I'm diggin' it.
The guineas are diggin' it.
We thought it would be a good idea to reuse one of the old screen doors that we took off of the house when we remodeled. Jordan took the screen off, cut the top off and rebuilt it to fit the a-frame, then replaced the screen with chicken wire.
(Coming soon...when the weather cools a bit, I'm going the paint the door a fun color)
We have several extras of these latches that we use on the paddock gates. Of course, if we were to walk in and let the door shut behind us, we'd be locked in. Hence, the orange baling string that is tied to the latch and strung through to the inside.
This is the door the guineas will use when it's time to let them out. Jordan calls it the "Shelly door".
It slides up, like so, and can be propped open so that the guineas can come and go without having the big door propped open, which wouldn't work on windy days.
The back slides open for easy access to the nesting boxes and, hopefully, future eggs.
Another view of the back.
Jordan made a "track" for the nesting boxes to fit into. These are drawers that came out of our kitchen during the remodel.
The frame is made out of treated lumber and we already had plenty of chicken wire laying around. All of the cedar is from the trees that Jordan cut down and milled. For this project, he cut a "rabbet joint" into each board so that they would overlap and the enclosed area would be water tight. He also sealed all of the wood, which really brings out the pretty grain.
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4 comments:
Nice! I was going to suggest you paint it a fun color. :). How do guineas winter? Are they more hardy than chickens?
That looks really nice..I ESPECIALLY like the re-made screen door. What about the flooring though? If its laying flat on the dirt won't foxes/snakes be able to get in?
FYI -- DON"T let Jordan go!!!
From what I've read, guineas are hardier than chickens and can have an open shelter like that as long as it faces south. They certainly are wilder than the chickens and they can fly better. As for the floor...snakes can get in through the chicken wire anyway. They are too big for snakes to eat and would eat any baby snake that got in there. If a fox happen upon the coop, I don't think it will get far with its digging before Harry and Ginger takes care of that problem. The question is, will Harry and/or Ginger be the one diggin' and eatin'?
This coop is beautiful. I love it. I want Jordan to build me one now.
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