Here it is!! The long awaited chicken home is here! The ladies first slept in their coop a few nights ago. It was a rough start--one that almost ended with bringing them inside the house. They were fluttering and chirping so loudly, we were afraid they were going to hurt themselves or annoy the neighbors. However, a compromise was made by bringing their light out to them, which we think made them feel at home and soon got them to quiet down. They slept their first night all huddled together on their new perch inside their coop.

Their second night was much better! A little food enticed them into their run when evening was upon us and then as the sun set, Birdie and Henrietta quickly found their way into the coop and onto their perch for the evening. Trudy, Chicken, and Pollo were less sure about this whole night-time coop adventure and proceeded to walk up and down the steps, again, and again, poking their heads into the coop, then walking up and down, again, and again. Birdie eventually coaxed them in with a few adult-like squawks, and before sunset, they were all settled into their new home--and all on their own! We're happy chicken-keepers, yes, yes, we are!!

I'd love to invite you on a lil' coop tour with me! Please do come along!

The coop is in functional mode right now, but by the end of the summer, it should have some siding and paint to add to the aesthetics. We decided on a six-foot door and six-plus-foot run for easy cleaning and access. I'm already really happy that we made that decision.

It took them a little while to get use to the screen walls. After flying into them and trying to scale them several times, I think they've come to realize that they can't get out. We'll see...

The coop door is one of the fanciest features of the coop. In the picture below, you can see the pulley rope that slides the door up and down. We were given the recommendation to have a door that slides up and down, rather than side to side, so that the straw doesn't get stuck in it.

The nesting boxes are another favorite feature of mine. The outside nesting boxes door opens so you can easily grab eggs and run!

We also decided on double back doors that open wide so that the bedding can be shoveled right out into the compost bin, which is just to the right of the back of the coop. The coop floor will also eventually be lined with linoleum, so cleaning and disinfecting will be slick!