••• 2008 Coop Page Contest - Win A $20 BYC Gift Certificate - ENDED

[CarlaRiggs]

Ah, Mother's Intuition!

Used it plenty of times....

I like that coop. You and hubby have done a really nice job. Thanks for all the photographs.

Carla

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I see lots of coop pages being built which is FANTASTIC!

BUT, to be entered into this contest you MUST post a link to your coop in this thread.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Can we post a link even if it's not going to be completed by May 1st, or should we just wait for the next contest?
We just got 4" of new snow, which has brought construction to a halt...

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Great question!!

Please only post if you want it entered into the current contest.

But don't worry, we'll have another contest soon!

 

[Kentucky]

Well I finally took the time to figure it(uploading photos) again, I think!!

Anyway here is the wife's chicken coup/pen for her 6 new egg machines.

As a brief synopsis, it only took two(2)months to build, using the design criteria of performing several daily tasks without entering the pen. Although it was built to be very weather resistant, its actually sorta low tech, even though the entire 5'x10' floor pivots on 1" steel pins, which dumps out the backside of the house to allow easy cleaning. It also features ganged sliding access doors on the backside of the nest boxes such that the eggs can be gathered without entering the pen, The chicken access door/ramp and gravity fed feeder can be raised at night beyond the reach of rodents and then lowered during the day from the outside. The main access door is of a two layered design featuring a cold weather wood construction outer cover and a steel grated interior door for warm weather. The front and rear windows are privacy plexiglas to keep the predators from looking inside. The inside three rung roost is hinged to facilitate raising to accommodate the pivoting floor cleaning process. It has both interior and exterior electrical lighting. The house is roughly 5'x10', the pen area is 10'x20'

This is my sketch which was designed to utilize a 10'x10'x6' dog pen that was on the property:

This the framed structure with the previously constructed nest box in place:

The the nearly complete pen/coup which is attached to the side of my shop with the exception of a perimeter guard system:

This is the front view of the coup (closed) in the foreground is the 7gal gravity fed feeder, 6 gal waterer & dusting pan all of which are homemade.

This is the same view with the chicken access ramp lowered and the outer cold weather door removed.

As shown in this view the nest box floors can either used to block access when in the brooder house mode or lowered when the flock becomes egg laying hens.

Shown below is a thin profile wall mounted 4gal chick feeder designed conserve floor space and can to be raised in height to match chick growth.

And last but not least here is her "current" flock; 2-Ameraucanas, 1-Australorp, 1-Cochin & 2-Wyandottes, eagerly awaiting "Moving Day".

In summary, if I have done this correctly here is a link to the Wife's Contest Entry https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=9018


Kentucky

 

[CarlaRiggs]

Nicely planned, Kentucky.

I like the swivel floor.... seems so convenient. Thanks for the photos.

Carla

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Now that is a GREAT idea! I was going to add a swing down floor to dump the shavings, but your pivot design is excellent!!

 

[rhetoric]

Lucky for you guys I'm not going to finish my coop before May 1. Of course, when I win it all next year, the grand prize will be up to $25.00. Heh. Heh.

My design? Do you know St. Basil's cathedral in Moscow Square? It won't look anything like that.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Quote:
hahahahaha

 

[NoSpringChick]

Bummer....I'm new at all of this forum stuff and just figured out how to make a "My Page"....anyway, I hope you all enjoy the pictures. I'm not going to make the May 1st deadline for the coop designs, however, hubby did get started today and made great progress with the coop I've been asking for (for about a month). I wasn't allowed to ask him any construction questions, so I just stayed out of his hair and weeded and gardened and mulched...all day long. I'm so pleased with the results...check out my pictures:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=9002-The_Chicken_Coo

p.s. I've only had my six chickens for 1 month so far. They are in a temporary pen for the dog right now, but I let them free range every day.....they seem happy. Oh yes, and one turned out to be a rooster....so he is at a new home....doing well, I hope.

So now I'm down to five and I'm HOOKED!!!!