I started building my coop a bit late, and the poor chicks have been penned in our garden shed and let out in a small fence enclosure like prison inmates for the last month or so... But tonight, I had enough built on the coop to allow them to start to live in their new home! I have a little trim work and the nest box to build still (I am planning a roll out egg style) Plus, I need to fence in the coop and their run and once the rough cut pine is dry enough, it will need some barn red paint, but they can stay inside for a wile yet. We have 12 at the moment, but plan to cull the flock down to a running 9 hens and maybe a rooster. This year they are all RIR's, and I plan to swap out three each year so that we always have 6 hens that are one or two years old. When I swap out the hens, I will swap breeds.
Well, you all want the photos so here we go...
Started out with a simple 4x8 base and pressure treated legs cemented in the ground.
Then some down and dirty wall framing and the start of the roof design.
Then onto the siding... I am using rough cut pine and batten siding, The RT side is done in reclaimed 100+ year old barn board.
For extra access inside, I made two hinged doors which I welded up from old bed frames. I may be redesigning this and hinge the doors so that the fold down, they are too low when open and I am not happy with them! These are not the egg doors, just access to give them food in the winter and to access inside.(You will also notice that I started to use the metal roofing, but decided to ditch it for shingles. I was not pleased with how crappy the tin roof at Lowe's really is...
Here is the run side showing the floor access ramp The ramp is also reclaimed old lumber from the same barn the siding came from.
Here's a view from the egg door showing the trap door shut on the nest box. I plan to cut a section about 4" wide from the wall, add hinges and a pretty slick outside mounted handle to open the trap door kind of like a wood stove door. More on that later... I still need to add a few batten boards under the window, but I need to pick up another rough cut board to rip down.
Far back near the window are two 2x3" roost boards and eventually a "poop hammock" will be installed.
The nest boxes will be up near the top of the height about a foot or so off the floor. My plan is that the egg collection will allow four next boxes to empty into one "tray" that is in between the door frame. The two side boxes will require sloped sides to channel the eggs into the collection tray, but I think it will all work when I am done.
Here is the exit to the run with the trap door removed.
I have saved the best for last... Here is what it looks like pretty much done, minus a little more trim work and paint.
This is the back side with a fixed glass window that was cut down to work in this fashion, primed, and all the glass re-glazed. Like I said, I need to add a little more trim on this wall still.
Well, you all want the photos so here we go...
Started out with a simple 4x8 base and pressure treated legs cemented in the ground.
Then some down and dirty wall framing and the start of the roof design.
Then onto the siding... I am using rough cut pine and batten siding, The RT side is done in reclaimed 100+ year old barn board.
For extra access inside, I made two hinged doors which I welded up from old bed frames. I may be redesigning this and hinge the doors so that the fold down, they are too low when open and I am not happy with them! These are not the egg doors, just access to give them food in the winter and to access inside.(You will also notice that I started to use the metal roofing, but decided to ditch it for shingles. I was not pleased with how crappy the tin roof at Lowe's really is...
Here is the run side showing the floor access ramp The ramp is also reclaimed old lumber from the same barn the siding came from.
Here's a view from the egg door showing the trap door shut on the nest box. I plan to cut a section about 4" wide from the wall, add hinges and a pretty slick outside mounted handle to open the trap door kind of like a wood stove door. More on that later... I still need to add a few batten boards under the window, but I need to pick up another rough cut board to rip down.
Far back near the window are two 2x3" roost boards and eventually a "poop hammock" will be installed.
The nest boxes will be up near the top of the height about a foot or so off the floor. My plan is that the egg collection will allow four next boxes to empty into one "tray" that is in between the door frame. The two side boxes will require sloped sides to channel the eggs into the collection tray, but I think it will all work when I am done.
Here is the exit to the run with the trap door removed.
I have saved the best for last... Here is what it looks like pretty much done, minus a little more trim work and paint.
This is the back side with a fixed glass window that was cut down to work in this fashion, primed, and all the glass re-glazed. Like I said, I need to add a little more trim on this wall still.
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Do you want to come do mine? Lol
