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Coop Name: Cackle Inn Owner: Pat Opp Location: Rolla, Missouri
In 2016, I retired from the U. S. Army as a military chaplain with post-traumatic stress disorder and broken down hips that have been operated on three times. Having chickens has been one of the best things for me. I’m glad I put the time and money into building a durable and fun coop for them. I also kept my grandson, John Patrick, in mind when I built the coop. After being given 19 chickens, I built a coop in my barn for our fine rooster and wonderful hens. My son, Levi, named the coop, Cackle Inn as our girls cackle quite a bit after laying eggs. Happy chickens!
Having chickens has been one of the best things for me. I’m glad I put the time and money into building a durable and fun coop for them.
Building my coop has a been a bit costly. It cost a pretty penny, a broken leg, and torn LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament). I’m so glad it’s finished and my chickens are safer inside my barn. It has become my sanctuary as I heal from physical and mental injuries from my military service.
The coop has all the basic areas to include roosting for bedtime, nesting buckets for laying eggs, two watering and feed areas to separate younger birds from the dominant ones. Just outside the coop is a large area where they dust bathe. My friend, Mike, says his chickens would be spoiled to live here. I know my family is glad they have a nice home!
I decided to design part of the chicken coop into the barn wall with an area that could store my ladders and yard tools. It works out perfectly as they are neatly stored and it helps secure the chicken coop to the barn wall.My Son, Levi, named the coop, “Cackle Inn” as our girls cackle quite a bit after laying eggs.We named mostly after food, songs, and their personalities. Our rooster is named Elvis, because of the moves he makes (according to my son Levi).After being given 19 chickens I built a coop in my barn for our fine rooster and wonderful hens.I saw this online and knew this had to go in my chicken coop. It helps me to smile and relax. I’m pretty sure my grandson John Patrick will like when he sees it!The wooden cross is a reminder to me every day that I am out with my chickens how good God has been to me. The six words of grace, love, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, and freedom are what I think of when I see the cross. I may be retired from the military as a chaplain, but I get to preach to my chickens.Our hens one day laid eggs in my red much tub and from then on would only lay there. I had to quickly buy six more to keep them all happy.This is a feed window for grandchildren. I decided to build a small feed window next to the feed can so our grandchildren can have fun filling the PVC pipes with egg pellets and crumble. Pretty cool stuff for kids!Table storage: I really wanted to keep the bedding and straw supplies close. so it seemed smart to place it under the roosting area and next to the egg buckets. The table is designed below the chicken’s roosting area. When the chickens defecate, it falls down below on the table, which has linoleum squares, so the mess along with the soiled bedding just slides off from table to wheelbarrow. This makes it a lot easier for cleanup.I added a tire I painted to our coop. I hope they use it a lot!The way my barn is designed, it has clay for a foundation and open bottom areas. To keep our birds and barn kitties safe from coyotes and raccoons it seemed good to wrap 2 x 4 frames with galvanized wire and then attach a sturdy rubber-like plastic for the winter months. The coop has a lot of airflow and my son and I do our best to keep it clean for our chickens.The PVC pipes provide dinner for our happy chickens.Our hens one day laid eggs in my red much tub and from then on would only lay there. I had to quickly buy six more to keep them all happy.Instead of buying a medicine chest from Lowe’s, I decided to build one. In the last five months, I’ve built the coop, table cabinet, a bench and the chest. My wife told me to get on YouTube and learn and then go and do. I’m so glad I did!My Backyard Poultry magazines and chicken books have a neat place to be.The PVC Pipes provide dinner for our happy chickens. I sure got some great ideas from a lot of folks off YouTube and put them into our coop plans. Much thanks to all who shared before me.I saw this online and knew this had to go in my chicken coop. It helps me to smile and relax. I’m pretty sure my grandson, John Patrick, will like when he sees it!I’m so glad my coop is finished and my chickens are safer inside my barn.I figure the chicken coop is as much for the farmer and his grandchildren as it is for the chickens.