26
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SPRING
2015
Itwasn’t until Iwasphotographingabeautiful home inClarksburg for
ourSummer2011 issue that I cameupwithan idea for itsuse. The
homehada fenced ingarden, a small barnwithacoupleof pigs,
anda flockof chickens.As I photographed thegrounds, thechickens
followedmearoundcuriously. Iwas instantlycaptivatedby themand
tried to incorporate themulti-colouredbirds intoa few shots.
“Herechickenchicken,
workwithme, tryand
lookpretty.” I jokedas I
was snappingaway.
Seeingmy interest, the
homeownershappily
shared storiesabout their
chicken raisingexperi-
ence. They loved their
birdsand toldmehow
easy theywere to raise. I
was sold. So, I began
planningmynewcoop
and I had just the right
building for it inmind.
Fromone ‘shithouse’ to
another. Perfect.
After researchingbreeds
online, I found thereare
threemain types: egg
layers,meat birdsand
hybrids that both layeggsandaregood for eating. I figured thedual
purposebirdswerebest as I reallyhadno ideawhat Iwasgetting
myself intoand theoptionof eatingallmybirds sooner rather than
laterwasdefinitelyon the table (pun intended). InearlySpring I or-
dered4BlackSexlink, 4BarredPlymouthRock (my favorite)and8
Road IslandReds fromRichie’s Feeds inElmvaleandpicked themup
alongwithaheat lamp, feeder,water troughandmynewbible for
chicken raising, “Story’sGuide toRaisingChickens”.
Theycame ina littlecardboardboxwithcutoutson the sideand
straw for theirbedding.As I opened the lidandgazeddownonmy
new livestock, I knew Iwas in trouble. Thecute, fluffy, apple sized
birds instantly tuggedatmyheart stringsand I knew that thesepre-
cious little thingswereanythingbut livestock. Theywerenowpets
andweall drovehome singing, “Cheep - cheep - cheep.”
Since itwasearlyMayand still cool outside I put thegirls inmymud-
roomand set upabrooder ina large rubberizedcontainerwith the
heat light suspendedover top. Insidemyhousewasnot the ideal
place formessybirds, but theyneeded thewarmthand inmyusual
procrastinating fashion I hadn’t yet doneanything to theouthouse. It
wasgoing tobea lastminute rush tomakeover thebuilding.
The first hurdlewashow to transplant the structure toanotherpart of
theyardwhere I hada storage shed for feedand straw.When the
yardwas finallydryenough todrivea truckon it,we tieda rope
around it, pulled the thingoveron its sideanddragged it across the
yard roof first. Its final resting spot hadbeen leveledand toppedwith
gravel. Then, usingamid-sizeKubota tractorwe tipped thebuilding
upandpushed theouthouse intoplace,withvery littledifficulty.
Mygoal from thebeginningwas to spendas littlemoneyaspossible
and reuseanyandallmaterial I had stockpiled frompreviousproj-
ects like some surplus steel roofing I hadand I decided to install a
windowwhere the sidinghadbeendamagedand snaggedone that
wasdestined for the landfill fromaneighbour’s renovationproject.
Wehad recently replacedanexteriordoor in theEscarpment office,
and theoldone—abeauti-
fulwoodendoorwitha
largewindow—was just
right for themainen-
trance. Itwasnow time to
call inaprofessional to
helpmewith installation.
Entermy friendDerek,
who is in technical sales
for TiltcoWindowsand
Doors.Hequickly sur-
veyed theproject and
suggestedwe reinforce
theopenings. Soback to
the scrappilewewent,
pulledout somewood
and roughed inanew
opening for thedoor.We
ran intoahiccuphow-
ever, thedooropened in-
wardandwedidn’t have
space for that—simple solution—we turned thedooraroundand in-
stalled it insideout.Asweworkedwe jokedabout thisbeing the first
LEEDcertifiedchickencoop. LEED stands for Leadership inEnergy
andEnvironmentalDesign,whichhasa rating system for thedesign,
construction, operation, andmaintenanceof greenbuildings, and
homes.Oneaspect of the LEEDcertification is theuseof environmen-
tally sensitivebuildingpracticesand reusingasmuchbuildingmate-
rial aspossible.
Withmy limited carpentry skills I decided to install thewindowmyself,
andmanaged tobuildasolid frame that fit so tightly it couldmeetNASA
tolerances.Now,with thewindowanddoor inplace itwas time to insu-
late thecoop to keepmygirlswarm in thewinter. Tim fromSpaceAge
Insulationspray foamed two inchesover theceiling,wallsand floorand
then coveredwith thick plastic.Waterproof canvas, recycled froma
horse-ridingarenawas stapledover the rest of the structure.
☛
MAKEOVERFEATURE
|
FROM OUTHOUSE TO HENHOUSE
