Homesteading Adventure #4: Coop Building

You wouldn't think picking out a coop style would really be that difficult. It is though!!!!
I made the mistake of looking at the awesome designs on http://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-small.html

Coops like this: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=61-coop-design make me drool. They also set the bar really high in my crazy head.

Seriously, who really NEEDS such a fancy coop? I guess I don't NEED a fancy coop, but I WANT one.

This coop: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=26484 caught my eye quite some time ago.

And more recently, I fell in love with this coop: http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=303463

So after many discussions and disagreements and drawings, Jeremy and I started building the coop today. We will be incorporating a little of each of them into ours (except maybe the McMansion of Chicken Coops). At this point, the frame is mostly done and is tacked together in the driveway. The backyard is still so deep under snow that we won't be able to construct it in it's permanent home for some time.

Right now, only one neighbor knows about our plan to have chickens. I don't think this is something I'd like to advertise to the neighbors. Not yet. I can imagine the thoughts going through their heads: "chickens stink." "chickens are loud." "are chickens even allowed in the neighborhood?" I'd much rather let them notice on their own. Or better yet, not notice until we bring them a dozen fresh eggs.

The neighbor to the North of us, Debbie, is hilarious. She gets the biggest kick out of Jeremy and the crazy projects we are always working on. So today, we were building the walls of our *very inconspicuous* ( 8 ft long x 8 ft wide x 8 ft high) chicken coop in plain sight of the entire neighborhood. Debbie said, "what are you building NOW?" I just smiled, stepped back, and let Jer handle it. In his typical smarty pants way, Jeremy said, "A secret room. A secret room for myself and the dogs." Debbie just laughed, shook her head, and walked in the house.
Mr. Cigar Smoking Dog Walker Neighbor asked if we were going to be putting a hot tub in the driveway. Jeremy and I both said, "Ummm...yes." HAHAHA

We made quite a bit of progress today and with any luck we'll have the coop finished up this weekend or next. Then we'll move onto the run, the fenced area. At this rate this project is going to cost a fortune!

If you'd like a quick update on the eggs: We've candled again and one looks like it might have died. It's still in the incubator because I want to make 100% sure that we aren't tossing a live egg. The other 15 seem to be continuing to develop. Today is day 13. They will go into "lock down" on Thursday at day 18, until hatch day (day 21).