It's a wrap, no it's a coop.

All this talk about chickens and you may have thought I was joking.  Well my twitter and instagram feeds do not lie.  This happened.

 [Materials purchased.]

These ran (including some tools D needed) us about $350.  That was a bit more than I expected.  If you're interested in a coop but don't want to build it yourself or pay that, Tractor Supply Store has pre-built coops for sale.

 [We've got a sturdy base]

 [The feeder will hang underneath the coop itself to protect it from most rain and weather]

 [That's a gate to the left that will allow us to walk right in for refilling food and water]

[A view of the inside]

I didn't get to be present for the building process, but I know D and Les worked their asses off on this!  After a full day's work, the coop still wasn't complete.

That plywood "door" opens down for easy access to grabbing the eggs out as necessary.  The entrance (seen above) is on the opposite side of the coop (which will be fenced in with chicken wire).  The coop is in a mostly shaded area but has plenty of access to the sun as well.

The plywood wasn't treated, so the coop had to be painted.  I happily took on that task while D was out of town last weekend.

 [This is what the color was supposed to look like]

 [Somehow it turned out a bit more purple]

In the sun, the shade of paint takes on a bit more of a gray hue which doesn't photograph well in the shade where I was.  The paint supplies ended up costing close to $40, but it should not have.  D specifically said, "Don't get a gallon."  See that paint above?  #fail  Even with a second coat and painting the remainder of boards, you don't need a gallon.

 [Spent my Saturday doing a little tri training at the gym, then painting...with beer of course]

And there she is!  I'm so proud of D's hard work (and Les'!).  For me, it was really fun painting, drinking, and listening to music.  We still have to finish the coop and run by putting up the chicken wire and attaching the feeder.  The ramp needs to be added for the chickens to get in as well as the nesting (or roosting?) box for eggs.  We'll have chicken wire over the top of the run to protect the chickens from predators.  We plan to let them free range in our yard most of the time, but they'll stay in the run when we travel.  

While the total cost of building and painting the coop is close to $400, it's been a fun experience!  You know I've got the baby chicks, so I'll update on what breeds I chose soon.