This is less a chicken coop than it is a work of art. That's some upscale bird condo you've built. The information is both useful and interesting. And it's a great topic for a post. The more people turn to ways they can reclaim independent living , the more relevant this will become.
I'd love to see you do a follow-up to this -- a longer post with more pictures. I'd love to see some shots of inside the egg boxes ... and if pictures of the inside are too hard to get, maybe a description of how you've designed things in there.
Also, how do you feed and water the chickens? Bowls? And if the coop floor isn't on the ground, is lots of spilled food a problem? How easy is it to clean (every woman's question!!) ... or is that not an issue?
How portable is this? Do you move it from time to time? Was that any kind of consideration in the construction?
Being so far south, maybe winter isn't as much of a problem for you ... but do you have to make any special provisions in cold weather? How do the hens get into the upper story? Can they fly in that enclosed area enough to make it that high?
Are there things you'd do differently in building another one? Is 2 - 5 eggs a day enough for your own family ... or do you plan another one / a larger one that would accommodate more hens?
Just some questions that might make another / 2nd post from this same topic. (2 posts for the price of 1 ... for double the votes!!)
Welcome to Steemit ... and to our group! I hope you enjoy being part of the project as it grows!
from #theunmentionables
Thank you.
The water is in the lower section so that spills go through the wire. The food is in the upper part in a hanging chicken feeder, spilled food lands on the wood floor.
It was designed to be portable and I was going to have wheels on it, and I did move it a few times, but it is heavier than it looks.
The chickens were always fine with how cold it gets in Texas, but sometimes the water froze over. A heat lamp could be added in the upper area.
To get to the upper story I was going to have a ramp or ladder, but saw that they could just jump or fly up to the upper area, so I eliminated the ramp.
The eggs were sufficient in number for us, but I might have make it a little bigger or more portable, and maybe add a chicken run to a grassy area or garden.