Barnaby's Bird Barn

Oh Man! Do you mind if I just totally copy this coop? I swear I'll name it after you or give you design credit or whatever. (I'd offer you eggs, but . . . well you know . . . . probably that won't impress you very much.) Seriously, this is just what I've been trying to put together in my head. Totally practical, efficient and simple, and I love the shape.
I've been collecting scrap wood and recycled things for awhile now to make a good 24 ft or larger coop for my growing flock. I'm intrigued by the PDZ and sand litter method especially since we have a girl who doesn't lay predictably in one place. If the only area that had cushy litter was JUST the lay boxes I'm hoping she might settle down and stop burying eggs in the wood chips. Or not. Who knows. But it looks like your terrain is similar to our's perhaps. (Gold Country, North Central California Foothills, not far from Yosemite) It would be nice to have some options for the rainy season, those wood chips just seem to get damp and/or even wet -- and then they're not so great for keeping anyone warm. Plus they get uber-smelly. One thing I wonder about is the heat -- does the sand-plus-gravel ever get too hot for their little toodsies? Ya Know what? If it's portable I can plop it in the shade for the summer.
Anyway, thank you for sharing your coop. It's a great design.

My husband is tickled you like his design and build out Fuzzy. Here's more info for you, and thanks for the compliments!


Comments from the builder:

The coop is basically five sheets of OSB, and designed to maximize the internal space. To have some roof overhang, the floor plan was cut down to about 42 inches by 84 inches. The roof is one sheet cut in half. I ripped 2x4s to get 2x2s for internal bracing. Braces are at each corner, under the floor, and under the roof. All OSB was primed then covered with two coats of latex top coat to keep out moisture. If I were starting over, I would use outdoor plywood for the roof and perhaps spray the floor with bed liner, or go with all plywood and skip the paint. The OSB cost $50, plywood would be $135-$230. I expect this project cost $200-$250.

The ridge vent is made of OSB scraps and a 2x4 vertical piece on either end holding it together. The vent is held up by small spacer blocks on either end. Removing the blocks allows the ridge vent to drop down in case of really bad weather. It can also be lifted up and removed completely. The roof panels are hinged in the middle for access to the inside from above

There are rollers inside the coop for the litter tray to roll in and out. The tray was made of stuff they line the walls with around the bath tub with small supports underneath, all glued with contact cement and silicon caulk. The two support arms for the tray hinge out for use. Once out, the access panel hinges down locking the supports in place.

The original coop had the litter tray located about a foot under the floor below the roosts. This got the litter out of the coop and allowed several sq ft of ventilation. The problems were that I had sized the "drop zone" and tray too small and that it required stooping down to maintain it.

The roosts are wooden closet rods held in place by deck screws.

The nesting boxes were made from three pieces of scrap OSB, a front piece and two dividers, screwed and glued together as a removable unit that just sets in place. I had an A/C intake grill on hand, so I used it on the main access door. The chicken entrance uses an automatic car antenna. The entrance ramp is a 2x8 cut using a router. Two deck screws on the door sill slip into holes cut into the underside of the top end of the ramp to hold it in place.

Below where the litter tray slides, out between the legs, is a 2x6 braced with a 2x4. I cut a 2 inch hole allowing the beam to hook onto my mower for moving the coop. Wheels are attached to the legs on the other end during moving and removed when not used.

Wanted to add...A frozen ice block from a 8 or 16 oz round Zip Lock or Glad food storage container dropped into the 3 inch PVC pipe water cools the chickens drinking water.

Great job!

Thanks Mountain Peeps!

Slight modifications include more ventilation and a heavier, more substantial poop tray.