I changed the way the outer door latches and unlatches, because I was afraid one of these times my eldest or I was going to accidentally lock the other in. So I used some scrap wood and a dowel to make a latch that can open from either side. We still have the hasp and lock to foil the raccoons, but this makes it easy to get in and out during the day.
My hand is covered in dirt, ash, and diatomaceous earth in my animated GIF, sigh. I was supplementing the chicken’s dust bath tire.
Here is the rest of the new roost! My local hardware store had heavy-duty cotton drop cloths on clearance, so I cut up one to make the poop catcher underneath the new roost. I have read that the most droppings occur when they roost, so the idea is that this will make it easier to clean the coop. We’ll see!
I sewed pockets on each side for the small diameter PVC pipe, and one hem (I used the salvage edge on the other side).
Getting the PVC pipe and cloth through the channels that I made with larger PVC pipe was a little more difficult than I hoped, but not unworkable. And if the cotton turns out too absorbent, it will be easy to change material.
The chicks have not yet gone back up on the roost, so we’ll see how long it takes them to adjust.
New roost with poop catcher system
P.S. It took a few days before the chicks were willing to jump back up on the roost, but they eventually did it!
And there was poop in the poop catcher! As an added bonus, my muck bucket fits under perfectly, so I can just scrape the droppings straight into the bucket. Win.
After making the new roost, the old roost, which was the old food and water hanger, needed a new purpose. So I unscrewed the two screws holding them together and made two roost swings! Yay, repurposing.
I made the chicks a new roost. I really made it for when they are older and roosting to sleep. Right now they still all huddle into one corner of the coop. So like human kids bouncing on the bed, this is more of just a jungle gym right now!
The roost is 24″ tall, which is what my chicken book recommended. The roosts are 18″ center to center and made of 2×3″ pine. Except the branch. I’m pretty sure that is post oak or cedar elm, because that is what is in the yard, but it fit so nicely I said they could keep it.
I cut the rabbets using a skill saw to make several parallel cuts, then removed the excess with a hammer and chisel. I did both 2×4 sides together so they would match.
I also made a channel in 1″ PVC pipe and installed these pipes under the roosts, along the sides. I have some smaller PVC pipe that slides into these channels and some canvas that will make a poop catcher. More on that in another post (mainly because it isn’t done yet)!
I used a file to open up the ends of the channels to make getting the canvas in and out easier.
The chicks are having fun jumping up on the roosts, and really like the stick better than the lumber. We’ll see if the preference continues!
Not people proof, but I hope the locks are complicated enough to thwart the raccoons.
I have one lock on the entry to the runs and another on the back door. I had these locks in my stash. I thought they would be smaller when I ordered them, but alas, they were not. They are better fitted for this application, and by attaching the chain I don’t have to search for the key.
Critters and Craft 