Introducing the Chicken Fortress, the Coop deVille, or whatever you choose to call it (we are still undecided). As you can see, it is off to the side of the yard, next to the garden, so it gets sun but is out of the way. It does indeed seem to be predator proof, as we have already discovered raccoon paw prints on the side of the coop, but the chicks have remained unharmed (phew!). We owe many thanks to “Toolman” Tim, who devoted several Saturdays to aid in the coop construction; “Workhorse” Bret, whose skilled hands and brotherly advice contributed to a perfectly built roof; “Handy Grandpa” Tom, who helped Adam erect the coop; and “Get-it-done” Robin, whose expertise made the metal roof installation seem like a walk in the park. Of course, I am also eternally grateful to Adam, who labored very hard in his “free” time to build the chicks a safe and warm home. Below is an interior shot of the coop, with the vent, perch, droppings board and window. Nest boxes will be added in another 10 weeks or so when the chickens are ready to start laying. The white door at the bottom will eventually open into the “brooder,” an additional 4′ x 4′ area to give the chickens more room to roam in the wintertime (so hopefully this addition will be completed in the fall – it is not insulated and should be faster to build). Anyway, the chicks seem to be very happy there, although I had to teach them to sleep on the perch at night by physically placing them each up there for a few nights in a row (at first they preferred to sleep like puppies, all piled up on top of each other on the floor). And today, when the sky began to darken and we heard the rumblings of thunder, Grace and I had to run around the yard for about 20 minutes to get the chicks to come into the coop. Because as much as they like their new digs, they like scratching and pecking in the yard more. I suppose we won’t hold that against them.
Travelingjenny 
Leave a comment