Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Chicken Coop...Need Advice...


We are pleased to present...the new chicken coop! It was made with tin salvaged from Granny and Grandpa's house when it was torn down and one of the salvaged wooden screen doors from the house. Dad kept the details secret, but he (and some of his friends) welded the frame so that it would "last forever." The metal frame is painted brown. It still needs a bit of work...I have to finish tying in the chicken wire on the top, create an enclosure inside the tin shelter area, and do some paintin' and prettyin' up over spring break (That's where you guys come in!), but I think our four ladies like it! They've been outside since we built it...scratching and flapping their new little wings like they own the place!

We've decided to name one of the hens "Nellie" (because it's just a great old fashioned name) and one of them "Amelia" (because that chick is always wanting to fly, so we decided to name her after Amelia Earhart). Any suggestions for two more great hen names??

You can see our apricot tree blooming just in front of the coop. Just to the left, planted against the fence, are two blueberry bushes. To the right of the coop are two teeny apple trees. This area of the yard will be positively heavenly as these bushes and trees mature and the chickens become an integral part of the OAH.

Please, please leave comments with suggestions to pretty up the chicken coop! I would like to paint the tin, but not the screen door or the brown framework. I'm also considering finding an antique sign to hang on the tin. What color would you paint it? What kind of sign would you hang? Do you have links to other great looking coops? Do share!!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about Lucinda? As in "Loose in da yard"?
YeOldFurt

Anonymous said...

Hmmm,

String up a trellis and pland heavenly blue morning glories.

Less work than paint and it will shade the coop a bit in the summer and die back in the winter to make it warmer.

* I cann't get the old Google password to work so posted anonymous, sorry.

Unknown said...

Ahhhhh chickens. Don't know what to tell ya to perty up the coop but the apricot tree out there is nice. How 'bout chicken little or ms ellie for a name? I use to have a pet rooster (of all things) and his name was Rudy but he was a HE. LOL Good luck.

The Hills said...

LOVE the Lucinda suggestion! The trellis sounds like a nice, reasonable idea. If it were me, I'd either do that, or let the girls paint it.

The only other idea I have is my grandmother uses an old metal building as a sort of greenhouse and she painted a white picket fence around the outside, complete with pictures of little flower vines all over. She's very talented and it's gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

As for the chickens how about omelet or angel for all of the angel food cakes you could make?

For the coop I love the morning glory idea, the girls painting idea and the tin signs which should be either ads for feed or seed. Maybe you could use all three.

There is always something fun going on at the one acre homestead.