Coop Reveal! Designed and Built Ourselves

aart said:

That is one rock solid coop and run!! Kudos to the builders!

I have an 'under run' also, not quite as big as yours - didn't want to have to crawl under too far in case I need to fetch a bird, but it is great for when it rains or snows.

I love your built in window props! Do they operate from the inside or outside of the coop?


I have several suggestions (sorry, engineer by nature - trained to see things missed)
-Great job using hardware cloth with screws and washers, but I'd put in a couple more in between the ones already there along any edges of the HC on the outside. If a dog or coon gets it's teeth/claws under an edge it can tear...and coons are freakishly strong.

-Open up that soffit on the high side for ventilation so moisture and ammonia can escape the coop to avoid respiratory issues. Not sure of your location, but you said snow so I assume a freezing climate. Humidity in freezing temps is what causes frostbite.

-I see a couple of rotating loop latches...putting loop latches with caribineers in them on all coop doors without HC will foil any coon.

-Turning the roosts to 'wide side up' will help keep chicken feet warm in the winter and be more comfortable for them once they are full grown.

-Adding a few more 2x4's under the HC run roof might help with snow load(if you get alot)...or plan on keeping the snow swept off the roof.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much, for your expert insight, @aart !

To address some of your questions and points:

The window props are on the inside of the coop window frame, but operate from outside of the coop. So you just open the window from the outside, and there are 2 different sized props, 1 on each side of the frame. Behind the props is the HC to secure the coop from critters, or chickens 'flying the coop'. Ha haha.

Ok on the additional screws and washers. He can add more, and will.

Thanks for pointing out the missing soffit vents. Actually, he planned on putting vents in to let the roof breathe through the soffit vent, and out the ridge vent. The roof is not open to the coop. It has a plywood ceiling, but he plans on adding on a functioning coupla, with a weathervane, very soon. Right now, what we do have for ventilation is the windows, which are always open right now (until it gets super cold), and you may have seen how the upper portion of the dividing wall to the storage area, is also HC, and we leave that back door ajar during the day, for added airing out while the chickens are outdoors. We aren't having an amonia issue yet, as the bedding is purely Sweet PDZ, and I clean the coop with a scooper daily.
Yes, we are in New England. It may also be worth mentioning, come to think of it, that the coop's walls, celiling and floor are all insulated.

We actually don't have any loop latches. We have locking latches, that work with a key. So I don't think that should be an issue. S o the chickens are locked into the coop, inside an also locked run, at night.

Ok, we weren't sure about which way to have the roost posts. I researched but found varying opinions. Those are actually 2x3 roost. They are only 10 weeks old at the moment, but in that case, we'll turn them to wide-side up soon.

Alright, we'll keep an eye on the snow-load on the HC run. That's a good suggestion, and if need be, an easy fix, come winter.

We REALLY appreciate your feedback! Thanks so much for taking the time to take a look, and share your knowledge.

The waiting is SO HARD, when you are excited, huh? How many chicks have you got coming, and what breeds?

jasonquinnryan said:

Fall is upon us and our chickens are loving their coop. My daughter and I built this together. Memories are priceless

Click to expand...

Your coop is gorgeous!!

Plymrocker said:

Your coop is gorgeous!!

Click to expand...

Thank you very much

Two amazing coops such clever members
I still need to ventilate mine although they seem ok

Plymrocker said:

The waiting is SO HARD, when you are excited, huh?  How many chicks have you got coming, and what breeds? 

Click to expand...

Ten, all BBS English Orpingtons. They arrive as soon as I get back from helping friends close their cabin at Huntington Lake (near Yosemite) next month.

This is my coop that I started in April. It is built with rough cut 1" thick oak and cherry that was donated for our project. There is plenty of ventilation throughout the coop. We put down rubber matting for the floor and all the roost boards for super easy clean up. We do use flakes on top of the rubber mats. There is a long feeder and a 5 gallon water supply that is controlled with a thermostat so the water doesn't freeze. The lights have a separate timer for the short winter days. There is an automatic door that leads into the run. The run has the thick wire around it dug into the ground 1 foot to keep critters out. I got most of the ideas from all the super nice people here and their ideas and pictures. I'd like to add some gutters and a rain barrel next but fall is upon us. Might have to wait until spring. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask, I'd love to share ideas. This coop is super easy to maintain and fun to build. Hope you enjoy the pics. Thanks for looking