post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Latestarter]

No fair Deb... I don't

 

[jtbass2756]

My run during the winter: 25' on the R side/18' on the L by 11' across. Tarp covers the L front corner which allows plenty of shade from the sun overhead and the sun from hot afternoon

Latestarter::::I wouldn't mind either!

I use the blue tarps or heavy duty paint tarps. Both pretty cheap to replace. Part of the run is not covered because there is a treeline on one side that provides early morning shade. I have bought a large tarp that would go across one end of the run completely....which I may get up next week when my grandson is here to help. Right now, I only have one corner of this end done, but it is plenty for the 8 chickens to be comfortable. The top of the run is covered already with wiring so it has good support for the tarp.

 

[pleasantfiction]

I'm nearly finished with a 5' W x 7' L x 5' H coop made mostly from reclaimed materials.



The siding is from an old corn crib that was falling down in the back yard.



There are two windows about 41"x28" with 1/2" hardware cloth inside and working wood shutters on the outside.



I insulated the walls, floors, and ceiling with 2" foam board because we already had it lying around and couldn't find another use for it.



Walls, floors, and ceiling covered with primed/sealed 1/4" panels.



Vinyl flooring remnant from home improvement store



Larger shutter/doors (total size about 56"x40") for entry/cleanout have slide bolts at the top and bottom with a rod that goes through both bolts to keep them from being opened by any crafty predators. The inside of these shutters have 1/4" hardware cloth covering the openings.

Between the side windows and shutter/doors, hopefully we have enough venting.



The girls seem to love the wide roosts which were made using poles from an old tobacco barn nearby.

The osb board is covering up the nesting boxes for now. I think we're still a couple months away from needing them.

Next up is building the run. A shed roof (with tin roofing reclaimed from the old corn crib) will cover the hen house and a portion of the run -- about 7' x 6' of it. Taking a break for a few days, though!

 

[jtbass2756]

Love your pictures. Keep them coming.

 

[bruceha2000]

I'm nearly finished with a 5' W x 7' L x 5' H coop made mostly from reclaimed materials.

The siding is from an old corn crib that was falling down in the back yard.

There are two windows about 41"x28" with 1/2" hardware cloth inside and working wood shutters on the outside.

I insulated the walls, floors, and ceiling with 2" foam board because we already had it lying around and couldn't find another use for it.

Walls, floors, and ceiling covered with primed/sealed 1/4" panels.

Vinyl flooring remnant from home improvement store

Larger shutter/doors (total size about 56"x40") for entry/cleanout have slide bolts at the top and bottom with a rod that goes through both bolts to keep them from being opened by any crafty predators. The inside of these shutters have 1/4" hardware cloth covering the openings.

Between the side windows and shutter/doors, hopefully we have enough venting.

The girls seem to love the wide roosts which were made using poles from an old tobacco barn nearby.

The osb board is covering up the nesting boxes for now. I think we're still a couple months away from needing them.

Next up is building the run. A shed roof (with tin roofing reclaimed from the old corn crib) will cover the hen house and a portion of the run -- about 7' x 6' of it. Taking a break for a few days, though!

LOVE IT! Especially the FUNCTIONAL shutters!

- locking barrel bolts - check
- wide pole roosts - check
- insulated because you couldn't think of anything else to do with the rigid foam lying around - CHECK! Best reason I can think of. Insulating doesn't hurt and now there is less junk you don't need but hate to get rid of because it WOULD be useful at some point.
- insulation covered with 1/4" board - check. Don't know why but chickens seem to love to peck shiny stuff and rigid foam insulation - check.
- good amount of ventilation area - check
- reclaimed and remnant materials - check

Nice job, you DO deserve those few days off before building the run.

 

[pleasantfiction]

Thanks! I'm more of a computer guy than a construction guy and I'm working by myself, so it has been challenging. Just have to keep reminding myself the chickens don't care if it's crooked!

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks! I'm more of a computer guy than a construction guy and I'm working by myself, so it has been challenging. Just have to keep reminding myself the chickens don't care if it's crooked!

Me too, or at least I was until I retired 2 years ago. But I've always like designing and making things (software is like that too) and have been building things for 35 years. I see you have your level out so I suspect not much is crooked, out of square or not level/plumb

And you are right, the birds don't care as long as it is safe, dry, ventilated and ergonomically correct (the roosts. SO many people put in 2x2s or 2x4s narrow side up and they are SO not big enough for a chicken's comfort). I don't spend nearly the effort on "accuracy" with stuff for the chickens, garden and barn that I do on things for the house.

Now, of course, since you are building, you need some new tools to make the job easier and then you will spread your "construction" talent to other projects and need more tools for them.

Sounds like a scheme to get tools and not have the "significant other" complain but they really do pay for themselves as long as you DO use them instead of paying someone else to do the work. My Dad built a house 40 years ago with nothing more than a table saw, a skil saw and a router. My step-father gave us a table saw for a wedding present 25 years ago since we were going to rebuild a house and I added a sliding compound miter saw. Already had an old skill saw and the wife already had a jigsaw

Dad was here last month and we made some stuff. He said "sure wish I had one of those when I was building the house!" when we made an angle cut on the slider. We didn't even use the old router, the planer or the jointer since we were doing "barn and garden" stuff. Nor did we use the new 19-35 open arm sander or the RouterBoss that I got recently to make cabinets from 150+ YO solid wood taken out of the part of the house that had to be reconstructed (professionally, I'm not up to that!).

 

[jtbass2756]

There's very little of my coop that's level ! I had someone who was going to build it for me....good friend...had just taken down a shed so he had all the wood that would be need. I was gone the first weekend that he started so when I came home...I had the frame done. I was happy but it did not follow the plans that I had given him a copy of... Then I was would there with him one day and realized he wasn't using a level or square! So I went into the shed and brought out one of each... (who every does that when its right there for them

) I have to say, I'm totally inexperienced when it comes to building but I do have the common sense and have watched my dad and son build all sorts of things. Well, sure enough, as time went on...he quit coming. He had gotten a few boards on the siding...... In his favor, he was working 5 1/2 days a week in the heat...but he just kept telling me he was coming and after 6 weeks+..I gave up. I already had chicks in storage bins in the back bedroom, so I had to do something.!!! LOL Now keep in mind that I'm partially handicapped with a balance px and tremor in my dominant hand and at the time was 65 yrs. ! I could have made a lot of $ if there only had been a video of it all! I followed with the best I could do but kept running into the situation of things being out of level and certainly NOT square!! When it finally came to making the people door.....I think my granddaughter (who came down for a week) and I rebuilt that door about 3 x !!!! But she (11yrs old) did learn to use a drill to predrill and put in a screw, and how to used a circular saw. Didn't back down from anything I ask her to do. We got that door done though!

She's coming again in 2 weeks.....can't wait. (of course last summer she liked to have worked my a-- off. (she's a strong girl) I was so give out from the heat and also didn't realize I had contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.... LOL....just knew I couldn't let that youngun out work me.

LOL I did get my basic tools: bits, screws (not nails), skil circular saw, had a skil sander althouth didn't use it much), 2 good drills ( 1 for the screws and 1 to pre-drill), She was determined to have the coop far enough along to have chickens in it before she had to leave! We had the door so that it would fit the (unsquare) door so I got the pullets and just propped the door in place with cement blocks! And she went back home. Couldn't have done it without her pushing me! (BUT DANG!...liked to have killed me) LOLOL............................Just would have been a lot easier if a level or at least a square had been used!

Ok,,,,that's my argument for the right tools...Sorry to have rambled so much..
View from front end of run. ...LOL...and that's a whole 'nother story. Never knew how to use hole diggers...just shoveled a 3' hole, used cement blocks to hold post level, poured in quickcrete and water...just broke block when it was set and rolled the piece inside to help fill the holes and added dirt. ....wow....that almost broke me ! (physically)


First time I could pop the pop door, you can tell by the green grass still growing! LOL



Window lined with 1/4" hardware wiring. Under the outside frame and then on the inside too

I do have and used anther DeWalt drill....awesome to have 2 when working

 

[Spartan22]

I do have and used anther DeWalt drill....awesome to have 2 when working [/quote] Awesome job! Kudos to you for finishing the coop.

 

[crazyhen]

Thanks!  I'm more of a computer guy than a construction guy and I'm working by myself, so it has been challenging.  Just have to keep reminding myself the chickens don't care if it's crooked! 

I too love the idea of functional shutters. I may steal from you. We bought a premade storage building and have been working eversince to get it like we want it for the chickens. I want to cut more window for ventilation and the shutter idea would be great. Thanks for the idea.