Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Country Homemaker Hop- Week- 14

Welcome Friends!
I was working in my laboratory staining and sealing another beehive when the thought occurred to me "Hmmm.  I wonder what I'll get to read about this week on the Country Homemaker Hop???" Suddenly, my entire body shook when I realized, Eek! I have to post it and get it up to get linkies...

I am reading everything I can get my hands on and all the blog advice I can find about chicken coops.  My hubby has agreed to build me one once I settle on a plan.  This week, I decided to share a few more pictures of the interesting chicken coop that I encountered on my road trip last week at Bravo Farms.  I really like it.   Tell me what you think...

Bravo Farms Cheese Factory Chicken Coop
I know the walls are cluttered by neat old signs, but if you look beyond all that graffiti art, this coop has an interesting personality and it seems quite functional.  Look how high the nesting boxes are off the ground.  That seems like it would be helpful for cleaning those boxes out.  
 The entire front facade is decked out with easy access nesting boxes.  Notice the wire across the top of the boxes to keep chickens inside...
 Sure, it won't keep predators out, but it will allow for easy egg retrieval and will keep the ladies inside.  
  I really like the side door too.   I am tall so I would really like a door I can fit through without bumping my head.  I would want to be able to get inside and keep things tidy often.  A human sized door would be nice.  I like the size of the coop too.  Inside it's open and the hens and a rooster have free range, but I'd use up a bit of this space for storage for feed and goodies too.  That way, I would not be standing out in the snow and rain to feed or collect eggs during the worst winter weather.
 I really like that there are several roosts, and at varying heights.  The hens seem to like it too.  The head honcho owns that sight closest to my camera lens and the exit door.
 I like this fancy waterer.  I haven't had chickens in a decade or more, but I remember dreading the constant cleaning of the food and water containers.  This system looks hygienic and being off the ground, it requires less space.
I also like how this coop features lots of small openings for air circulation and several windows to increase sunlight exposure for the hens.  I have read that in winter you can lessen the slowdown of egg production by adding sunshine to augment the shorter days.  Windows should help... so long as they're well insulated.
 Hello ladies!
 See how helpful those wires are...
 Easy egg collection!
Well, that is the end of our tour.  If you have any tips to share about chickens or chicken coops, please do share.  I need all the advice I can get.  Thank you for reading and I wish you a wonderful and productive week ahead.  Please link up and SHARE your progress this week...

12 comments:

  1. That was an awesome tour! I loved it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had no idea that was a coop! I first thought it was a street scene in a small town where they had a farmer's market and sold antiques and such. Amazing! My husband added a vent to our coop and places up top where it is screened so it works like a chimney pulling the air through. We used to suspend a fan in there when it was hot but they gunked it all up so it stopped working. We have a full sized human door to get in but the chick's door is small. He has made 2 types of doors, a fair weather and a winter one. The winter door is wood and closes normally, sliding down. The nice weather door is welded up in a grid, like you might have on a grill but a little larger openings, nothing a raccoon could get into. It slides down and has eye hooks so nothing with agile hands can lift it up (raccoon). It keep air flowing at night.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your two chicken doors are great ideas. I told my hubby and he says he's borrowing the idea. We DO get hot here in summer. It can get into the 90s and even a 100 degree day or two in August so they'll sure benefit from a grated "screen" door. I really enjoyed this coop too. I had no idea it was a coop until I saw the big red hen in the window looking at me. lol. Thank you Kathy for the wonderful door idea.

      Delete
  3. That coop is ultra cool! I love how it blends in. I linky'd twice - I don't normally do that, but I wanted to also give you a link to some pics of our chicken coop from when we finished it last year. I did some other posts on our pop door - we used drawer slides so that it opens and closes easily. Maybe we can give you some ideas?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please do share, I need all the ideas I can get. It's been ages since we last had chickens and I'd like to incorporate anything helpful before construction that we can think of. It's always extra work to adapt later. Thank you for linking up your coop post, I love your coop. You are an amazing artist. The mural is beautiful. I love your trellis. Please link up as often as you'd like. The more the merrier and the more ideas we all get to share and enjoy. Have a GREAT day.

      Delete
  4. I LOVE that chicken coop - and yes, it deserved the capital letters! Thanks for sharing. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too Kristen. The hubby and I both liked it and that does not happen too often. Have a great week.

      Delete
  5. Awesome! I have coop envy! LOL I will be showing these pics to my hubby for inspiration (his honey-do list keeps growing, poor guy)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too Allison. I would have liked to bring it home. My hubby's honey-do list is growing too. Lol. Have a great week.

      Delete
  6. I never thought of covering the tops of the nesting boxes with wire so you could leave the lids open. It's always good to see other people's ideas. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me either. What a great idea though. The hens really enjoy sitting in the boxes in the sunshine. I bet it improves ventilation in summertime on hot days too. Thanks for stopping by Rose Petal. Have a GREAT week. I loved the critter post.

      Delete

My email address is whitewolfsummitfarmgirl@gmail.com.