This post has been a long time coming. I’ve shared almost every step of this journey with you all up until the finishing touches and well…it’s time.

As i’ve mentioned before, I texted my husband on one of my work breaks and said “let’s build a small A-frame chicken coop and go ahead and get chickens.” complete with a pinterest inspo picture.

We had planned to get chickens in a year or so after I found a job and life seemed to have a “routine”. I didn’t want to spend money on building materials which is why I suggested a small “A” frame coop from recycled materials around the house.

I should have known better.

Truly.

I know my husband. He’s a hard worker, a dreamer, and a “go-big-or-go-home” kind of guy.

Which is why we ended up with a coop that couldn’t be farther from “A” frame or recycled materials.

Ya gotta love him.

Instead we have:

As you can see in the above pictures, we took some extra steps to insure the safety and well-being of our flock.

In addition to buying treated lumber, we also added a weather stain to give a more finished look and help it last longer.

We also dug the “footing” for our coop to then place a brick border for the coop to sit on. This decreases the likelihood of a critter or pest digging their way into the coop.

We kept a dirt flooring which staying completely dry regardless of the severity of a rain storm so that our flock can dust bathe. Dust bathing is ESSENTIAL for your flocks health as it protects against mites and other infectious insects.

We opted not to use regular chicken wire. Instead using hardware cloth, as it’s more durable and provides stronger protection against unwanted visitors.

We have already built a longer, less steep run going into the house than what is picture above. They initially struggled with such a steep slope.

If you look closely, we have “double” latch mechanisms on all entry points. One latch twists and then we add a clip because raccoons are SMART and we have to be smarter. So far, no issues and we have peace of mind.

Our egg retrieval systems resides on the side where we have custom built laying boxes. So far, this serves its purpose well. On days where I have to work, I’m able to grab-and-go eggs without ever entering the coop.

There are SO many farm projects happening right now and at the top of the list is an additional run for the chickens on days where it’s storming and/or we will be out of town. We fill it will be easier for those to stay at our house to not have to worry about free-ranging. That’s if we can ever leave because we will miss everything so much.