Well it's been one year that I started this coop project in our small back yard. Our these 3 hens seem to have won over our neighborhoods, they neighbors always stop by to see how they are doing and seem to always want to share a storey.
I just finished my first coop for my wife, so far it seems to work fine. Our goal was to create a roost, nesting boxes and feed them in the same confined space. Their feed and oyster shell is stored in metal trash cans and kept in the coop. During the day, we can let the "girls" out through a draw string device door opener (this in near the rightside and under the nesting boxes). I still need to create the run but at this time they are only a couple of months old and very happy in their completly contained space. I will provide more pictures soon. We, too, have stories of losing chickens in the past and thus the need to build a better, safer coop. Many thanks to the BYC web site and all the great coop designs . Your information was a great help in the planning.
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Below is the start of the coop. The floor base of the coop is 4 inches above the ground.
Walls going up.
The size 6' X 8'
The roof was designed for the NW rain. There is a 1 foot over hang around the coop.
There is stoage above the right side door.
The slide door on bottom right opens to let the chickens out into the yard (fenced chicken run not yet complete).
