Our Island Chicken Coop

[aart]

Another excellent design with expansion in mind!
(if you can give up the storage space when the time comes ;-)...)

 

[SuperK]

UPDATE

Nest box is in, clean out doors are trimmed out and painted first coat. Yard fencing is installed, wired with standard 2" x 4" livestock fencing with a 9 gauge chain link tension wire for added dog protection and lava rock laid down at the bottom to deter dogs from digging. We are scheduled for picking up our new chickens on this coming Saturday. Not sure yet what type they will be, but JoAnn and I know they are laying at their current location. I am still working on the feeder and water stations, and we've decided that window mullions would be a nice touch so these are going in on Thursday. The trim is getting its final coats today and that is whats up with our Island Chicken Coop to date.

 

[lindsaysbaker]

ohmygosh i wish i was your chickens! i want to live the island life!!!!! LOVE that coop.

 

[SuperK]

ohmygosh i wish i was your chickens! i want to live the island life!!!!! LOVE that coop.

Thanks Lindsay,
JoAnn and I are delighted that we came over to the big Island to look for a place. Cost of living is about the same as where we came from but we were surprised at the huge difference in food prices. Gallon of milk is 10$, loaf of the cheap bread is 4.99. Gas though, is about the same at 2.80.

We wanted the chickens we raised to have the good life so we went a bit over the top. And I still have a few niceties to go. Thanks again.

 

[aart]

Quote: I would say the cost of food is a huge part of the 'cost of living'.
Curious, where did you live before?

 

[SuperK]

I would say the cost of food is a huge part of the 'cost of living'.
Curious, where did you live before?

JoAnn and I lived in SO Cal, where property value was artificially insane, utilities high sided but reasonable, Gasoline full of expensive mandatory additives, rising Smog fees, Tripled up auto registration fees (thanks Arnold), and business taxes that in our fair city added another 4% to the NON adjusted Gross. Food was the least expensive part of our budget.

 

[aart]

Quote: Ah, I see.

 

[SuperK]

Construction Update: Since the last post,

I discovered the difference when researching a clerestory building on my property, I built my coop inside that building, it's great for ventilation.....
....but the monitor style is much better for ventilation.
The deep roof overhangs will serve you well being able to keep upper windows open during all that rain you get.
Can those windows be closed in case of high winds with rain?

Sounds like you have a great setup for expansion...kudos on good planning!

Actually, we were planning on making awnings for the windows, though shutters may be a better idea.

 

[flocking nuts]

This is georgouse! Did you build it to withstand tropical storms and such? We live in south Florida, and because we rent I'm trying to find a balance between awesomeness for chickens, and something that can be moved in and secured for tropical storms and hurricanes.

We accidentally wound up with 14 chicks...really, I only bought 6. The only solution I've found is keep them kind of small, then attach them with tunnels.sort of like having different rooms in a house. We haven't made it that far yet. Right now the family flock is in one enclosure and the surprise flock in the other. I hesitate to call it a coop because it's hardware cloth not solid sides.
I'm super impressed by your coop, and the strategic way you've approached it. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Wendy

 

[dontae]

love chicken coop.