Building the chicken palace, the conclusion ... for now

I'm having trouble remembering what life was like b.c. (before coop). Exactly how did I spend my weekends? What was it like to be able to stand up straight and not eat Tylenol for dinner? When I awoke Saturday morning, I was determined to finish this d-i-y project to end all d-i-y projects so that my life could return to normal. Whatever that is. Was.

 

I had agonized all week about attaching the drop-down doors. 

I didn't have much faith in the screws the hinges came with, so I opted for nuts and bolts.

 

Attaching the doors to the hinges was interesting. 

I couldn't convince Wynonna to help me, but my ladder proved more useful in the long rung.

By mid Saturday afternoon, I was feeling pretty damned proud of myself.

Not only were the drop-down doors dropping down as I intended, but the openings were big enough for me to crawl through and do some finishing work on the inside. It's very cozy. I think the girls will love it. And if it's sturdy enough to hold me, then it's sturdy enough to hold 43 chickens weighing an average 3.5 pounds. Put that calculator away right this minute! My point is, this structure is rock-solid. I think. Check back again in May when the winds are blowing.

I installed another roost, painted the exterior a very boring shade of tan,

and built a ladder so the girls could easily climb in and out.

This girl had to stay outside of the construction zone and she was not pleased.

But she did keep me company as I set up my woodshop along the path.

Me: Wynonna, what are you doing?

Wynonna: Making a mud puddle. If you're going to force me to be out here, I might as well be comfortable.

Me: You know I can't stand being watched while I work. Could you please go elsewhere?

Despite Wynonna's annoying supervision, I was able to miter the corners for all the trim. 

 

But now the trim interferes with the function of the doors. Grrrr.

Adjustments and more miter-box cuts will be required.

I shall save that do-over for next weekend.

Meanwhile, I caulked the space between the floor and the frame, wishfully thinking bugs won't be able to inhabit that area. We'll see.

So except for the drop-down door problem, coop construction has concluded. Now it's on to the hard part: deciding how to finish the exterior. Initially I thought I'd just paint the trim and be done, but that simply isn't palatial enough.

I've got some ideas brewing and will be soliciting opinions from my village of helpers later this week.

As the weekend drew to a close, the building inspector arrived and granted me the occupancy permit.