Coop Nearly Complete

This week I finished building and painting frames for the windows and doors of the new coop. Some hardware cloth and hinges and the coop is nearly done. It just needs a permanent roof.

We used the side-by-side to tow the new coop to a spot near the old coop. Maggie would like to use the new coop as a temporary home for the new chickens, which are growing fast. She added some hay and fencing to prepare for the new occupants. The hope is that the old birds will see the new birds and get used to them so the new birds can get added to the flock when they are big enough. I had planned to then get some meat birds yet this summer, but chicks are in short supply this year.

The build was completed without time to spare. Given the warm weather and the rate the chicks are growing, Maggie may be able to move them from the basement brooder to outdoors next week. Because chicks need to gain their feathers to help regulate their temperature, it can take up to 6 weeks with heaters for them to stay warm and grow. She took the heaters out of the brooder this week and left a heat lamp at a distance, and the chicks seem OK. They are also starting to feather out. They get to spend at least a few more days indoors because of the current heat wave, but they may get moved in another week. With the end of seed starting and chick rearing, I'll finally get my basement workshop back.