Earlier this week Hubby wanted to completely redesign the old winter coop into a cleaner and better summer model. Actually it was out with the old and in with the new. (He plans to disassemble the old wooden one completely.) This chicken stuff has really been a learning curve for him but he enjoys it. (Well mostly).
Hubby decided he wanted to make a lighter chicken coop, easier to move. He also wanted it to be easier to collect the eggs, easier to clean, which meant that it needed to have room to stand up in it. It also needed to be airy for the summer months while providing shade in the hot afternoons. And of course it has to be coyote, coon, and possum proof.
But the saga continues!!!!
Yesterday, we had a storm brew up out of the intense heat and humidity. A little afternoon thunder and lightening with a bit of wind. I was going to the grocery and Hubby wanted to come along. He was not feeling the greatest and wanted to get some more tie downs for the chicken coop. It had a tie down strap over the middle and was staked down on both sides with dog stake augers. (Those things that look like large corkscrews)
Well, the thunder and lightening was not bad but the storm just all came together over the top of us and the wind was fierce. We stood at the kitchen window going "OH!!" watching the trees and power lines being tossed in the wind.
At one point, Darling Daughter #3 says, "The chickens are out!!" The run had blown off and was laying in the soybean field. Within another minute or two, the second chicken run was blown over into the herb garden!!! This wind went on for about 10 minutes or so, and in the midst of it the hail started coming down, some of it as large as a nickel....
Poor chickens out in the horrible screaming wind, being pelted with hail that size.
We had to wait a while for the rain to cease. We all put on our mud boots and headed out. We waded into the sucking mud of the soybean field to recover the one run...Then we got the one out of the herb garden....
But the new coop was not without damage. The straps held it down but because there was not enough of them the coop lift up on the end with the big door and twisted over on to its side under the strap, which resulted in some broken braces. So immediately, Hubby went to work with his repair gear and got it all repaired.
All during this time, the chickens were discovering their new found freedom. One of the young roosters from the small coop was picking a fight and getting whooped by a old hen. So Kt and I went to work getting those four birds back into their proper place. They were fairly cooperative.
BUT, by the time the new coop was totally repaired the older birds had wandered all over the place and were kind of liking their freedom. We decided to let them stay out until dark, believing that they would all go into the coop to roost for the night.
So the purposed trip to town took place, to include more tie downs. But come dusk some of the birds were in the coop but the rooster called all of the ladies out and had them bedding down for the night under the cottonwood tree. Hubby was aggravated with the old boy and while I did not see it I wish I had of. Evidently, he took a piece of PVC pipe after him and chased that rooster around until he was worn out...the rooster that is!!
He finally conceded and went into the coop, calling the ladies home for the night. The door was closed on them to keep the coyotes out and Hubby came home ready for the day to be done.