Il Mio Bello Palazzo del Pollo
"My Beautiful Chicken Palace"
Ok so it aint that beautiful but me and the girls really like it.
Brainstorming...
Here's a few of the framing.
Sorry but we lost the light at this point.
Raw material. 4x6 by 5 ft high.. This is before cutting out the windows.
Sorry i don't have more pics of the building process but we were working quick.
We did a slant roof tiled with roll out shingling. We used 2x4's for the four corners and 2x2's for the walls.
We set the whole coop on blocks for easy moving and to keep it dry. The floor is plywood, working on getting laminate down.
The roost is a 2x4 across the coop. It's a little higher then I like but I can move it down by taking out 4 exterior screws.
I cut out the holes for the windows and made window frames by sandwiching plexiglass between some scrap 2x2's.
I also covered window holes with wire mesh to keep critters out.
Aaron my 7 yr old DS. He helped quite a bit with a lil persuasion $$$$.. The nest boxes are roughly 12 in x 12in x 12in.
I have'nt had any poop issues. They pop in lay an egg and pop out.
The run is roughly 17x6 and is made in six panels for easy moving. They arent real pretty but they work great.
I then covered the run with deer netting that cost $14.99 for 100x7 1/2 ft.
Had to get the babies outta my room so I made 4x4x4 brooder/hospital ward/bantie hut..
I did this in about 3 hrs using almost all free material, only had to buy the hardware.
I also added the "Teen Run" so the babes can interact with the big girls safely.
You can't see it well but I have a large rubbermaid container with 2 week old Austrulops in the left corner.
Also the babies in the large brooder have a 2x4 roost and there own pop door to the "Teen Run".
Total the coop cost me under $200.00. I used everything I had laying around before buying any materials.
My run cost less than $20.00. I used railroad ties, left over lumber, old chicken wire, and a few other scraps I had laying around.
Things I would do differently..
1. Make coop before chickens are due to arrive.
2. Make gate for entry into run.
3. Lay laminate before putting in chickens.
4. Make "Human" entry door much larger.. As you can see I'm a bit "Fluffy".
5. Make one wall to hinge out for easier cleaning.
6. Slant roof on brooder.
7. Lower roost.
8. Make pop door much higher up. I want to do the deep litter method but SIL cut door a little to short.
Hope you all like it. We sure do. Any questions feel free to PM or Email me.
Sorry but we lost the light at this point.
Raw material. 4x6 by 5 ft high.. This is before cutting out the windows.
Sorry i don't have more pics of the building process but we were working quick.
We did a slant roof tiled with roll out shingling. We used 2x4's for the four corners and 2x2's for the walls.
We set the whole coop on blocks for easy moving and to keep it dry. The floor is plywood, working on getting laminate down.
The roost is a 2x4 across the coop. It's a little higher then I like but I can move it down by taking out 4 exterior screws.
I cut out the holes for the windows and made window frames by sandwiching plexiglass between some scrap 2x2's.
I also covered window holes with wire mesh to keep critters out.
Aaron my 7 yr old DS. He helped quite a bit with a lil persuasion $$$$.. The nest boxes are roughly 12 in x 12in x 12in.
I have'nt had any poop issues. They pop in lay an egg and pop out.
The run is roughly 17x6 and is made in six panels for easy moving. They arent real pretty but they work great.
I then covered the run with deer netting that cost $14.99 for 100x7 1/2 ft.
Had to get the babies outta my room so I made 4x4x4 brooder/hospital ward/bantie hut..
I did this in about 3 hrs using almost all free material, only had to buy the hardware.
I also added the "Teen Run" so the babes can interact with the big girls safely.
You can't see it well but I have a large rubbermaid container with 2 week old Austrulops in the left corner.
Also the babies in the large brooder have a 2x4 roost and there own pop door to the "Teen Run".
Total the coop cost me under $200.00. I used everything I had laying around before buying any materials.
My run cost less than $20.00. I used railroad ties, left over lumber, old chicken wire, and a few other scraps I had laying around.
Things I would do differently..
1. Make coop before chickens are due to arrive.
2. Make gate for entry into run.
3. Lay laminate before putting in chickens.
4. Make "Human" entry door much larger.. As you can see I'm a bit "Fluffy".
5. Make one wall to hinge out for easier cleaning.
6. Slant roof on brooder.
7. Lower roost.
8. Make pop door much higher up. I want to do the deep litter method but SIL cut door a little to short.
Hope you all like it. We sure do. Any questions feel free to PM or Email me.
