There was a large movable coop on the property when we moved in. Not perfect by Jen’s standard for easy maintenance, but it had to do until we had time to build. Our chickens became full time free rangers and not surprisingly we lost many to dogs, coyotes and hawks. In October, our biddies stopped laying and we added a no-heat light bulb to help recreate their laying. One morning, the light fell and sparked a fire that demolished the entire coop in about 1 hour. Nothing was left except pieces of metal. Over 20 chickens perished, the rooster’s lovely tail was burned off and he lost his crow for several weeks along with several girls who lost their voice for a while due to smoke inhalation. We made do with another coop Jen had luckily bought and we picked up the week before.
Fast forward to 2022 – the new coop is underway after much painstaking design questions and challenges. Billy’s Morganton barn wood finally found its resting place as the siding, roofing, beams and trim to make the barn look as if it’s always been a part of the property.
