Coop and Run Project - 5 Years in the Making

[IdyllwildAcres]

H/w cloth the front gable!
More ventilation!!!

Gary

 

[royrector]

This weekend I was able to get all walls up and covered, the roof is shingled and the chicken door entrances built in:

I have been incorporating advice from others about things that need to be added to the coop during construction. The 2nd chicken door was one of those suggestions. Thanks!

From the inside you can see the chicken doors, and where the windows will be:

Still have the gable on the “people” side to finish, and I plan on added two 24” x 18” vents to the gables on each end:

Lots more work to do, but it is slowly coming together.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Looking great!

 

[royrector]

Haven’t made much progress on the coop in a few weeks. We did some August vacation traveling. And all this time I have had a 2nd back yard project in progress that is now the priority. I had a framing crew working on a covered deck/outdoor kitchen project on the side of my house:

But I fired them right before we left on vacation because they were doing a terrible job with finishing work. So, now I am finishing it myself. But I did manage to get the windows installed on the coop today:

I should be able to finish the deck project by the end of October, and then I’ll be back to work on the coop project. Looking forward to the day I can walk out to the coop, grab some fresh eggs and cook breakfast on the deck while watching our chickens play in their run. ;-)

 

[CapricornFarm]

Here are a few things I have wished I had on my past coop/run areas. Some I added myself or built into a coop later, some are just dreams. These may not apply to you, but I offer them as food for thought. In no particular order.

• Rain gutters draining roof runoff to rain barrel
• Poop board under roosts
• Skylight
• Extra pop doors for additional runs
• More (adjustable) ventilation
• Feed and equipment storage, wall hooks, frequently used tools, pegboard wall, shelving, frequently used fasteners, knife & stone, lighter
• Isolation ward and brooder with small run
• Water faucet
• Electrical outlet (GFI)
• Automatic pop door
• Better indoor/night time lighting with timer option
• Counter or work surface
• Farm journal at coop (with extra WORKING pens)
• Scale and measuring devices
• Double gated entrance to run to avoid escapes
• Deeper roof overhangs
• Raised pad or covered porch at entry
• Bootscraper
• Handy emergency predator defense
• Fire extinguisher and first aid kit
• Hot plate with pot or crockpot for heating mash and water
• Folding chair or stool
• A supply of work towels and rags, paper towels, trash can w/lid and liner, trash bags, flashlight, magnifying glass, extra eyeglasses, notepad, umbrella, fly swatters, clock radio, soap/hand sanitizer, twine/rope, sun hat, bug repellent, sunscreen, disposable gloves, extra bins/buckets/baskets/totes, knee pads, ponytail ties, silicon caulk, super glue, duct tape, wire, extra padlocks, chain, carabiners, zip bags, zip ties, Mylar emergency blanket, bottled water, utility knife, scissors, instant coffee, pool noodles, extra work gloves, extra decommissioned cell phone (can still call 911) on charger, cowbell (signaling device), sweatshirt/sweater/jacket/poncho
• Removable liners for floor, nests, poop board
• Cooler or mini fridge
• Access door to under coop floor area/foundation
• Compost bins in run with removable slatted fronts and backs and access to contents from outside the run
• Growing beds along outside perimeter of run
• Anchor bolts into cross beams for hanging items in coop and run
• Coop bedding cleanout doors
• Built in ventilation fans
• Insulation in walls, floor, ceiling, pipes
• Shade and rain tarp or coverings

I've probably shown just how often I've trekked out to my far flung outbuildings only to discover I'd forgotten to bring some crucial bit along. Much of this can be planned for before building, some comes later, some will not apply to your situation. I was on a fairly large property with lots of variety to the weather. You've likely thought of all these things, but you asked.

We didn't have cell phones back when. Now everyone has at least one old one laying around. They all can dial 911, though it might not connect to your local dispatch. They can also take photos to be uploaded to your computer via hardline, and store notes or documents, pdf files, books. Still handy to have around!

Your project is looking great! I'm continuing to follow your excellent progress.

All that? You might as well just take the chickens in the house with you, lol!

 

[SGL70]

Wow...impressive build! ....and all those tools/toys!

 

[ScottandSam]

Nice Build. I look forward to the updates.
Scott

 

[Ashley & Donna Dame]

Nice build its coming out nice. Looking forward to seeing it complete.