Coop construction photos:
It's a 6 by 8 foot coop, 4 by 4 posts set on concrete footings 3 feet down. Hal started building on Memorial Day weekend, 2008. It sits under the trees on the west side of the house.
The roof is shed style, the man door is on the eastern side facing the house. The chicken door is on the southeast corner of the short wall. The southwest corner is framed for a second chicken door if desired.
There are 2 windows, one in the north wall and the other in the mandoor on the east wall. Both are filled by hardware cloth and have wooden covers that can be inserted during bad weather.
It has a dirt floor so I can use the deep litter method. Instead of hardware cloth on the outside underground to keep away digging predators, the 1/2 inch hardware cloth is buried inside and climbs up the side walls about 15 inches.
Originally, Hal had placed oak boards on top of the wire thinking I would bury them under the sand till I re-explained that my deep litter floor would be better without them. I re-filled the hole with the sand/dirt he had patiently dug out, then added dead leaves and straw on top.
He put rolled roofing on top of roofing felt and I primed and painted the outside. He cut a pop door in the front bottom corner (not built in this photo) and made it into a drawbridge style door. Big mistake because by the end of the second year, between ice build-up, rain, and bird poop, the hinges rusted, broke and the door fell apart. In 2011 he finally replaced if with a stronger drop down door hinged at the top. A couple screw eyes and a piece of rebar keep it opened without danger of dropping onto any birds. (photo required)
Used chain link fencing was added around two sides for a pen and is covered with 2 inch bird netting.
There are 2 windows, one in the north wall and the other in the mandoor on the east wall. Both are filled by hardware cloth and have wooden covers that can be inserted during bad weather.
It has a dirt floor so I can use the deep litter method. Instead of hardware cloth on the outside underground to keep away digging predators, the 1/2 inch hardware cloth is buried inside and climbs up the side walls about 15 inches.
Originally, Hal had placed oak boards on top of the wire thinking I would bury them under the sand till I re-explained that my deep litter floor would be better without them. I re-filled the hole with the sand/dirt he had patiently dug out, then added dead leaves and straw on top.
He put rolled roofing on top of roofing felt and I primed and painted the outside. He cut a pop door in the front bottom corner (not built in this photo) and made it into a drawbridge style door. Big mistake because by the end of the second year, between ice build-up, rain, and bird poop, the hinges rusted, broke and the door fell apart. In 2011 he finally replaced if with a stronger drop down door hinged at the top. A couple screw eyes and a piece of rebar keep it opened without danger of dropping onto any birds. (photo required)
Used chain link fencing was added around two sides for a pen and is covered with 2 inch bird netting.
