Galvanized Steel coop

[123RedBeard]

Plastic and duct tape will work for a winter window ...

Afternoon shade is the best in the summer.

I drive through on US 70 quite often ... Up over the hill through the Mescalaro Apache Reservation ...

 

[chiques chicks]

Personally, I wouldn't cover them in the winter, other than awnings to keep out moisture. As I said, I have multiple square feet open in the winter in Pennsylvania.

 

[DesertBrahma]

My main concern is the high winds we get. That's why I was thinking about covering them some. Make something like curtains so the wind isn't constantly on them. I'm planning on placing it in the shade of my big shed that's outside the backyard. That way it has afternoon shade. I don't want to fry these little stinkers well occasionally I want to broil their butte a little but that's a different story. I'm thinking about attaching it to the fence for a little more security, and putting down hardware cloth, and the shavings over that. I'm going to attach the hardware cloth to the 4x4s I'm using as the base. I'm going to get some 1x2s to cover the inside of the windows. We get skunks around here not raccoons, and feral cats. Plus stupid coyotes. Sorry the coyotes around here drive me and my poor dog crazy. Like I said though. I'm getting everything sorted out before I really start this project so I can just zoom through it.

 

[DesertBrahma]

Ok I have finally had the time to calculate the cost of this shed plus the modifications I would have to make and the cost of building a wooden one made how I want it from the start. It would cost me $441 to buy this shed and make the modifications. It would cost me $490 to build my own to MY specifications starting out. So I'm going to talk to my husband about just building the exact one I want. I really want a 10x8 wooden lean to style that I can have a large mesh window for venting, plus a little extra. I have all the materials listed plus the prices. So hopefully he'll see it my way and let me just build my own. I can also put it where I really want in the yard instead of where I have to. So wish me luck.

 

[chiques chicks]

With a lean to style are easy to ventilate. Just leave the eaves open and it promotes great air flow at the top, which is where you want it.

I build with 2x3's instead of 2x4's and use ⅜" sheathing plywood. For the base I use pressure treated lumber and ¾inch plywood. If you screw rather than nail, it will be amazingly sturdy. I've drug an 8x8 up my hill with a tractor, had it almost tip over and still remain perfectly intact.

 

[DesertBrahma]

I plan to use pressure treated 2x4s for the floor worse 4x4 as the outer part instead of a 2x4. Give it a little more sturdiness. Then 1/2 inch plywood over it. I'm going to get some linoleum over the plywood for easier cleaning. Now to talk it over with my hubby.

 

[123RedBeard]

I say go wood!

A couple of saying that I found to be true, and fits here ...

Buy once, cry once!

Do it right the first time.

If it is worth doing, it worth doing right!

Skip buying coffee out, and/or brown bag your lunch to save up the extra $49 if hubby is a titewad!

 

[DesertBrahma]

He's just cautious about money stuff. I'm more along the lines of let's do it right once. Then I won't have to redo it later. Also I can add on to the wooden one better than the metal one. It gets REALLY hot here and I don't want my food makers frying before I want them to.

 

[paintedChix]

Have you thought about a cattle panel hoop house? Much less expensive, can be anchored down and made permanent rather than as movable tractors and you can use a variety of products for the roofing, sides/back, roosts and nest boxes. You can make it really low cost or you can go much more expensive but in the end still way less than the lean to. Some nice ones pictured throughout BYC site.

What about leaving the bottom open to the ground for deep litter method?

 

[DesertBrahma]

I've been doing a few calculations and where I am a hoop house, a wooden shed, and the metal shed will be about the same. The cattle panels are the most expensive for the hoop house. I have a big red solid tarp for a cover so I wouldn't have to buy that. He's worried the hoop house will look kinda trashy. I think I still might have some cattle panels around. I'll have to go look tomorrow. I want this big enough I don't have to walk bent in half to get in, and I can do my work without getting hurt constantly, and my chickens have enough room to move around. My funky one I built when I first got mine has flooded in the last couple rains we've gotten so I HAVE to do something soon.