PNW coop build

I just moved into a house we bought and one of my first big projects was...new coop! This will be coop #4 overall in the past 5 years. This one was going to be different. Others were lightweight, had built in wheels, had built in runs, etc.

This one was to be a little hen house only and have an attached run. For the time being, they'll devour the grass in the run. When it's gone, I'll fill it with sand.
I built it to be place in one spot and stay there...FOREVER! So it's ****** heavy and built with specs that kind of rival home building.

I used Trictle's coop build as inspiration so measurements are similar. I did make mine smaller though, 36 x 36" Inside spacing.



Made all the walls separately then secured them to each other while on the base. The only metal hardware were some angle braces for the base piece. It was hard to get the framing nailer in some positions and for those pieces I figured better safe than sorry.

The roof was made on the floor then put on top. Although, technically since two walls had the roofing support, you could directly put gables like that.



Framed in the exit door. That'll be an automatic ADOR1 when it arrives Wednesday.



Peak up from the wall. The little space is purposeful for ventilation.



There it is all finished except for the automatic door.



And there's Otis, laying a very special brown egg!



Another peak at the exit door. I'll be making a "skybridge" of sorts to take them into the run.



The run next to them. Eventually I'll order a nice custom tarp for the top. It's 3/4" PVC in arches holding up wire and the tarp. I did this a few years ago for another coop and it worked well for rain and snow.



More pics coming!

Worked on the skybridge this morning. Challenging to say the least. Got the framing up, but not the hardware cloth yet. That'll get done when I get home so hopefully the chickens can get out there tomorrow.

Finally finished it. It was tougher than I thought to finish everything.


Made the frame for the automatic waterer on left and feeder on right.


good old fashioned poultry nipples for water. I made my own version of the peck-o-matic on the right.



Got a 12" funnel from the feed store (TSC to be specific) then plugged the funnel with three 3/4 x 2.5" washers (to level out the bottom) which a fender washer (1.5" x 3/8") sits on top. Then I made a T out of 5/16" threaded rod using JB Weld. At the bottom is a nut with a round wooden piece as the trigger. Chicken pecks the wood thing, jiggles the bar, food falls out. Bada Bing!


I bought two fender washers, the 3/8 and a 1/2". My whole grain feed falls through the spacing between the 3/8 and the rod just fine. Otherwise, size it up to the bigger 1/2"


Finally let them into the run today!



There's the skybridge with ramp up to it, with another ramp going from the floating frame in the chainlink to the coop. I have the ADOR1 automatic door there as well, mounted sideways. It would have been too tight to mount vertically and would never be able to get the door out if I needed to.


Their tunnel to enter the coop. They seem to only want to rest in there right now.


another view of the door's top.

Your feeder is very similar to mine....I'm impressed with your cutting of the funnel to fit the bucket.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-almost-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder
Wonders how it's working for you and what kind of feed you use in it.
Are you concerned about that much feed getting wet being outside?

I had to use tin snips to lower the top of the funnel rim to let it slide down into the bucket. there's a 4" hole on the bottom of the bucket for the slope of the funnel.

I use whole grain feed. I don't think they're using it yet. They are just figuring out how to get into the run now. However, I've tested it with my hand and it works just fine. I might add the bottom 2" of a bucket onto the grass just below to catch the food once the grass is eaten. Also, it's covered in the run so nothing gets wet.