6 1/2 Weeks Old and in the Coop

Well, I knew this day would come when I would have to let the girls be on their own and head to the coop.  I put them outside in the coop on April 11th, with lows in the low 40s and highs in the low 60s.  I have read a lot of forums about putting heat lamps in the coop or what have you; some have said absolutely and others have said don't bother.  Call me rude, but I opted to just let the girls outside and have at it.  I figured the coop was insulated, had plenty of ventilation, and the girls had been in the garage with no problems, so what the heck.  Needless to say, the first few nights I could hardly sleep and I would wake up earlier than normal just to go peek in on them. :)  I wanted to share the 'Tour de Coop' with you, so you can see the what the girls are moving into.  This is like a mansion compared to the Rubbermaid tote they have been in.

 This is the north side of the coop with the pop door and an adjustable floor vent I put in for added ventilation.  Also the 6x6 run with hardware cloth around the edges buried 6" and then bent out 6" to prevent digging predators.

 This is the east side of the coop with the external nest box.  The box will open from the back, so the kids can get the eggs in a few months.

 The south side with the window, also you can see the west side's door that opens for easier cleaning.

 The inside of the coop from the west side.  I blocked off the nest boxes for now, so they will learn to sleep on the roost instead of inside the boxes.  The 2x4 is painted with an external urethane, something or other, and the dropping board has the self-adhesive cabinet coat applied, so the poo will just slide right off.

 Close up of the window, roost, and dropping board.

 The west side door shut.

 Bo Roo claiming his spot on the roost.

 The jimmy rigged food container, until I get a hook to hang it on.

Once again Bo and Bessie checking out their new quarters.