future coop and run

[DntBrnDPig]

Looks great!! When you say you are going to use cattle panels for the coop - are you talking about the 16' x 4 - 5' panels with the 4" openings?

 

[Blooie]

You won't regret the cattle panels for the hoop run. We sure don't, and we didn't frame ours at all - we pounded steel fence posts into the ground, eight of them total, (4 per side) and arched the panels between them, wiring them into position. We had a piece of leftover welded wire fence left over from another project and closed the south end with that, which makes for an easy time expanding the run, as we plan to do this summer. Remove the end panel, make another arch, and then put the end panel back on. Done. There isn't at thing that hoop hasn't withstood, and that includes 50 mph winds with gusts of 70. (That was a wild weather weekend, let me tell ya!)


The coop and hoop run in summer.


And in winter.

We liked the look of the lattice in front of the run so much that we bought a couple more pieces and draped it over the run to support the plastic we put on for winter. Kept the little pokie-outie things from catching the plastic because it kept the plastic elevated just off the cattle panels. Easy to cover in plastic for the season - one person on each side and toss the roll over!

 

[DntBrnDPig]

The cattle panels have huge openings. No predator problems?

 

[Blooie]

We covered the panels with chicken wire, which is doing a great job of keeping out overhead predators. To the bottom 2 feet we added hardware cloth "sewn" to the chicken wire and panels, then we extended it out another two feet as an apron. We planned to put flat rock around that to hide it, but the grass has grown up through it so beautifully that we didn't need it - Ken can mow right over it. We also ran a skirt of it up the sides and extending out around the coop. I have a link to the build under my avatar.

 

[aart]

The cattle panels have huge openings. No predator problems?

You can get 'horse panels' too...with 2x4 openings.

 

[PapaChaz]

Looks great!! When you say you are going to use cattle panels for the coop - are you talking about the 16' x 4 - 5' panels with the 4" openings?

Yes, these are what I'm going to use

The cattle panels have huge openings. No predator problems?

I ordered a 4'x100' roll of 1/2" mesh hardware cloth. It arrived today. I intend on covering the whole thing with it, although I sure do like the looks of Blooies lattice work!

I ordered the hardware cloth on Amazon, found it for $161, anywhere local was going to cost me at least $80 more, and with an order on amazon over $35, no shipping. I had the fedex guy drop it right where I need it for now, LOL

 

[PapaChaz]

oh I should have put up, I didn't get any work done on the coop today, BUT I did manage to flag down the chip truck from one of the local tree service comanies and got a load of wood chips!

I told him I'd take 2 or 3 more loads if he wanted to just dump them beside the load he brought today!

The place I'm putting the coop/run is kind of low, I intend on building it up with wood chips, they're good for the soil anyway!

 

[DntBrnDPig]

Ohh, I get it. You are using the cattle panels as the structure. I like it!

I like the lattice look too!

 

[PapaChaz]

today I finished all the framing except for the steps. I have a good friend who runs the local metal building business, I went by and told him I was building a chicken coop and I need some metal roofing cheap! LOL since I'm just doing galvanized and not painted, they usually have a pretty good bit of seconds, including the ridge cap and transition pieces. I'll be able to go pick it up tomorrow bout lunch and it will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 2/3 the cost of first run painted metal roofing.

I did get the hardware cloth delivered yesterday, so I got the pieces cut for the windows, man I love the metal sheers that go in the cordless drill. Like cutting this mesh with electric scissors:

I went ahead and got the air stapler out and fastened it to the framing before I put the siding up

got the roof trusses finished, the porch posts up and the rest of the siding on. Tomorrow I hope the rain holds off or gives me enough time in between showers to get the mesh under the eaves front and back, over the peak, and install the roofing.



after that, I need to build the doors, the nest boxes, cut the pop doors and make the shutters for the windows. I'll paint the siding before trimming it out, depending on if the DW decides she wants the trim a different color or not. We're putting up a new exterior door on the house coming into the kitchen, the old one is going on the front of the coop.

Making progress! if the rain will hold off tomorrow, I might get to the point of only needing to paint by saturday afternoon!


Then of course it will be time to start on the run.....

 

[Blooie]

I have to show that cutter to Ken! Your coop's looking just grand!