Fixing up an old coop.

[HarleyHyena]

I talked to a friend who used to have chickens... They had a few coops, but this one was the easiest to bring over. I know I need to replace the door [It was also the little ramp.] The roof, and the legs [They look like they are rotting away]. Do you think it's worth it to sand it down and replace wood where it's needed and repaint it?

 

[cavemanrich]

FIRST

Now for my opinion. Just fix it minimally and use it. If you are talking about sanding and rebuilding it all up. The time involved to do a GOOD JOB is a lot more than to slap a new one together. New goes up FAST. You can make new to be same as what you have. Then paint it against weather and you will have for many years trouble free.
WISHING YOU BEST

 

[tracecom]

I talked to a friend who used to have chickens... They had a few coops, but this one was the easiest to bring over. I know I need to replace the door [It was also the little ramp.] The roof, and the legs [They look like they are rotting away]. Do you think it's worth it to sand it down and replace wood where it's needed and repaint it?

It's hard to tell what the size is, but it looks small for more than one or two chickens, but if it's large enough for what you want, you could make some repairs. I wouldn't spend much money on it, nor would I bother sanding it. Just fix what you have to, slap a coat of paint on it, and see how it works for you.

 

[HarleyHyena]

I think I'm going to rebuild it [I'll see what wood I can salvage from it] and sell it so I can use the extra $$ I get from it to continue building a bigger coop. The coop itself is going to be pretty big. We're getting the base/flooring done today. I'll post a picture when we've added the floor to the base .

 

[HarleyHyena]

Here's the base we started! It's 8x4. It got too dark to continue working on it. What do you guys think?

 

[Shawnee Moon]

8x4' for how many chickens of what breed? Is this just a night roosting place or all-day housing?

I'm preparing a room that's probably 8x10, a regular room, I can stand in it easily. I'll probably have between 10 - 15 hens, larger breed like Orpingtons.

 

[bdjh]

Looks like a good, sturdy base.....

One comment....having the 4x4's sitting directly on the ground.....if you have soft or damp ground, you may find your coop will sink over time. I'd suggest either sitting it on top of some deck blocks, or adding a 4x4 under your posts, parallel to the ground. Think of them as 'skis'....makes it easy to drag the coop around the yard.

 

[cavemanrich]

Here's the base we started! It's 8x4. It got too dark to continue working on it. What do you guys think?

I think you gave my advice some thought. LOL. I'm sure it will be big enough for your initial needs. BDJH gave some good ideas on keeping it from sinking in the ground, or being movable. Keep us posted with pix of your progress. Ask any questions. Many here are willing to share their ideas here.

 

[HarleyHyena]

8x4' for how many chickens of what breed? Is this just a night roosting place or all-day housing?

I'm preparing a room that's probably 8x10, a regular room, I can stand in it easily. I'll probably have between 10 - 15 hens, larger breed like Orpingtons.

Right now I have 5 chicks that are all different breeds. I'll probably have around 10 chickens in all once the coop is finished. We will be building it up tall enough so we can walk in and be able to clean and do whatever. It's also going to be the coop area. They're going to have a long run that's the same size as the coop. They're also going to be able to free range.

Looks like a good, sturdy base.....

One comment....having the 4x4's sitting directly on the ground.....if you have soft or damp ground, you may find your coop will sink over time. I'd suggest either sitting it on top of some deck blocks, or adding a 4x4 under your posts, parallel to the ground. Think of them as 'skis'....makes it easy to drag the coop around the yard.

Today my boyfriend and I are going to go and get some stepping stones for the legs to sit on. That's what we had planned anyways. I'll tell him about the 4x4s an see what he thinks .

 

[HarleyHyena]

We are painting it now so we can put it out where it's going to be. Right side has two coats and the left has one. I read on another form that you should caulk all of the screw heads so they last longer. So we did that as well! Thoughts so far?