Building of the Coop

I started to think about having chickens over a year ago. Dave Phillips will remember me talking about it over an email February 26, 2008 (you check, Dave, it's there! I asked about the 10 things a person should know to raise chickens!). Patience is a virtue!

It took a couple of months to sell Michael on the idea. Obviously, raising chickens for eggs makes no sense whatsoever! They are really, really cheap. But when was the last time you had a fresh, orange shelled and brilliantly orange-yolked egg, I ask? He finally bought in.

Next came the structure. I hated the idea of building something from all new materials. My wonderful loud mouth, obnoxious Italian friend Janet offered up a door, window and OSB board from the company "bone yard". We bought a 4 x 8 rough "structure"- used to be a wood storage shed. Fellow firefighter, Mike Mayer, practically gave us pre-stained t&g cedar siding, and the trip to Idaho Falls (see picture above) finishes up the supply stage.

Now, it is stacked and ready to go. In a week it will be May! Michael is off doing a three day forest service class in lovely Buffalo, Wyoming. It is supposed to snow. Again.

Thanks to Andy Christensen for the dog run donation - soon to be chicken run! With some work it will certainly help in the effort to keep our dogs, killer cat, the foxes, coyotes, eagles, hawks, mountain lions and wolves (?) away from the chickens.

Dave, I sure hope you've got about six chickens and one fancy rooster growing for our coop-to-be! I love processes. Sometimes it's not the having of something that is nearly as fun as the getting of it!

Stay tuned. There will be more as construction is sure to begin!