What do you think of your coop years later?

[addctd2plnts]

Love this thread! I've always wanted a Wood's Open Air Coop for my community ducks. But we already had a barn and two empty horse stalls. It was easier to predator proof the two horse stalls, than convince hubby to make me a whole new building. Now that we've had it for a year, I think I like the stalls better than I would have liked separate buildings. Most of my ducks are for show and need to be in separate pens for breeding season, so the community stalls are nice for winter because they are so big. During any weather over about 50 degrees, for my comfort not the ducks LOL, they go out in movable walk in pens we got from Stromberg's Poultry. I really like it with ducks because there's always grass under them. We upgraded the zip ties and changed to 1/2 "hardware cloth on the outside around the bottom. Most of our daytime predators are hawks and Eagles, and the occasional owl. So far we haven't lost a bird. Since some of the birds were purchased as adults last fall, we move them in a mega tote with a top, back and forth from stalls to the daytime location. There's another unintended benefit. Since we have to pick them up twice a day to move them, we see every bird and have noticed with this minimal handling, the adult birds have become more tame. My Indian Runners are very friendly, despite everyone always saying their Runners are nervous and not friendly. I think it's the daily handling.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The front door on my coop faces north and is now falling apart from wet and weather. We bought our building from ghe Mennonites about 10 years ago, it's an 8x10 modified storage shed. I was new to MO and not at all familiar with the climate. If I could do it over again or start over, I would face it to the east have lots more ventilation, seal or paint the floor, have built-in bigger nests (we jury-rigged plastic nests) and have proper roostz with poop boards installed. And, oh yeah, not have that huge window right next to the roost! Dumb, dumb dumb! Other than all that, it has held up well. Oh! And I'd definitely have it wired for light.

 

[jthornton]

Yea the north side of a building doesn't get much sun especially in the winter here in Swamp East Missouri.

Speaking of nests, I made a fancy roll out nest box and installed it under the poop table. I thought it was quite clever and saved space in the coop.


However the hens prefer Nest Box Mk5... what can I say they just like a cardboard box better.


JT

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yea the north side of a building doesn't get much sun especially in the winter here in Swamp East Missouri.

Speaking of nests, I made a fancy roll out nest box and installed it under the poop table. I thought it was quite clever and saved space in the coop.
View attachment 3008927

However the hens prefer Nest Box Mk5... what can I say they just like a cardboard box better.
View attachment 3008934

JT

Ah, JT, you know what they say about real estate. It's all about
LOCATION,
LOCATION,
LOCATION!

 

[MaryW2K]

I started Coop Uno in April 2017 from a plan I found online that Home Depot sponsored so it must have been good right?

Here is a photo of the original build. Looked like a coop I thought but what did I know?
View attachment 2940578
Far from it actually... after multiple modifications to the coop I finally had a place for the chickens to roost only, no room for anything else.

As it stands today the inside stays pretty clean using PDZ under the roosts.
View attachment 2940583

The overall view of Coop Uno.
View attachment 2940584
I'm happy with the design of the run, just wish I had room for more overhang and should have extended the roof over the door a couple of feet for sure.

Coop Deux, I started converting a shed in February 2018 but didn't get very far until January 2020 when I really got going putting in a dividing wall for the shed.
Here is the dividing wall today.
View attachment 2940587

Inside the coop not much has changed in the last 2 years except the roll out nest box was rejected in favor of a cardboard box or two. And I lengthened the poop table and roost as it was too small for 12 Cinnamon Queens once they were fully grown.
View attachment 2940588
View attachment 2940589
View attachment 2940590

Inside the run is unfortunately where they spend most days, sometimes I let them out in the little yard they have while being supervised.
I've made a few changes like adding roosts, a pallet and a new feeder which I like a lot and so do the hens.
View attachment 2940592
View attachment 2940593

Finishing off the Chicken Crack!
View attachment 2940594

Outside the run is the same.
View attachment 2940595

So in conclusion I still hate Coop Uno every time I clean the PDZ or try to do anything on the inside of it, it's just too small and too low and the list goes on and on.

On the other hand Coop Deux I like it as it so easy to clean the Poop Table I can do it with one hand an usually have no choice when Betty Boop is in one hand.

The only drawback to having half a shed a coop is the dust it bad on the other side...

JT

Great share thank you. I love the steps to the perch too.

 

[MaryW2K]

Yea the north side of a building doesn't get much sun especially in the winter here in Swamp East Missouri.

Speaking of nests, I made a fancy roll out nest box and installed it under the poop table. I thought it was quite clever and saved space in the coop.
View attachment 3008927

However the hens prefer Nest Box Mk5... what can I say they just like a cardboard box better.
View attachment 3008934

JT

OMG the chicken nest box thing is so real. They do what they do no matter what we try to do for them LOL

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Addendum to my previous post. I am going to ask the Mennonites, who built my coop, to build me a new door. It's made partly out of plywood and is falling apart. It won't close properly in wet weather. I'll certainly pay for a replacement, but this is basically a interior door and it's not holding up. I should have looked more closely at that before I bought it.

 

[electrycmonk]

Addendum to my previous post. I am going to ask the Mennonites, who built my coop, to build me a new door. It's made partly out of plywood and is falling apart. It won't close properly in wet weather. I'll certainly pay for a replacement, but this is basically a interior door and it's not holding up. I should have looked more closely at that before I bought it.

Consider a recycled door and give it a good multi-coating of Thompson’s water seal….

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Consider a recycled door and give it a good multi-coating of Thompson’s water seal….

Thanks. Hmm. Where would I look for one?

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks. Hmm. Where would I look for one?

Do you have a Habitat ReStore nearby?