future coop and run

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thank you! The wife took a few more pics, mostly with the grand daughter, but a better view of the run in a few of them. I really like the way it looks with the hardware cloth over the cattle panels. I still have a bit of 'sewing' to do where the HC overlaps, I just zip tied it. I have some electric fence wire I plan on weaving in and out. I'll work on that some tomorrow, I found I could weave it with the use of a fence tie bent into a small enough hook to go through and pull it back in....

anyway, a few more pics. We came in and got the 3 week olds out of the brooder and took them out as well since today was in the low 80's, they all enjoyed being outside, no doubt about that!

 
thank you! she loves her some chicks! and at 4 years old, she can come up with some stuff to say! She's a country girl through and through. They have horses, goats, a donkey, chickens dogs cats.........sure is hard to beat growing up in the country
 
Hello All!

well I am just about finished outside the coop. Today, I got the gate hung on the run. Had some challenges with it. When I set the posts, cardinal sin of post setting, I didn't stake them off! Didn't take long trying to hang a gate to realize one of them had 'leaned' a little. Gates and doors always seem to be a thorn in my side anyway. Just can't seem to get them square and plumb in all directions. You'd think someone with a block head could get something square.........but I digress......

I did manage to get it hung, and even got the latch to catch, finally!

I also managed to get the pop door remote cables installed. I also trimmed out the windows and got the hinges all installed. We finished up the evening working right until dark putting on the porch railing, Sorry no pictures, I will be finishing up tomorrow with caulk and touch up paint, cleaning up the messy yard (the worst part of this whole job IMO) and will get some pics for sure.

I had to literally pick the last two chicks up and put them back inside, they just didn't want to go in! when I went in to check their feeder, those two were standing there looking at the pop door......I assured them, they'd get to go out and play again tomorrow..........

After caulk and paint the only thing I have left to do is build the roosts and poop boards, and finish out the nest box. I'm planning on tearing apart this huge brooder I just threw together, and using that decking for the poop boards. Hopefully, once this cold snap this weekend goes through, by mid week I'll be able to move the other 6 chicks out of the kitchen.....
 
Since it rained last night and into the morning, I didn't get a full day to work on the coop. I did manage to get a few things accomplished though:

I did 16 feet of roosts, one over the other. The only thing I need to do to finish inside is build the poop board (being made out of parts from the brooder), the ramps, and a feeder. I was going to build a PVC feeder, but I think I'm going to do one made like a bird feeder, in between the studs. I'm also going to build one out of a bucket or small barrel with the PVC elbows into the side around it, so I can set that one outside.

I did manage to get some stuff picked up, but the bigger pieces of 'left over' materials are just piled up by the run. It was cool out there today, and the later in the evening it got, the colder that wind became! here's a few pics though I now realize I must have been shivering more than I thought...

the roosts - 2x4 wide side up. I notched the 2x6 for them to set down into, not attached. I can remove for easier cleaning when needed.; The bottom roost I'll brace into the poop board when I get it built. The top on is 13 inches from the wall to the outside edge, the bottom is is 24

.

the nest boxes: thanks to aart for tipping me off to use the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket to trace the 'holes'

the water bucket will go away when I get my permanent water tank and pvc/nipple waterer built on the outside. I do plan to put a 'landing' about even with the nest boxes, then ramp it up to the roosts. The poop board will be 6 or 8 inches under the bottom roost and stick out about 8 inches past. I'll line it with vinyl, and put sand and PDZ in it.

a few outside pics. the run - I have some concrete stepping stones to put down in front of and partially under the gate. the right side of the metal is a little shorter, but the ground is higher on the left side, so the 'arch' made by the panels isn't exactly 'round' so that side was angled a bit different leading it to be shorter

the inside pics were taken from the ground outside the double doors. I was originally going to put up a wall a couple feet inside the double doors, but decided to leave it out making it easier to clean and giving me more square footage
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the front window is made to open like shutters. when it warms up tomorrow evening, I'll get the piece in the center painted.

side window can be opened and propped up in warm weather



Blooie, I did manage to put my feet up and drink a cup of hot chocolate this evening. Tomorrow we're heading to the flea market to shop for decorations
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It all looks fantastic, PapaChaz! If I had one suggestion to make about the roosts, it would be to at least clamp the 2x4s into their notches. If those birds get to tussling around, they could hit it from the bottom and it can fly up and out of the braces. I had that happen with an entire poop board, and it had the additional weight of a bag of Sweet PDZ on it. When they get to flopping at each other they don't even notice that they've hit something! The roosts can still be easily removed for cleaning - just unhook the clamp.

I love love love the end cap on your run. It gives it a much more finished look than we have on ours. Lucky chickens!
 
Blooie said:
It all looks fantastic, PapaChaz! If I had one suggestion to make about the roosts, it would be to at least clamp the 2x4s into their notches. If those birds get to tussling around, they could hit it from the bottom and it can fly up and out of the braces. I had that happen with an entire poop board, and it had the additional weight of a bag of Sweet PDZ on it. When they get to flopping at each other they don't even notice that they've hit something! The roosts can still be easily removed for cleaning - just unhook the clamp.

I love love love the end cap on your run. It gives it a much more finished look than we have on ours. Lucky chickens!
Click to expand...
that's a great suggestion. never would have thought it, but if it CAN happen to anyone, it WILL happen to me, thank you!
 

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