2024, Front of Coop/Run
My 3rd expansion is complete. I have 1 big 112 sq ft. coop with 2 interior rooms, roosting and nest boxes in one room, storage and baby chick to integration age in 2nd room., Chain Link Run approx. 500 sq ft; 2 fenced acres; Garden, River frontage and Mt. Hood National Forest.
This is my Coop 2022. It started as a dog house in 2007 (see my dog house page.) I've expanded the dog house (twice,) as I've learned what is important to me and necessary. Important to me: ability to walk inside and do chores comfortably; clean nest boxes; easy poop clean up. Necessary: plenty of roost space; plenty of windows and ventilation; well insulated; predator proof. Expansion 1 = more room; Expansion 2 = 2 rooms; Expansion 3 = more room in room #1 (roost space.)
It started with the dog house (see Coop Evolution page.)
Thanks to expanding length not width, it's a long building, 2 separate rooms and a covered food area inside a large chain link run, mostly uncovered.
I'm from Alaska, now living in Oregon on the Sandy River. I love to garden. My soil is almost pure sand, so I value chicken poo! My coop is designed with many things in mind but for sure poo collection and composting is one of them!
Rodent Control: Feral cat's in my garden
Accomplished 2 separate rooms for 1)brooder/storage; 2)Roost's/Nestboxes
And Poop Boards!!! Poop boards changed my life. WHY oh WHY did I not do this years ago?!
Initially I intentially left the flooring under the roost bars bare. But the "dirt/sand" floor was always wet. I finally figured out why poop boards are all the rage and read some very informative threads with pics on here/BYC and went for it (I'm going to go back and give credit where due to whom I think invented poop boards! For sure JT is the first that I saw and then DobieLover.) I filled in the open floor with foam board thick insulation in between treated 2x6 joists and laid plywood over. So now the floor is half tongue n groove in brooder side 1, painted plywood side 2, and it stays CLEAN!! I use sand and PDZ or Stall Fresh; Scoop poo daily into a bucket with a kitty litter rake and dump weekly in compost or directly into garden, under trees and bushes. This is now my #1 recommendation!
More Ventilation... Ventilation on all 4 sides.....
Brooder Room. Believe it or not THIS is the old Dog House......
I added this little side door and outside ramp as option 2 for getting off roosts when I noticed my oldest, biggest hen having issues with the internal bench to floor system.
My chickens have a very large chain link kennel for summer time when I don't want them scratching up my garden. Then in fall, they free range every day through winter.
Lavender Orpington Pullet and Cockerel
In my brooder room enclosed with glass window and hardware cloth and I've ditched the heat lamp for a Mommy Hut (MHP, credit to Blooie!) And Credit to Azygous for amazing article on brooding happy chicks.
Moose, my Ragdoll.....
Some property pics.... Free-Ranging is Fall to Spring....
Catch ya Later!!
My 3rd expansion is complete. I have 1 big 112 sq ft. coop with 2 interior rooms, roosting and nest boxes in one room, storage and baby chick to integration age in 2nd room., Chain Link Run approx. 500 sq ft; 2 fenced acres; Garden, River frontage and Mt. Hood National Forest.
This is my Coop 2022. It started as a dog house in 2007 (see my dog house page.) I've expanded the dog house (twice,) as I've learned what is important to me and necessary. Important to me: ability to walk inside and do chores comfortably; clean nest boxes; easy poop clean up. Necessary: plenty of roost space; plenty of windows and ventilation; well insulated; predator proof. Expansion 1 = more room; Expansion 2 = 2 rooms; Expansion 3 = more room in room #1 (roost space.)
It started with the dog house (see Coop Evolution page.)
Thanks to expanding length not width, it's a long building, 2 separate rooms and a covered food area inside a large chain link run, mostly uncovered.
I'm from Alaska, now living in Oregon on the Sandy River. I love to garden. My soil is almost pure sand, so I value chicken poo! My coop is designed with many things in mind but for sure poo collection and composting is one of them!
Rodent Control: Feral cat's in my garden
Accomplished 2 separate rooms for 1)brooder/storage; 2)Roost's/Nestboxes
And Poop Boards!!! Poop boards changed my life. WHY oh WHY did I not do this years ago?!
Initially I intentially left the flooring under the roost bars bare. But the "dirt/sand" floor was always wet. I finally figured out why poop boards are all the rage and read some very informative threads with pics on here/BYC and went for it (I'm going to go back and give credit where due to whom I think invented poop boards! For sure JT is the first that I saw and then DobieLover.) I filled in the open floor with foam board thick insulation in between treated 2x6 joists and laid plywood over. So now the floor is half tongue n groove in brooder side 1, painted plywood side 2, and it stays CLEAN!! I use sand and PDZ or Stall Fresh; Scoop poo daily into a bucket with a kitty litter rake and dump weekly in compost or directly into garden, under trees and bushes. This is now my #1 recommendation!
More Ventilation... Ventilation on all 4 sides.....
Brooder Room. Believe it or not THIS is the old Dog House......
I added this little side door and outside ramp as option 2 for getting off roosts when I noticed my oldest, biggest hen having issues with the internal bench to floor system.
My chickens have a very large chain link kennel for summer time when I don't want them scratching up my garden. Then in fall, they free range every day through winter.
Lavender Orpington Pullet and Cockerel
In my brooder room enclosed with glass window and hardware cloth and I've ditched the heat lamp for a Mommy Hut (MHP, credit to Blooie!) And Credit to Azygous for amazing article on brooding happy chicks.
Moose, my Ragdoll.....
Some property pics.... Free-Ranging is Fall to Spring....
Catch ya Later!!