Chicken Palace: Finishing Touches

I think I am happy with the final product that is the Chicken Palace.  Once the basic structure was up all I had to do was work on adding a couple of key features.  One of those features was the nest boxes.  Chickens need a nice protected area to lay their eggs so I build a row of boxes into the front wall of the chicken coop.  I made an access door on the back of the boxes so that I could gather eggs without having to go inside the coop.

These boxes are a step above their current set up which doesn't even keep straw from falling out.  I may have to build an angled roof above them to keep the chickens from roosting there, but I will see how things go without that in the beginning.

The next thing I installed were the roosting bars.  I was going to have them on just one side, but I would hate to waste the space that could be housing chickens so I made it even on both sides.  The roosting bars were just a couple of twelve foot 2x4's that were ripped in half lengthwise and set on top of the braces that stabilized the end walls.  I held them in place with screws and then added a couple of supports near the middle that would help them support the weight of the chickens that would be sleeping there at night.  The braces also act as a step that the chickens can use to get up to the roosting bars for the night.

The other addition was an old window from the camper that used to sit on this trailer.  I wanted a way to allow some more light and ventilation into the coop and this seemed to fit the bill.  The window isn't exactly functional but I can take it out of the frame as needed and I stapled a chicken wire screen across it for a little extra protection if I leave the window open.

On the outside the finishing touches were some flashing that my friend gave me to help close in the ends and keep out the rain (if we ever get any).  I did my best to fit it to each end though I will admit that it was an amateur job.  Still I think it is better than nothing and now I have a safe and secure place to house my chickens.

Over the door I put up a longer sheet of flashing to act as a little porch roof.  The idea is that it will keep the doorway drier if the rain really starts to come down.  It was a little difficult to work into the space but it does serve a purpose so I am happy it is there.

The final addition to the coop was a removable ramp for the chickens so they can get in and out of the coop easily.  The black metal bumper gets very hot in the sun and I didn't want the chickens to burn their feet every time they go in and out, so I made sure to attach the ramp to a little wooden porch.  I was going to make it fold up so that it could be permanently attached to the coop, but then I thought if I ever have to haul the coop, the ramp would be better off being removable, so I screwed the porch into a block of wood that fits snugly between the coop and the bumper and holds the ramp firmly in place.  If I ever want to move the coop I can just pull out the ramp and get rolling.

Now all that is left is to roll the coop to where I want it in the chicken yard and let the chickens move right in.  I couldn't have timed it better since I have a batch of chicks about to hatch any day now and the young chickens are old enough to get mixed into the main flock.  At some point this summer I will get the wooden ends painted to seal them in for winter.  I think I am going to go with a white blank slate and then add a mural a little at a time as I go along.  This chicken coop may just become a work of art.