Hen Fruit Orchard

Farmer Dave’s Ramblings

I decided to build a home for a few chickens, so I took a tour of ‘the shed’ (every farm has one) to see what materials might be available – it was, really, more like ‘please get this junk out of my shed.’

Here’s what my initial search uncovered:

• an old single sash from a long-gone double hung window;
• a scrap piece of plexiglass (not of a useful size or shape);
• an open bundle of 3-tab shingles that no longer matched any of our buildings;
• Oh look! A stack of too-short-to-be-useful pieces of prime beadboard from a recent bathroom renovation project;
• a quantity of odds and ends of red pine dimension stock from lumber that we milled many years ago;
• some various length pieces of aluminum drip edge.

Altogether, a pretty good find. I should be able to make something from these treasures.

On to my shop to continue the search for more useful items. My ‘catch-all’ drawers yielded the following:

• thumb latch knobs to secure the nestbox access door;
• an antique replacement knob from a teakettle cover to serve as handle for the hen access door;
• and a brass (Stanley) thumb bolt for the main access door.

A box of assorted used hinges contributed a pair (well, two hinges, not quite a matching pair) of screen door hinges for the main door of the coop. I also uncovered a pair of off-set chrome cabinet hinges which worked out well for the plexiglass panel that covers the nest boxes and allows for egg collection from outside the coop.

A branch from a tree blow-down makes a fine roost.

The exterior is covered with extra paint from a recent paint job on our house. We now have matching domiciles, my chickens and I.

The only cash investment was for four plastic, round louvers for the gable ends of the coop. Total cost: $7.95

On to the construction phase! My plan, once completed, would produce 15 square feet of floor space, enough to comfortably house 3 or 4 hens.

Is this a chicken tractor? Technically no, but it is permanently mounted on a recycled wooden pallet, thus the coop can easily be moved with a tractor and forks.

The construction took most of last summer with a few minutes work at a time as my schedule allowed. Some time was spent searching out and gathering materials, and the rest was the time spent putting the structure together. It was a fun project – I hope the chickens enjoy the results.

A moveable fence will be added for the chicken’s outdoor enjoyment. This will incorporate some of my vegetable gardens and the ladies will help with pest control.

Be sure to take a look at the coop when you are walking along the sleigh road.

I’ll see you along the way.

Farmer Dave