Thanks to donations from our supporters, we're able to upgrade and fix what's needed at the Lab. This time, our wood chicken coop needed a lot of love and attention. Purchased four years ago, it was the coop we could afford for the budget we had. We made modifications to extend its use and sealed it every year to protect it from the elements.
Over time, moisture seeped into the roof parts and began breaking it down. For the past year, the wood coop has been sheltered under a tarp, which allows it and the ground around it to remain dry year-round. This extended the coop's use, but we knew there were urgent needs building up. After reaching out to the manufacturer, we learned that our coop was discontinued a few years ago, and getting replacement parts would not be possible. We were able to access replacement hardware parts, but the entire roof and droppings tray were no longer available.
Faced with the choice of purchasing another pre-fabricated coop or getting a quality custom built one, we opted for longevity and ease of use. This meant we needed to set aside a modest budget for the project and reach out to the right person for the job.
Our community is a very special place with amazing, talented neighbors. This is our chicken coop before, which comfortably houses up to four hens.
Over time, moisture seeped into the roof parts and began breaking it down. For the past year, the wood coop has been sheltered under a tarp, which allows it and the ground around it to remain dry year-round. This extended the coop's use, but we knew there were urgent needs building up. After reaching out to the manufacturer, we learned that our coop was discontinued a few years ago, and getting replacement parts would not be possible. We were able to access replacement hardware parts, but the entire roof and droppings tray were no longer available.
Faced with the choice of purchasing another pre-fabricated coop or getting a quality custom built one, we opted for longevity and ease of use. This meant we needed to set aside a modest budget for the project and reach out to the right person for the job.
Our community is a very special place with amazing, talented neighbors. This is our chicken coop before, which comfortably houses up to four hens.
We reached out to a local neighbor who happens to keep chickens, has experience building chicken coops, and turns out has the same coop sitting in storage in their basement. Our custom build suddenly transitioned to a creative coop modification. A lot of existing parts and pieces were re-used and repurposed.
Our existing roof was in far worse shape than we thought, and easily came apart in our hands. For the sake of longevity, we transitioned to a plastic roof and that same material was then used as part of the droppings tray under the roosting bars. Since our hens lay eggs in a separate location, the nesting box that juts out was reconfigured to become a larger sleeping area. This now allows the coop to comfortably house up to six hens.
Over the course of three days, there was a lot of measuring, cutting, connecting, and creatively re-imagining what the coop could look like.
Our existing roof was in far worse shape than we thought, and easily came apart in our hands. For the sake of longevity, we transitioned to a plastic roof and that same material was then used as part of the droppings tray under the roosting bars. Since our hens lay eggs in a separate location, the nesting box that juts out was reconfigured to become a larger sleeping area. This now allows the coop to comfortably house up to six hens.
Over the course of three days, there was a lot of measuring, cutting, connecting, and creatively re-imagining what the coop could look like.
Check out a video tour of the upgraded coop!
Thank you for your continued support!
