Coop d' Grace

Category: Farm Doings | Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:30 pm

Our dictionary defines "coup d' grace" as "any final stroke."
This weekend we built the new outside coop for the hens, and believe me, this is the final one. If the hens want another coop they can build it themselves. This is the "coop d' grace" on this farm!
We started early Saturday morning, assembling the frame (which I had already painted in the hens' chosen color). Struggling with 16' of frame in a nice Texas breeze will work up an appetite in no time! After a break for breakfast (eggs of course) we finished attaching the framework to the 4'x4's that I had trenched into the ground. Then we put in the cross members for strength (remembering the time Ruby Begonia put her fluffly little behind against the wire and pushed until it popped free and she spent some free time outside the coop).
By mid-afternoon we were pretty tuckered, and we still hadn't attached any chicken wire. The ladies were inside, watching the progress and supervising from their high perch. They do like to keep an eye on the help! We decided to do the wire the next day.
Sunday morning my husband fired up the compressor and got out the staple gun while I struggled to unwind new chicken wire. If you ever need something rolled up really, really tight, hire the guy that rolls chicken wire. We spent the morning stretching wire across the frames and stapling it really securely (fluffy behind proof) and bleeding. Did I mention that chicken wire is very prickly? Handling it without getting scratched or poked is not possible.
Shortly after noon we finished:

Coop de grace in progress ( photo / image / picture from marlingardener's Garden )
and let the ladies inspect their new outside coop:

Oh, we have a new coop! ( photo / image / picture from marlingardener's Garden )
The ladies seem to like it, and in appreciation laid extra eggs on Monday. Who said chickens have no gratitude?

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eileen wrote on Wed Mar 23, 2011 1:39 pm:

After all the blood, sweat and (no doubt) tears that went into building the new coop I think your ladies should be well pleased. Tell them that you want extra eggs every day now that they live in such a wonderful new home.

toni wrote on Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:00 pm:

What a great looking coop. Bet those eggs tasted extra delicious even if you did have to figure out how to hold the fork with bandaides all over your hands.

I keep chicken wire on hand too for a few things and it is a royal pain to unroll, cut, fold or roll for storage. It comes a close second behind Roses for leaving scratches and divots in your arms and legs.