Finally building a real coop

Update..The porch is finally done. Need a day of rest now. Still have the wire to install inside to seperate the two sides and food storage area and make two wire covered doors for access to each side. Will be looking at some ideas I see here at BYC like the PVC feeder and bucket in flower pot drip pan. With the temp control attic fan installed even on some of the 3 digit hot days the coop was at a comfortable 85 degrees F. The chickens seem to approve of everything. Hens were using the new hanging nest boxes the day I hung them, almost before the paint was dry,lol.
How do you get your design on the page of coops? This design ventilates so good would like to make sure it is accessible to anyone thinking of building a coop.

It started with some old windows a friend gave me and went crazy from there.
Who says you can't shake rattle and roll when you are 50 and a woman. Over the past two weeks I have driven every nail, good and bad. So come on ladies get shakin'. After the BC surgery and treatments I needed something to shake me up and get fit again. Believe you me this will do it. The satisfaction and if not the aches and pains will make you know you are still kicking it! And my chickens and ducks will love it to boot!
These are pics from the past two weeks of the coop I am building. It is on skids so it can be moved, if I owned something heavy enough to drag it.
I got all but two rafters up today when rain once again spoiled the day. Good thing, I needed the rest. Night before last it rained so much I was wondering if the cabin coop would be an ark!
The plans I worked up using a computer house design program, the idea I got of the cabin, now coop I saw on mother earth mag. site for a guest cabin.
It is 20 ft.wide by 10 ft deep, 10 foot at the front and 8 foot at the back. Unlike the plans I did not want the standard roof and opted for a slant roof for better ventilation options. The center will be for feed storage etc. with wire walls on either side. Right and left will be separate coop areas, since I have Big Daddy Cletis rooster and Bantam roosters. The girls like to have the option of different coops at night already, so I am sure they will be happy with my choice.
I am also putting in several rafters at 8 foot front to back, attaching wire fence wire (like a ceiling) so I can lay insulation foam panels in the winter but move and stack them to the low side in summer. That way the heat can rise and vent out at the rafter spaces in summer. An outdoor ceiling fan (stealing from the garage) for the center to help with air circulation (it gets hot here in SC). The building will run off a heavy extension cord (kind of like a camper). I am opting for double outlets in the ceiling rafters (one dbl box each side) so I can plug in more than one heat light on really cold nights. We de get into the teens.
I will up date the link as I get done.
http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n142/DCINSC/condo cabin coop/

SPOILED ROTTEN CHICKENS!

Wow, I am impressed! You are doing a fantastic job! Looks like you have put a lot of thought into it. Don't know where in SC you are but make sure you put in enough ventilation. My coop stays fairly nice but when it is 95 and muggy here, well you know!

Be careful with the ceiling fan, if the chicks can get to it, they may fly into it and get hurt.

Keep us posted!

The chickens will not be able to get to the center section where the ceiling fan and feed bins will be. I will be adding a screen door also. The rafters have 4 inch open ventilation at the top. They spend all their time roaming the yards all day and hanging out. I am hoping the porch on the front of the coop will get them off of my side porch. The front has a huge willow tree for shade and the rear of the building takes the evening sun. I do plan on insulating the side walls with the foam board and attaching hard wired to the walls. I know how much chickens love foam board no to mention misplaced Styrofoam coolers!

Sounds like you have it covered. As one 50 year old woman who built her coop to another one

GREAT JOB!!

Great job, from another 50ish (56) woman who built a chicken coop (12' x 16') ! I agree with you .... it is great therapy, and fun to boot!

Great job. I admire the women on here who build there own coops. Maybe one day I will give it a try. How long did it take you to build it?


When was your BC surgery and treatments? I hit the 6 year mark July 4th. The 18 months or more i dealt with surgeries and treatments is kind of a blur. I blame it on the chemo.

I am not done yet. I just ordered the lumber for the porch...Yes Porch! Cut the chicken holes out today and been designing the hen boxes. Still have the interior walls to put up. The heat, humidity and rain has been a real problem here but early morning work gets earlier each day. I am trying to keep my photos updated but not duplicates. Hope someone can use the plans even if they shrink them smaller. This was my inspiration http://home.earthlink.net/~backyardbuildings/
The 4th, 6th and 9th.
Big Daddy Cletis got the tour today and has been keeping his girls hanging out under the willow in front of it. lol

Here's another 55ish gal that built her own. Its 8x32. I had a blast doing it and great enjoyment sitting in there with my girls for morning coffee.

What a great job!!
Free windows can get you into trouble can't they?!
I planned my whole coop around widows that were given to me...big mistake!! Next time I will plan the coop/greenhouse and then see where I can stick the windows!

What home building program did you use? Was it easy to learn? It looked fun!

I love the porch idea, its going to look so cute!
Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

I can't get to your pics. Says photobucket is down for maintenance.