing at lesser cost. Even if it is a little less sturdy.

The rain fly can be raised or lowered to allow the chickens air/shelter depending on the weather

Recently, we have also purchased 4 chickens specifically for egg-laying. Because both groups of chickens tend to fight, we've sanctioned off a section of the yard for them. Here is what it looks like now:

These are the same little guys from the June 2 post.

To continue with all things chicken, I killed the first of our chickens today to make room for some of the new ones. Melana had the pleasure of plucking and cleaning it.