A Finish! (just not mine)

I'm taking credit, however, because my double-dog-dare is what started it all.

Our son got a chicken coop for his birthday back in May.  It's one of those prefab, easy to build coops that's ready for chickens in a day, or two.

Of course, the moment I saw his cute little coop, I wanted one for my own chickens, but Richard decided that he could build a better one, and much cheaper.  But that was back in May.  

Since then hungry raccoons have come for a few meals.  Also since then seven little bantams were hatched.  We've housed them in a coop that at least has kept the coons away.  They are getting too big for that small coop, so I mentioned our buying a pretty house like Rory's.  

Well, I got that same "build a better blah, blah, blah."  Without thinking, I spouted off (something I tend to do), "Sure, sure you can. And you will....not."

Of course, he threatened to start "tomorrow."  I didn't really believe him would.  But he did!  

He's been working on it for weeks.  It's a slow process when all you can do is cut the wood and put in screws.  He has to wait for someone to come hammer in the nails, because he suffers too much with his back to lift heavy wood or hammer any nails, especially those monsters he likes.  

Check out his resourcefulness...Rich recycled a handle that Adam removed from the carrying frame of a new door.

A porch.  Yes, he added a porch on the front of the coop.  That's so the chickens can sit and cackle in the afternoon.

There's a roosting ledge that goes all around the house. And, thinking that maybe he'd like to have a few pigeons, he added some nests from a previous pigeon-house above the roost.

My very favorite are these two old hinges. They are old and rusty and way too big for this little door, but they came from my daddy's old barn in Plaucheville.  

People have been stealing the cypress wood off the barn and these were left behind, so Rich brought them home thinking he'd find a use for them.  I love the creaky sound they make when the door opens and closes.   

Plus, because they are so rusted, the door simply stays put at any angle--less worry about it closing on a chick.

How about this?  He's just too funny.  He asked me for an old wooden spool to use for a handle on the door latch, but I didn't have one.  I did have a new plastic spool and an old bent bobbin.  So the put the bobbin in first then added the spool on top to make a perfect handle.

Nests...

and more nests.

and some really happy bantams.

Roost approved.

Not a bad life for a chicken!