The coop is up!

Worked on the coop earlier today but didn't have time to finish it. Not for bad reasons. Got called in to fill out paperwork and do a urinalysis for the job I want. They don't do background checks or urine on everyone who applies, only those they intend to hire. So, it's all formality now. Be quite a change, regular job, regular hours, regular paycheck. Haven't had that in years now. Be nice to have some stability once more. It will be a complete change in my schedule. I've worked nights nearly my entire life but this job starts at 5:15 AM. Won't be as hard changing myself around as when I was younger, as I've gotten used to being up all hours of day and night. It will be kind of rough financially the first couple of weeks because I won't have the daily pay I've been getting for so long. Have to see if I can get some per diem work in along the way. It may interfere with my scheduled time with my daughter if I have to work weekends. But luckily her summer vacation is coming up quickly, which will make it less of an issue.

So, got some work done on the coop and had the whole main structure completed but had to stop for the afternoon. Took a nap so I wouldn't be exhausted for work tonight. Then got canceled, so went back out to finish things up.

The front wall is now a door which opens for cleaning, changing bedding, collecting eggs, etc. I cut a small door for the chicks into the big door. (Have to remount the door panel, which broke off while I was moving the coop to the current location.) The top has two open sections, for ventilation. Going to mount a couple of flaps on them for cooler weather and rain protection. I used some very large pallets I found for the walls of the run. Offer better protection and lower visibility from predators than the straight chicken wire, which I attached to the outside of the pallets. Total dimensions are now roughly 8 ft long combined, 4 ft wide, 5 ft tall. Should be enough room for 5 chicks, especially with a roost and nest built in, making it three levels inside and a run outside.

I placed bedding inside, then moved their food and water before moving the chicks. They fussed a bit when I moved them but they're not as paranoid as they were before. When I got them to the new coop, all but one just allowed me to pick them up. Only took a minute for them to settle down and notice the food and water. From there, it was easy.

I'll let them get used to the new coop for a few days, then start letting them wander the yard and garden.

Tomorrow, need to clean out the hutch I've been using for the coop and introduce the bunny to it. Or do some little modifications. Bunnies don't like heat. I already have a double roof to keep the heat down. Think I'll attach an external wall to the outside of one wall. Roof and wall will have ventilation space in between. Can paint one side white for summer, other side black for winter and just reverse the panels when weather changes. That turns one wall and the roof into solar chimneys for summer and thermosiphon heaters for winter.