Just an Average Chicken Coop!
Hello everyone!
10/03/09: This is my first attemp at constructing a chicken coop ...with no plans to speak of just ideas I got from others on this site and it took about 6 Sundays in a row to complete. It's initially 8x12 ft with an additional 4x8 floor space of the coop its self. It stands 6 feet tall. I never would have considered doing the coop or even getting chickens had I not founsd this site. In retrospect, with the economy the way it is, it just might be a good idea. My brother in law helped me put it together.
I made this coop in three pieces this is the first run 8x8 . Front and rear views- I have attached the 4x8 chicken coop frame married together it is now 8x12 feet. because they can use the space under the coop. Next year I will add an additional 8X8 section but with chicken wire allowing full sun.
Here are the 6 RIR hens that will live here. This is actually the inside of the completed coop. Please note that 1/2 is a solid bottom the other 1/2 is covered with hardware cloth which is my lower vent and the roost is over the hardware cloth. Its clean makes cleaning much easier and no they dont "go" on each other. They are either all in or they are all outside or all inside. Im just outside Las Vegas so it gets hot here. The iPhone picture was taken through the 2x2 ft insolated window ($60 at the HDepot).
I burried some chicken wire down about 8-9 inches. These are the upper Vents You can the the coop wings that can fold down and locked down in bad weather
The Window, the exit ramp without the pop door installed and painted.I used those insulated sheets of plywood, They have foil on one side. It stops heat right in its tracks! I forgot to take a picture of the human door. See the porch light? Thats right, its wired for "optional" electricity.
The door installed a simple rope opens and closes it. It sook about 10 days for these chcikens to figure out the ramp, then 2 days they would stop at the top of the ramp and not go in. but there after, they went in without issue. They dont roost yet, but they are installed and there are interior ladders to get around, I dust the inside of the coop with D-Earth which will prevent bugs inside. Rear view of the coop also shown above has a 11x17 (picture frame) second window. You can see the electrical connection above.
Here are 4 of the 6 chicks pictured 7 weeks old the others are taking dust baths. You might be happy to know that the coop was successful in repelling an attack by a coyote. No losses. Well no chicken losses.
ELECTRICAL: I installed a 2-plug GFCI outlet inside the coop and an attached exterior pourchlight for the chicken run. My thought is for an interior light and or a water deicer. I have all wiring out of reach of the birds. I have run the ROMEX throough plastic tubing just incase they found away to chomp in the wireing. I went to the local RV Repair shop and bought an exterior 110v 12amp trailer male hookup. Its installed and completely insolated and grounded. Its waterproof and all you have to to is run a good quality extention cord to it when you need it such as winter. A side not, this coop is regularly hit with 60 mile an hour winds with no ill affects.
03/22/10: This spring, I added an additional 8x8 "west wing" making it 160 sq feet of ground space which will house 16 chickens comfortably. It is however going to have the chicken wire on top. It will not be covered like the rest of the coop. This way they get their vitamin D. It also has 4 nesting boxes. It only took 2 days to complete the new "west wing" addition.
We got aonther 10 chicks this weekend bringing the coop to capacity The coop will be devided in half at first.and when thet stop peeping, I will remove the devider.
The four nesting boxes stapled together. This is the best fly catcher. A "Suet" bird feeder makes good "chicken toy". Just put some cabbage in it. They are a buck at any store.
As it turns out, when its a 120 degrees out in the summer, they need a tarp covering the yard for them. I will remove in the fall
ELECTRICAL: I installed a 2-plug GFCI outlet inside the coop and an attached exterior pourchlight for the chicken run. My thought is for an interior light and or a water deicer. I have all wiring out of reach of the birds. I have run the ROMEX throough plastic tubing just incase they found away to chomp in the wireing. I went to the local RV Repair shop and bought an exterior 110v 12amp trailer male hookup. Its installed and completely insolated and grounded. Its waterproof and all you have to to is run a good quality extention cord to it when you need it such as winter. A side not, this coop is regularly hit with 60 mile an hour winds with no ill affects.
03/22/10: This spring, I added an additional 8x8 "west wing" making it 160 sq feet of ground space which will house 16 chickens comfortably. It is however going to have the chicken wire on top. It will not be covered like the rest of the coop. This way they get their vitamin D. It also has 4 nesting boxes. It only took 2 days to complete the new "west wing" addition.
We got aonther 10 chicks this weekend bringing the coop to capacity The coop will be devided in half at first.and when thet stop peeping, I will remove the devider.
The four nesting boxes stapled together. This is the best fly catcher. A "Suet" bird feeder makes good "chicken toy". Just put some cabbage in it. They are a buck at any store.
As it turns out, when its a 120 degrees out in the summer, they need a tarp covering the yard for them. I will remove in the fall
