Finest Chicken House in Oklahoma County So there it is, my goal for this project. Make the finest chicken coop in the county. It all started three years ago when we began removing invasive red cedar trees from the property. They are fire hazards during drought and they suck water like no other plant in our fields. The idea came after we had a large pile of cedar logs that I could have the logs milled and could use the wood for a chicken barn. This picture shows the largest beams and posts that came from the mill. Most of the wood is 12 feet long and you can see that some of the ends are not so square. Thanks to Bart Lenard the yield was perfect. We got 6x6x10′ posts, 4×8 beams and 2×6 and 2×4 and some odds and ends. We used every scrap. The barn is 16 feet wide so we bought 16′ tie beams connecting the walls. Likewise cedar paneling and roof decking was purchased. To connect the beams, I really wanted old style mortise and tenon construction. This would require more expertise than we could muster. I just wanted to show off the wood without lots of metal support showing. So we used a simple joining method called T-Rex connectors. With a few chainsaw attachments and heavy aluminum connectors, we could tie all the beams and posts together and cover most of the metal connectors. 1/2 inch pins secure each joint and look like pegs used to pin a mortise and tenon joint. There were many many knee braces at the top and bottom of each post where we used our 2×6 wood. This was very difficult since the 2 inch wood varied from 1 7/8 to 2 1/4. It made cutting tenons to fit very tough. Each knee brace is pinned with a wood pin. Framing and decking when much faster since we used nice straight lumber. The red cedar is very pretty. We ripped 2×4 stock in half and made 2×2 wood for framing. Otherwise we would cover the posts. The 2 inch framing gave a nice reveal of the posts inside and outside the barn. Once the siding was installed Adrian sprayed the entire barn with cedar sealer. The sealer will preserve the wood from moisture and deepened the rich red and white patterns in the wood. We did add gutters and drain to keep water away from the barn. “Mad as a wet hen” is to be avoided. Time and effort were taken to drain the chicken yard and barn. The hand made louvered windows look nice too. Adrian made them. Inside the barn we added screened fence panels to cage the space. Half the space is for hens and half the space is for storage, litter free walkways and a nursery area to raise chicks. When the slab was poured we put in ground water and in-pad boxes for water. Hoping that this will reduce heat needed in winter to keep water for the girls from freezing. Two areas inside are key to the “business end of the operation”. Roosts and Nests. The chickens have about 30 feet of roosting boards placed about 3 feet off the floor. We get most of our manure for composting from under to roost. It really piles up. The cage panels are designed to come down easily so we can sweep out the barn easily and sweep our prize into the tractor’s bucket. From there it goes to a compost pile to rot. After about 6 months we have wheelbarrows full of the “Truth”. It is the best thing a vegetable gardener could ever get and you cannot have too much. The nests are easy access too. We now have back door access to each nest. The hens don’t peck as much when you get eggs from under a hen. The coop has 10 nests for our 25 bird flock and gives us room to grow. We are incubating 2 dozen eggs now. Mostly Americanna’s but a few mixed breeds for Adrian too. They are scheduled to hatch Feb 23rd. Outside we built a caged area for safety and the girls have a fenced area that adjoins our small garden and the coop. The adjoining garden has an orchard section that the hens can, safely in a fenced area, forage for bugs and greens. This part of the garden can be closed while we grow a nice edible cover crop like clover. The main fenced in area is big enough, I hope, so that the hens don’t denude the ground. Finally, after 3 years of slow steady work, we have completed the barn. My friend Alan Lemay and I  (he really did it) built two 9’x3′ barn doors. We used scrap siding for the door panels. The doors with attached rollers sit on a rail for easy opening. In this picture the doors have yet to be stained. Best chicken barn in Oklahoma County?? So the challenge is on. Is this the best chicken house in Oklahoma? Or just Oklahoma county? Please vote by adding comments below. If placing a No vote, please attach link to picture of the competition. Let the egg laying begin!    

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