Our coop is finally starting to look like something that might house chickens someday, and I am so excited about it.
I would also love to get some feedback on what we have planned.
This was my google sketchup idea (minus the roof and some other details):
We tored down an old dilapidated shed to expose a concrete pad that was in pretty decent shape, so decided to put the coop on it. Here is an early construction pic:
The ground is covered with leaves because the area we are building in used to be woods (and is still woods behind the coop). We are taking out the brush and smaller trees up to the coop so we have more yard space. Here is what it looks like so far from my back deck:
Closer view:
Side view:
View from the door:
The henhouse is L-shaped and raised - you can see the installed floor in this pic. We will block off the part of the L that doesn't have the windows for now and use it for storage. In the future we'll use it for adding to the flock or quarantine as needed.
I stained all of the wood but much of it will be covered by the henhouse walls when they go up. The walls will run from the floor to the ceiling beams (not to the metal roof). The henhouse will be sided in white vinyl board and batten siding that I got for $29/square at a surplus store. The whole coop (minus the siding of course) will be enclosed with hardware cloth, including across the top.
The space between the ceiling beams and the metal roof will be open-air. There is no actual wooden ceiling on the henhouse - only hardware cloth. For the winter, we will put a board across the top of the henhouse portion as needed (leaving openings for vents of course).
The windows (from a Habitat ReStore) are installed inside out for ease of opening, and will be covered with hardware cloth on the inside. The roosts will be installed by the front window. I'll have a poop board underneath them.
Oh, and here are the babies in their current home:
I would love to hear your thoughts!
Mary
This was my google sketchup idea (minus the roof and some other details):
We tored down an old dilapidated shed to expose a concrete pad that was in pretty decent shape, so decided to put the coop on it. Here is an early construction pic:
The ground is covered with leaves because the area we are building in used to be woods (and is still woods behind the coop). We are taking out the brush and smaller trees up to the coop so we have more yard space. Here is what it looks like so far from my back deck:
Closer view:
Side view:
View from the door:
The henhouse is L-shaped and raised - you can see the installed floor in this pic. We will block off the part of the L that doesn't have the windows for now and use it for storage. In the future we'll use it for adding to the flock or quarantine as needed.
I stained all of the wood but much of it will be covered by the henhouse walls when they go up. The walls will run from the floor to the ceiling beams (not to the metal roof). The henhouse will be sided in white vinyl board and batten siding that I got for $29/square at a surplus store. The whole coop (minus the siding of course) will be enclosed with hardware cloth, including across the top.
The space between the ceiling beams and the metal roof will be open-air. There is no actual wooden ceiling on the henhouse - only hardware cloth. For the winter, we will put a board across the top of the henhouse portion as needed (leaving openings for vents of course).
The windows (from a Habitat ReStore) are installed inside out for ease of opening, and will be covered with hardware cloth on the inside. The roosts will be installed by the front window. I'll have a poop board underneath them.
Oh, and here are the babies in their current home:
I would love to hear your thoughts!
Mary
