Have the chickens, now I need a coop. Please help!!!

[3KillerBs]

I am using cheap metal sheds for my coops. If you go that route I would refine t you set them on top of rail road ties to give the shed more height so the ventilation is above their heads and to keep their bedding above the door tracks. 2 stacked on top of each other is better than just a single layer imo. (Make sure to bolt them together or drill holes through both and stake them to the ground with rebar so they don’t slip apart.

I would also recommend setting 4x4 in the corners of the shed on on the outside and running 2x4 boards vertically along the corners of the inside. Drilll holes and all thread the outside 4x4 to the 2x4 on the inside together with nuts and large washers.
This will make your shed wind proof and also let you build your roosting bars/nesting boxes off of the inner 2x4s.

You will need to cut a 1 foot tall x however long the length of your shed walls are, hole near the top on 3 sides and back it with hardware cloth. This will give you a good amount of ventilation. Trim the cuts out and make a cover a little larger than the size of the hole out of exterior grad Plywood or boards. And attach it to the top of the vent hole with hinges. This will let you cover the hole fully or prop them less than half open and act as an awning for wet weather.


Depending on the direction of your worst wind and the area you have to work with you can decide what side the sliding doors should face. If possible I would use a prop door into the run and use the sliding doors for people access outside the run.

You should write this up as a Coop Page article and enter it into the current contest.

 

[FunClucks]

You've given me some ideas, thanks!

So the wall opposite the door is just hardware cloth?

Yes. No problems so far. I made sure the hardware cloth was very taut to the wood at the bottom and the frame at the top using radial washers/screws and pipe strap for the wood, and metal zip ties for the (basically bent chain link top rail) greenhouse frame.

 

[fuzzi]

Yes. No problems so far. I made sure the hardware cloth was very taut to the wood at the bottom and the frame at the top using radial washers/screws and pipe strap for the wood, and metal zip ties for the (basically bent chain link top rail) greenhouse frame.

I'm revisiting hoop coop builds such as yours for roost and door ideas. I have a couple questions for you:

1. What's the purpose of the pallet flat on the ground?

2. You mentioned that your pallet shelter was converted into roosts, how did you convert it?

Thanks!

 

[FunClucks]

I'm revisiting hoop coop builds such as yours for roost and door ideas. I have a couple questions for you:

1. What's the purpose of the pallet flat on the ground?

2. You mentioned that your pallet shelter was converted into roosts, how did you convert it?

Thanks!

I mounted my feeder on the pallet flat on the ground. I used a rat proof chicken feeder (ratproofchickenfeeder.net and ratproofchickenfeeder.com) and secured it to the pallet, then secured a dual feed bin on the back side of the feeder to hold grit and oyster shell. This keeps things out of the shavings and up above any water or dampness that might get into the coop. Also provides a stop plate for the feeder treadle foot and stability for the feeder.

Pallet shelter - I had cinderblocks, so I stacked them 2 high, then put a pallet flat on top. Originally, this was for shade, and for a change in height if they wanted it. They liked hiding and running around it and through it. Then winter came, and I needed a windproof area, so I secured three pallets vertically around three edges of the flat pallet, and put some 2" high roosts across the flat pallet, with the idea that the birds would roost on the 2" high roosts and the edges of the vertical pallets would protect them from wind. I put house wrap (feed bags would also work) around the pallets to prevent wind going through the slats. The birds didn't want to roost on the roosts, they wanted to roost on top of the edges of the pallet. There are better ways to provide a windproof area, this is just what I came up with last minute when -9F weather was on the radar for the next night.

I originally was going to put up some plastic bird spikes to keep them off of the vertical edges of the pallets, but I was a bit worried they might break off the plastic points or get hurt. I would go out after dark and put them in the huddle box/on the roosts by hand, but they'd fly back out, and I eventually gave up fighting with them about it. Also one chicken got her foot caught in the vertical pallet slats she'd been roosting on and hung upside down I don't know how long before I found her in the morning (she was fine, just isolated her for a few days for her sore foot to heal). So I secured some flat pieces of wood (sheeting and 1"x6" board) to the top of the vertical pallet ends, and they roost on those now. It's not an optimal solution - I think they get too much wind, so they roost really close together, and they've been feather picking each other, so I need to come up with something else once the weather is better and I have a bit of time.

Pictures of chickens roosting on top of the vertical edges of the pallets with added top wood are attached. In one picture you may be able to see some of the 2" high 2x4 roosts where they were supposed to be roosting.

 

[fuzzi]

I mounted my feeder on the pallet flat on the ground. I used a rat proof chicken feeder (ratproofchickenfeeder.net and ratproofchickenfeeder.com) and secured it to the pallet, then secured a dual feed bin on the back side of the feeder to hold grit and oyster shell. This keeps things out of the shavings and up above any water or dampness that might get into the coop. Also provides a stop plate for the feeder treadle foot and stability for the feeder.

Pallet shelter - I had cinderblocks, so I stacked them 2 high, then put a pallet flat on top. Originally, this was for shade, and for a change in height if they wanted it. They liked hiding and running around it and through it. Then winter came, and I needed a windproof area, so I secured three pallets vertically around three edges of the flat pallet, and put some 2" high roosts across the flat pallet, with the idea that the birds would roost on the 2" high roosts and the edges of the vertical pallets would protect them from wind. I put house wrap (feed bags would also work) around the pallets to prevent wind going through the slats. The birds didn't want to roost on the roosts, they wanted to roost on top of the edges of the pallet. There are better ways to provide a windproof area, this is just what I came up with last minute when -9F weather was on the radar for the next night.

I originally was going to put up some plastic bird spikes to keep them off of the vertical edges of the pallets, but I was a bit worried they might break off the plastic points or get hurt. I would go out after dark and put them in the huddle box/on the roosts by hand, but they'd fly back out, and I eventually gave up fighting with them about it. Also one chicken got her foot caught in the vertical pallet slats she'd been roosting on and hung upside down I don't know how long before I found her in the morning (she was fine, just isolated her for a few days for her sore foot to heal). So I secured some flat pieces of wood (sheeting and 1"x6" board) to the top of the vertical pallet ends, and they roost on those now. It's not an optimal solution - I think they get too much wind, so they roost really close together, and they've been feather picking each other, so I need to come up with something else once the weather is better and I have a bit of time.

Pictures of chickens roosting on top of the vertical edges of the pallets with added top wood are attached. In one picture you may be able to see some of the 2" high 2x4 roosts where they were supposed to be roosting.

Thanks for the clarification. I am planning on using two 5 gallon buckets for a waterer and a feeder, so I wouldn't need a pallet flat on the ground to attach them to.

I see now the flat boards you attached to the top edges of the pallets. All my pallets have openings between the slats, can imagine what a mess the chickens would make by droppings falling between the boards. I'm not too keen on trying to fill in the gaps by using slats from dismantling one of the pallets, so I guess I have to keep on thinking about roosts.

 

[3KillerBs]

I think they get too much wind, so they roost really close together, and they've been feather picking each other, so I need to come up with something else once the weather is better and I have a bit of time.

They're very stubborn about roosting in the highest possible spot.

I have two that insist on roosting on the diagonal brace, next to the vent even in the cold weather.

 

[FunClucks]

Thanks for the clarification. I am planning on using two 5 gallon buckets for a waterer and a feeder, so I wouldn't need a pallet flat on the ground to attach them to.

I see now the flat boards you attached to the top edges of the pallets. All my pallets have openings between the slats, can imagine what a mess the chickens would make by droppings falling between the boards. I'm not too keen on trying to fill in the gaps by using slats from dismantling one of the pallets, so I guess I have to keep on thinking about roosts.

When I use 5 gallon buckets, I put them on top of oversize cinderblocks (12"x16" I think) and secure them to the inside vertical supports of the run with really tight bungee cords, rope, and/or carrabiners. This makes the horizontal nipples on my waterers the correct height for the chickens, and makes them not fall over without having to hang things from my roof, which is not load bearing. Also helps resist falling over when the chickens get to digging around the bottom. I don't know about the food bucket height.

The house wrap keeps the poop out of the slats on the vertical pallets, and I just keep putting more wood chips on the horizontal pallet. They fell in between whatever gaps were there (not too many), and I scrape everything out periodically with shovels and a hand trowel. I thought of making a removable lip on the horizontal pallet to keep the bedding in place for a deep bedding arrangement, but I'm not sure it's worth my time since I'll be deconstructing it soon anyway.

I scatter scratch around the roosts and toss wood chips there periodically, and the chickens mix the poop into the bedding. Rain occasionally sprinkles in on the end, which provides moisture for decomposition for that poo, or I'll water the run with a hose if/when it gets too dusty. Being basically an open hoop coop when the winter plastic is not up, the air goes right through and there's little smell or dust. With the winter plastic up, there's some smell and dust, but it hasn't been too bad - I pin up the plastic with binder clips if I want more ventilation. Tradeoff with trying to keep the wind down so chickens can stay warm. They don't seem to care one way or the other.

 

[FunClucks]

They're very stubborn about roosting in the highest possible spot.

I have two that insist on roosting on the diagonal brace, next to the vent even in the cold weather.

Crazy chickens! I could see myself putting up bird spikes, and them somehow managing to roost up there anyway and getting hurt, so I just decided to make it an actual roost, in spite of it not being the location where I wanted them. I'm like, "Do you really want to get frost bite???" And they're like "Yes!!!"

 

[fuzzi]

When I use 5 gallon buckets, I put them on top of oversize cinderblocks (12"x16" I think) and secure them to the inside vertical supports of the run with really tight bungee cords, rope, and/or carrabiners. This makes the horizontal nipples on my waterers the correct height for the chickens, and makes them not fall over without having to hang things from my roof, which is not load bearing. Also helps resist falling over when the chickens get to digging around the bottom. I don't know about the food bucket height.

The house wrap keeps the poop out of the slats on the vertical pallets, and I just keep putting more wood chips on the horizontal pallet. They fell in between whatever gaps were there (not too many), and I scrape everything out periodically with shovels and a hand trowel. I thought of making a removable lip on the horizontal pallet to keep the bedding in place for a deep bedding arrangement, but I'm not sure it's worth my time since I'll be deconstructing it soon anyway.

I scatter scratch around the roosts and toss wood chips there periodically, and the chickens mix the poop into the bedding. Rain occasionally sprinkles in on the end, which provides moisture for decomposition for that poo, or I'll water the run with a hose if/when it gets too dusty. Being basically an open hoop coop when the winter plastic is not up, the air goes right through and there's little smell or dust. With the winter plastic up, there's some smell and dust, but it hasn't been too bad - I pin up the plastic with binder clips if I want more ventilation. Tradeoff with trying to keep the wind down so chickens can stay warm. They don't seem to care one way or the other.

I was thinking of hanging the buckets but you correctly pointed out that the hoop coop is not load bearing. I was going to put the feeder and waterer on cement blocks, but perhaps a slightly taut bungee attached to the hoop could stabilize them a little.

 

[3KillerBs]

Crazy chickens! I could see myself putting up bird spikes, and them somehow managing to roost up there anyway and getting hurt, so I just decided to make it an actual roost, in spite of it not being the location where I wanted them. I'm like, "Do you really want to get frost bite???" And they're like "Yes!!!"

Here in the Steamy Southeast they'd really have to work at it to get frostbite in a well-ventilated coop.

My queens (the SLWs, Victoria and Maria Theresa), are the ones who roost up next to the vent. During the two coldest nights this winter one of them decided to go use a lower roost. The other conceded to move about 3-4 feet up the diagonal brace in order to not be right up *against* the vent.

No frostbite in my open air coop this winter. I *thought* that Rameses might have gotten his comb nipped, but the purple color went away in less than 2 weeks with no sign of any permanent damage.