future coop and run

[PapaChaz]

You scoff, kind sir, but there are those wiser and more practical than us who can actually resist!! Um, I however, don't appear to one of them!

 

[PapaChaz]

latest progress report.'

ok I worked hard at it yesterday and managed to get a lot accomplished. I did manage to get some of the trim done, painting before putting it up is best, I still hate painting though.

DW and I were discussing how much trim we wanted in white, so I tacked the corners and the trim around the nest boxes up unpainted to give the idea of the contrast. Decided that we definitely want it all trimmed white.

We also had changed out our back door on the house, so I re-purposed that into the people door for the coop. Had to cut it to size and cover the doorknob hole, although I may just get a cheap doorknob and put on it. Now to figure out what color to paint the door, she already said she doesn't want white, I'm open for suggestions......

I realized I didn't buy enough trim boards, so after a shower and some supper, went back to home depot and picked up some more. It's raining today, so no power tools. I did put the trim inside the coop last night to keep it dry, and today I've set it on the porch and gotten it painted. If the rain stops (not predicted to) I'll try to get that finished out. So here's a few pics, although I honestly didn't think to take any yesterday

the cutout for the window is just sitting in there, I also realized I hadn't bought the hinges for the windows. It will be framed in white also. The front window won't stay just sitting there, LOL I plan on ripping it from top to bottom and making it look like shutters, since it's so close to the edge on one side and the door on the other. As you can see, I don't pick up the scraps as I go unless I need something, HA. The ATV with the cart has all the tools, my generator and compressor are both on wheels, but I put all the rest of the 'tools' in the cart and pull it in the shop at the end of the work day. I'm too far from the house to use an extension cord for the power tools.

Someone laughed at me for putting a front porch on a chicken coop, but I had a place to set up to paint! at least that will be done for installation tomorrow. I'll have to let the ones on the corners dry before I can take them down and paint them

 

[Alabama Jack]

My front porch is my most favorite feature of my coop. The ceiling fan on the other hand, is probably laughable, but I think it will be bliss once summer reaches Alabama. You're making great progress!

 

[aart]

Covered porches are always good!

It will be great when you go to gather eggs, or do any other coop chore, in a rainstorm.

 

[PapaChaz]

Covered porches are always good!

It will be great when you go to gather eggs, or do any other coop chore, in a rainstorm.

exactly! getting to paint the trim yesterday while it was raining proved that!

I have a question for you please, how big did you cut the entry holes for those nest boxes? I want to put a front on mine like that, want to make sure I cut them big enough

 

[aart]

I have a question for you please, how big did you cut the entry holes for those nest boxes? I want to put a front on mine like that, want to make sure I cut them big enough

Here's a shot from the design drawing.

 

[PapaChaz]

Here's a shot from the design drawing.

wow, thanks! that's awesome. so if i'm reading that right, the circle is 10"? wonder how close that comes to the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, LOL.

thanks again, yes this will help

 

[aart]

Quote: Yes, it's 10"....had the decimals on, I usually do machined parts.
I just brought home a 5 gal bucket from the bakery...the bottom is 10 3/8" diameter

 

[PapaChaz]

I managed to get the doors finished, got hardware cloth stapled along the eave under the porch roof, attached some barrel bolts and moved the older chicks OUT of the kitchen and into their new home!


I'm no where near done inside yet, but being as they are a few months away from laying they don't need the nest boxes yet. I did build them a short temporary roost. It's in the 50's here tonight, so I put a heat lamp in, clamped, the screwed the clamp to the wall, then attached a cable wire to the rafters and attached to the light, then chained it from above as well...........

Tomorrow, I pick up the materials to build the run and will get started on it. I can finish out the inside in a day next week when it's warm enough to open the pop doors and let them explore their new run. a few pics of todays progress:



the double door access. I did get that trim down, finished and painted, LOL I was originally going to wall off 2' and use as storage, I'm leaning toward leaving the wall out and using some metal cans for my storage inside the coop, thinking I'll put a piece of sheeting at an angle over the cans to keep the chicks off of them. Also thinking I'll put in a cheap cabinet, or build one. That way I can leave these doors for easy cleanout access.....

as I said I moved the 8 almost 6 week old americauna's out tonight, of course they were mad at me to start with, but after sitting in there with them for a while, they got over it. Although one did come over and peck at my boots......


I didn't take the time to move the bucket waterer, so this gallon fount will work for them tonight. I was out of shavings, and HD don't carry them, I just put them some straw in for bedding for tonight. It took them several minutes to get the nerve to walk around much, LOL guess it feels a lot different on their feet! I did throw together a quicko job temporary roost, a 1x3 on some 2x4's on edge. Got them out of the straw, they seemed to take to it pretty well. The one I'm pretty sure is going to be a rooster is the one checking out the nest boxes......I guess he'll go check it out, then come back to let them know where to go when the 'urge' hits, LOL

 

[aart]

Yayy chicks out of the house!!! That's one of the best days...then you find you kind of miss them(a little bit).

You might want to think about constructing a temporary wall, I found it to be very handy.
This is how I did it:
Took a couple of 2x2's (my lumber guy rips 2x4's for me, the make great stock) 8" long.
Laid them out as far apart as the width of my coop(6') and stapled 2 lengths of 4' chicken wire to them.
I used Jclips to join the overlap or you could use some short pieces of wire by twisting...or a longer piece of wire to 'sew' the seams.
Drilled 2 tight clearance holes to accommodate 2 1/2" long deck screws in both the 2x2's, then just screwed the 2x2's to the studs in the coop.

It's pretty easy to take up and down and has been great to:
Isolate an nasty cockerel last winter until butcher time.
Raise a batch of chicks last spring/summer (by then I'd made another pop door, roost board and run off the 'coop partition' area)
Isolated a broody hen this last winter.
Another batch of chicks, in the incubator now, will be in there in about 6 weeks.




I did end up making a more solid partition, with a couple HC windows, for down low as the bottom got kind of floppy.
You can kinda see it here in the lower left of pic, attached the same way just a couple deck/dry wall screws into the studs.