post your chicken coop pictures here!

[cabinchicky]

new rustic coop

Very nice! You really need to seal and maybe shingle your roof.

 

[Rikus]

Very nice! You really need to seal and maybe shingle your roof.

For This Year We Decided To Outdoor Paint It And Cover It With An Old Hay Tarp Should Keep It Waterproof

 

[octoberstar13]

The Bissell Bungalow. We made it from all scrap

 

[Miss Peeps]

I picked up a free 5 x 5 x 6' (H) dog house from craigslist and modified it. Here are a few photos of the renovation. =)

 

[mamachick82]

This is our girls new hut! Took me all summer but I did it all myself.

 

[mamachick82]

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks so much for all the info.

The coop was going to be 4x8 with the roosts on one end but then I was thinking that that takes up so much floor space plus now with the extra bird, it's not really big enough anyways, only for 8 with 4 sq. ft. Per bird, which maybe isn't enough anyways, so then I thought about adding a 4x4 section to the end and putting the roosts there so 4x12. That's kind of a weird shape though so I might go 8x8, haven't decided yet. I don't want it to take up too much room though.

But anyways, then the run was 8x12 plus the 4 feet under the coop since it's raised, so 12x12 but I'm thinking of free ranging them too (we have almost 3 acres) if possible. But if I made it 8x8, which I might not do, then the run would obviously be different too but I haven't figured that out yet because I had planned for the other way.

I'll find a place for the windows too

Heck, you have 3 acres, who would notice the extra?

OK, since you are now planning to go bigger, consider that it is far easier to do stuff in a coop you can walk into. And roosts in a 4x4 space would only be enough for 8 birds if you had two roosts parallel though I suppose you make it U shaped and get a few more in. But then how do you clean it when you need to? The roosts should be 1 foot from the wall and 18" from parallel roosts (so they can't pick on a bird on the other roost). If you did the 8x8 (which you can decide REALLY should be 8x12 (chicken math you know), you could get ~16' of roost on adjoining walls. They will use the foot of roost that is "beyond" the intersection. My birds seem to prefer to have their side against a wall or another chicken. You can put the door and nest boxes on the other walls and hang a feeder in the middle. It will be even more open if you make external nest boxes.

You are wise to think on it. I find I ALWAYS think of things I want to do differently if I ponder on a project for some time. Better than "just doing it" and later wishing I had thought about it from different "angles".

 

[ShrekDawg]

Heck, you have 3 acres, who would notice the extra?   OK, since you are now planning to go bigger, consider that it is far easier to do stuff in a coop you can walk into.  And roosts in a 4x4 space would only be enough for 8 birds if you had two roosts parallel though I suppose you make it U shaped and get a few more in. But then how do you clean it when you need to? The roosts should be 1 foot from the wall and 18" from parallel roosts (so they can't pick on a bird on the other roost). If you did the 8x8 (which you can decide REALLY should be 8x12 (chicken math you know), you could get ~16' of roost on adjoining walls. They will use the foot of roost that is "beyond" the intersection. My birds seem to prefer to have their side against a wall or another chicken. You can put the door and nest boxes on the other walls and hang a feeder in the middle. It will be even more open if you make external nest boxes.

You are wise to think on it. I find I ALWAYS think of things I want to do differently if I ponder on a project for some time. Better than "just doing it" and later wishing I had thought about it from different "angles".

True and well I was thinking of having it raised off the ground and originally I didn't want it too big because I was worried it would be considered a shed, which I think would need a permit technically (though we're set in the woods, no one bugs us lol. Unless the neighbors do). I was thinking also with it raised and stuff, I could just rake the floor every day or empty it once a week (depending on if I use sand or pine shavings) and I was also going to use a droppings board so that part would be pretty easy but I suppose you're probably right about cleaning the roosts and rest of it. And for the roosts I hadn't realized it needed to be so spaced out and had originally thought of just using a ladder until you mentioned them wanting to be the same height. But oh yeah, I was definitely planning on external nesting boxes, easier egg collecting anyways.

But aw thank you! I've definitely done a lot of thinking and had a lot.of time to think because I've wanted them for years haha we actually came up with a plan way back in like January or February because I was going to get them that spring (2015) but I never did and now finally am. I came up with a slightly new plan though, with the attachment, and redesigned the run. Originally we were gonna use a dog kennel and had it going straight out then a triangle at the top since it would be wider than the door (6 feet, coop and run is 8) but then I realized that would stick out like 22 feet and just take up a huge area plus I'd have to cover the kennel anyways cause chain link is too big so then I realized it looks much better and is actually more space if I flip it sideways haha

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
it depends on the permitt laws. Here in Southern California you can build a shed 120 square feet without a permitt. As long as you dont plumb it or wire it...


deb
I believe animal housing is different.... but not sure.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I think you might need a permit for any one, just different ones for under a certain size, but I don't think a raised chicken coop counts and even if it did, no one comes over here haha