Wow - that is a nice and fast build. What method did you use to secure from digging predators? Buried wire? Wire skirting around the pen? Cinder blocks or paver stones around the perimeter?
Built my first chicken coop this week! It took me about 5 full days to complete.
This is my first coop. Built it all by myself so was pretty pleased with myself as I have never built anything before. (I have since built a sheep pen and a rabbit hutch).
I have 8 chooks and one rooster. There are very few predators here in New Zealand so although I lock the run at night I don't snib the door on the coop, just close it and my rooster pushes it open in the morning and that way I don't have to rise so early. Then I let them out of the run around 10am and they free range during the day and return by themselves at night. I have since built some sheltered areas inside the run for the winter and also lined the inside of the roost area with builders paper so its a little warmer.
In hindsight it could have been a bit bigger (I plan on building a bigger one later this year). Its not a problem now and there is more than enough room as they only sleep in there and all get on really well, but if integrating new chooks later the roosting space might be a bit small. I think I will build the same style, but a much bigger version.
I'm in the south Waikato (1.5 hours from Auckland). It is indeed a beautiful country. If ever you come back you must go to the South Island .. especially in Fiordland way .. its one of the most beautiful places in the world in my opinion
I love Odie's Coop - This is the kind of open airy coops we have to have in SoCal. Always hot here even when it rains. Speaking of which hitting a tin roof can scare the cr*p out of sleeping chickens. To muffle hailstone weather we used tarps over the roof to muffle the noise - later we got a pop-up canopy over the little coop.
Thats so cute! Great job!
Here Is mine made from a shipping crate .They freerange a section of the back yard.
That would've freaked me out... even with a fence between us! We used to live in the country and one night I walked out my back door and literally into a HUGE opossum standing there growling at me. Of course I ran back into the house screaming like a little girl for my husband to come and get rid of it. I had no idea they could get so big! It'll suit me just fine if I never run into another opossum or any other hungry predator for the rest of my life. I'll admire them from a far.
