Ended Official BYC Coop Article Contest - 2017 - Win a Auto Coop Door Kit!

[BridgettePardo]

Here is our entry! We have been dying to get an automatic door - and have been meaning to share all of the pictures of our coop building project! What good timing We converted an old metal storage shed into a coop for our 10 ladies. These are our first chickens and we are so happy with how our coop turned out!! Thanks for your consideration! https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/happy-dog-hills-happy-hen-hotel.72968/

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

An important reminder:

As a way to deter spammers, we require that new members have at least a couple of posts in our community forum before they have access to create an article. We suggest that all new members start a simple “introduction” thread and/or reply to a few other threads. At that point they’ll automatically have access to the feature to create a coop page.

Here’s the direct link to create a new introduction thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/new-member-introductions.44/create-thread

 

[yakmayar]

Here is our coop. It was built between July and December of 2016. We have our first chickens enjoying it now!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-muñoz-coop.72595/

Thanks to all of the great designs already on this website, I was able to avoid a lot of regrets I might of had if I built the coop with no references. However, here are a few things I've learned since having chickens occupy.

- I should've built in drainage for bad rain before putting the gravel in. Since it would be a monstrous task to do so now, instead I added French drainage on all 4 sides of the coop and this has solved the saturation problem with the sand after a big rain.

- Also due to strong rain, I was getting water into the nesting boxes at the hinge joint and where the lid sealed. To fix this, I purchased some self-stick door sweep for cheap at the hardware store and cut it to overlap the hinge area. I then used some 1/2 inch wood strips underneath the lid to overlap the box and this has prevented water from seeping in the sides.

- The water container I use for the chickens was a gift. While it serves its purpose, a lot of water gets knocked out and saturates the ground. I plan to get a 5 gallon food grade bucket and install nipples for them next month.

- Inside the coop, I was having issues with bedding falling out the doors when I opened them, so I took some extra 1x4's and cut them to create a barrier that keeps that from happening, but can also easily be removed when I want to change the bedding.

- Also inside the coop, the nesting boxes I built are pretty large. To create some more privacy, I used some extra fabric and put in curtains.

- Lastly, I did not realize how much the chickens would dig in the sand. I only have about 2-3 inches of sand on top of the gravel. They constantly dig through the sand, the fabric barrier, and into the rocks to pull them up. I simply need to get some more sand to fill the coop more.

- Otherwise, I have been extremely satisfied with the coop and hope I do not notice and major changes I want in the near future. Most of the materials I used in my build were purchased new at the hardware store. However, I was able to find a lot of scrap lumber for free that was extremely useful. Additionally, I did not realize how many staples and screws I would go through for this project. If you are on a budget, make sure you really plan out every single item. I wanted our coop and run to have a very specific look and was willing to spend the extra money to do so. However, I have seen a lot of amazing coops made out of used furniture, wood pallets, and more. Have fun with it and make it your own!

 

[SuziQ18]

My coop was built and designed by my fiance' and me 7 months ago. It is 13'Lx11'Wx7'H. We used pressure-treated wood, cemented into the ground, with cattle grade fencing all the way around and across the roof, sunk 1 foot into the ground all the way around to avoid escapees and making it completely predator proof. We have solar light ropes around the inside parameter and also chicken-wire enclosed bulb light stringers, a bug zapper, mister, and two circulating fans. Both sides of the coop have high, large pallet-sized roosting areas, roosting bars, a separate enclosure for quarantine of new flock members/chicks, and 11 personalized nesting boxes. Heat/Weather resistant tarps cover roof and all four sides of coop,which can be raised/lowered depending on weather conditions on any given day. The coop contains two 3 gallon self-waters and two 3-gallon self-feeders. The floor is dirt allowing easy daily clean-up, and plenty of room for dust bathing. I have 11 hens and 1 rooster. Total dimension of coop is 147 sq.ft.

 

[twinbrains]

Here is a link to our coop for submission to this contest!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/rancho-heltez-our-new-coop.72985/

 

[Honomi]

Here's my coop Tug-boat Tikka Masala, tractor coop article.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/tug-boat-tikka-masala.72839/



I edited/updated my original article from the one I made about 3 weeks ago.
I'd be grateful if someone could let me know if my article has sufficient information to qualify for the coop contest and I've posted on the right page.
I have tried my best for creating the article. Hope you enjoy!

 

[CuzChickens]

This sounds amazing! I really need an automatic coop door, especially living in two places, it would be very easing for the mind to know that my birds are safely closed up each night!

 

[Rob Tof]

My family and I started our journey into the world of chickens with two ideas. Recycle as much as possible be green as possible. We started with a kids play house and my kids old trampoline. After a week the play house wasn't cutting it,the chickens were fine, but it was tuff to get in and clean. Coop started life as a 4x4x4 and after the addition it is now 8x7x6. After a few days I decided to cut the door and make it like a double horse door. For the run I used the trampoline but after a few months of rain I relised my first roof design wasn't working. I researched yurts and based my roof design off of my research on yurts. Before I tackled the roof I added 2 solar lights 13$ each. Then added a 120$ solar panel to charge my three battery's. The junk yard gave me the three batteries for 10$ I then added a 12volt inverter to power my fan in the coop.

 

[Then I Will]

Is this contest still open? I'm working on my article now! Just had to wait for the rain to subside to take some current photos.

 

[mwhitnell]

Here is my coop design for your contest...I have a design for a small coop half size & a large coop twice the size that I can post if you wish, let me know
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/13-chicken-coop-run.66261/