12x6 Coop Construction, August 2016 Deadline!

[kie4]

Hi, I'm working on a coop for my 4 chicks that were born on June the 27th.

Chuck - Super Blue Egg Layer
Yellow - Buff Orpington
Chelsea - Black Copper Maran
Red - New Hampshire Red

Is this the right place to post a log of my build and ask for advice?

12x6 base


12x6 base in situ, stained and levelled


Here are the chicks at 1 day old



Kie

 

[Howard E]

Yes. (off to a good start.....coop and birds!)

My money is on Dec 10 for your first egg.

 

[sunflour]

Hi, I'm working on a coop for my 4 chicks that were born on June the 27th.

Chuck - Super Blue Egg Layer
Yellow - Buff Orpington
Chelsea - Black Copper Maran
Red - New Hampshire Red

Is this the right place to post a log of my build and ask for advice?

12x6 base


12x6 base in situ, stained and levelled


Here are the chicks at 1 day old



Kie

Good start to your build. The chicks are all so cute.

 

[kie4]

Young Alex (Owner of the Buff Orpington "Yellow") inspecting the framing plan.

 

[kie4]

Yes. (off to a good start.....coop and birds!)

My money is on Dec 10 for your first egg.

December the 10th seems so far off. It's great to have something to look forward to.

Kie

 

[kie4]

Some more framing work done. Broke up a load of palettes off craigslist, and the other wood is any half decent looking stuff in the Home Depot 70% discounted bin. There's some good big pieces in there if you're prepared to cut it into 2x4s. Digging down to install the hardware cloth 1foot deep was very hard work because the ground is hard and full of roots.

 

[Howard E]

Looking good! Also looks like you have allowed for deep litter bedding from the start? If not by design, by using the wider (taller) band boards around the base, you have allowed for deep litter bedding from the start. Is this going to be entirely open as a run or partially or fully enclosed as a coop?

Yes, digging deep into the ground to bury wire is a lot of work. Next time you may wish to consider laying the same wire flat on the ground. Just put in a 90 degree bend creating a short upright leg of a few inches and nail that to that perimeter base, with the rest spread out horizontal on the ground as an apron. Digging predators focus on the junction between horizontal and vertical and can't get past it. They may probe that seam back and forth, up and down and all around the run, but never do figure out they need to back up a couple feet and start digging way out there to tunnel under it. Over time grass grows up through the wire and won't be noticed. Option B is to spread mulch over it so it goes away with no grass etc to mow. They may be more prone to digging in the mulch, but won't be successful, and you will know they were there and tried.

 

[kie4]

Looking good! Also looks like you have allowed for deep litter bedding from the start? If not by design, by using the wider (taller) band boards around the base, you have allowed for deep litter bedding from the start. Is this going to be entirely open as a run or partially or fully enclosed as a coop?

Yes, digging deep into the ground to bury wire is a lot of work. Next time you may wish to consider laying the same wire flat on the ground. Just put in a 90 degree bend creating a short upright leg of a few inches and nail that to that perimeter base, with the rest spread out horizontal on the ground as an apron. Digging predators focus on the junction between horizontal and vertical and can't get past it. They may probe that seam back and forth, up and down and all around the run, but never do figure out they need to back up a couple feet and start digging way out there to tunnel under it. Over time grass grows up through the wire and won't be noticed. Option B is to spread mulch over it so it goes away with no grass etc to mow. They may be more prone to digging in the mulch, but won't be successful, and you will know they were there and tried.

Awesome advice @Howard E, thanks. Not sure when the next time will be, but good to know for if there's a ever a coop #2.

We have a groundhog that appears every now and then in the yard, are groundhogs a threat to chickens?

The plan is to do a Wichita Cabin Coop style coop with raised hen house and enclosed run. 2 pop doors, one to let out of the hen house and one at the far end of the run to let the birds range when we're at home.

Platform for the hen house is in now for more of an idea of shape:

 

[jpalmatier83]

Are you sure it's a groundhog? Groundhogs and ground squirrels eat plants/roots/grubs/insects and are not a risk for chickens. There are, however, other burrowing animals which could be.

 

[kie4]

Are you sure it's a groundhog? Groundhogs and ground squirrels eat plants/roots/grubs/insects and are not a risk for chickens. There are, however, other burrowing animals which could be.

Hi @jpalmatier83 , yes most definitely a groundhog. Good to hear this is no threat because it's our main visitor to the garden.
We've seen a raccoon on 2 occasions in a year. Rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, bats, deer, very rarely a hawk flying by high in the sky.
We thought we had moles in the garden once, but it a man fro the water company. He dug a hole in our lawn, buried it back in and put 2 stones on top of it.Thanks for that water company! haha!