A blatant copy of Carolina Coops

[BaaKaaawk]

Nice looking coop. Just finished a build myself. Nice to sit back and check out the final product. And DIY is always a great way to go if you have the time and capability!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm just so glad to see a coop that's extremely well ventilated to suit the climate you have.

 

[aart]

Hi aart - can I ask why you think their claims are BS? I know they say 1 chicken per foot on the perch rather than 4sqft per bird, but a lot of people seem to like their bedding?

12" per bird for roost length is a good rule of thumb, but sqftage is important too.
The population they suggest and that you can just keep adding bedding will not last the year or two they imply. It's typical mfg claims(marketing) that experienced chicken keepers know is not really practical/feasible. Even with poop boards I have to swap out my floor shavings once or twice a year due to the pulverized poop that builds up in them.

 

[Castlewood]

I'm just so glad to see a coop that's extremely well ventilated to suit the climate you have.

That was the aspect of the Carolina Coops design that sold me. My instinct is to make those openings smaller to give them privacy, but I'm reminded in August that anything less would be stifling.

I'm hoping to get some fans in the coop this spring to promote more airflow once I add more chickens to this coop. I think 10-12 girls in there might get tight.

 

[aart]

I'm hoping to get some fans in the coop this spring to promote more airflow

Might help, especially if you blow in air from the cooler(east?) side of the coop.
Works here, can also keep bugs from bugging them.

Deep all day shade is best but....
I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves.
It really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
Can mix up a smaller amount, just wrap the packet tight and store in a dry cool place.
Always have plain water available too.

BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping.
Much more useful to the chickens than frozen foods and treats.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[Tre3hugger]

Very nice! Can you explain your water set up? Looks awesome.

 

[PVILLAGO]

Looks good..

My first coop was small and commercially manufactured. It took all of a week before I realized that I needed something bigger even if I didn't intend to grow my flock. Looking around the internet, I quickly came to the decision that Carolina Coops was the Cadillac of hen houses. Unfortunately, it also came with Cadillac pricing. I decided to make my best attempt at replicating their design. In the end, you get what you pay for. This coop/run is a far cry from the craftmanship of the products at CC, but I'm proud of it nonetheless. Three hens call it home for now. I have 9 pullets that will join them in another month.

The gravity feeders for crumble are courtesy of a Youtuber who I really do need give credit to. There's also a rain barrel on the far side of the coop that feeds into PVC for gravity fed water.

Happy to talk shop if anyone has questions - Castlewood
View attachment 2102415

 

[Aunt Tat]

Looks good..

Gorgeous!! I LOVE how the sun rays beam over the entire coop/run!
How big is the entire thing? I'm trying to design a 9'x18' and about 7' tall shed roof style.