Have you ever had a plan fall apart? That’s what just happened to us, literally!
But now we have a new chicken coop that will last us a very long time and it’s super fun!
Since we just purchased fifteen new chicks for the hobby farm, bringing our backyard chicken flock up to twenty, we needed to make changes to the coop by adding additional nesting boxes and perches.
The floor also had a handful of patches, and the best choice this year was to rebuild it with some new plywood and 4×4 timbers.
We thought that after we built the new floor, we could lift the existing chicken coop and set it on the new platform, but it crumbled, and there went the weekend because our chickens needed shelter.
You know how it goes with DIY.
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THE NEW COOP EXTERIOR REBUILD
Thankfully after the crumble, we were able to reuse the roof and trusses from the old coop. I also have a scrap lumber stash that saved us a little money and time on this unexpected project plan.
We ran to our local lumber retailer/Menards and purchased some 2x4s and AC2 3/4 x 4 x 8 Green Pressure Treated Plywood for the frame and walls.
The door was built from some cedar boards I had leftover from a porch project, and the chicken exit door was from a vintage glass panel window.
Because one of the trusses was destroyed in the fall, the decision was to shorten the chicken coop by a foot and a half to leave an overhang that we’re calling a porch.
HERE’S A LOOK AT THE OLD CHICKEN COOP BEFORE THE CRUMBLE
As for the chicken playground area that everyone loved on our old chicken coop, I saved it.
The playground is back up and running on the new coop, and I’ll leave a link to that post at the bottom of this one.
The chickens love the playground area for shade, and our silkie rooster Wolf can always be found admiring himself in the mirror.
THE NEW CHICKEN COOP EXTERIOR
Yep, I went with pink, and it matches the pony barn.
The decision of pink was easy because there were two gallons of pink paint in the Oops department at Menards.
You just can’t beat a gallon of paint for under $10.00.
I always check for exterior paint in the oops paint department.
You do not need to spend a ton of money on paint to have a colorful hobby farm.
I felt this chicken coop needed some more color, so I painted one of my garden girls on scrap lumber to watch over the chickens.
I also added the lime green details with craft paint.
The stripes above the door remind me of a circus tent.
Because we reused the roof, this coop is very similar to the old chicken coop, besides we have the little porch overhang, and it’s a lot more sturdy with no hole patches.
You’ll have to check out the Instagram Reel at the end of this post and read my caption. I have one regret about this new coop.
I also didn’t add the sand bath area to the playground, but that’s because the chickens have a large dirt hole from where the old coop was to bathe in.
As for the interior of the new chicken coop, you can click over to the post
THE NEW PINK COOP INTERIOR. NESTING BOXES, PERCHES, A SWING, AND A CUTE COOP DECOR
The original chicken coop floor and move project did not go as planned, but I’m happy to have a fresh new coop.
We were able to get the frame built in one day, and the chickens had a safe place to sleep that same night.
As for the new shingles, paint job, and interior, those took a few extra days, and we never made it to the lake that weekend.
The animal’s needs always come first, but it worked out because the following weekend had beautiful weather, and we took a day to relax in our kayak’s on the water.
XOXO
Emily
MORE POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY
THE NEW PINK COOP INTERIOR. NESTING BOXES, PERCHES, A SWING, AND A CUTE COOP DECOR
FUN FINDS FOR THE CRAZY CHICKEN LADY
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