Construction Part 3: Coop Complete!

We had to work pretty late some nights to get this thing finished. This is the start of making the run on the left of the coop. 

My dad surprised us with a visit and came in pretty handy! We decided to make panels that lift like the front wall of the coop for easy cleaning. We lined the panels with 1/4 inch mesh to allow good air flow but pests shouldn't be able to get in. 

The long panel needed two locking mechanisms to keep it down tightly so nothing could squeeze its way in. The smaller panel and the door only have one lock each. 

Here you see the door between the coop and the run. We also put a locking mechanism on it to make sure the birds are safe if something does happen to get into the run. 

Mr. Construction found some black plastic to put over the plywood roof to keep it dry. We just stapled it in place. 

Here's the view from our deck. 

We put a little roost inside. I'm not sure if it's big enough for all the chickens. We might have to add another one later, but we'll see how this one goes. We put a heat lamp inside which will run off an extension cord from the house. We'll have to figure out a better set up later on, but this will do the trick for now. 

My dad gave us an old vent he had laying around so we put it up top. We used some caulking to seal the plastic around it so it shouldn't leak inside the coop. The roof hangs over the nesting box so the water can run off away from it. 

The final product! I'm really proud of this thing! We definitely spent more time and money than we originally planned, but I think it looks great. It fits in with the look of our yard and even though it's not perfect, it doesn't look bad. My wife even says it should be warm and dry enough that I can sleep in it when I'm supposed to be in the doghouse.