A chicken rookie's coop project...

[M&LO]

Quote:
OK....that makes perfect sense...thank you. If you look back at my photos, my coop has two kind of triangular shaped openings on either side at the very top of the coop. In addition to that, there's a big access door that will be right behind their roosts with hardware wire covering it and it'll also have the ability to be closed off when the temps dip below 45 or so. The reason I'm posting photos as I go is because I was hoping for advice as I built and the outpouring of advice from everyone here has been fantastic and much appreciated....thank you. I haven't had chickens for over 40 years...my Dad kept them on our property back in West Virginia when I was growing up but it was quite the different scenario back then....

 

[abChicken]

love your coop er-palace

wish i was near you would love c it in person --another

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

M&LO :

Quote:
OK....that makes perfect sense...thank you. If you look back at my photos, my coop has two kind of triangular shaped openings on either side at the very top of the coop. In addition to that, there's a big access door that will be right behind their roosts with hardware wire covering it and it'll also have the ability to be closed off when the temps dip below 45 or so. The reason I'm posting photos as I go is because I was hoping for advice as I built and the outpouring of advice from everyone here has been fantastic and much appreciated....thank you. I haven't had chickens for over 40 years...my Dad kept them on our property back in West Virginia when I was growing up but it was quite the different scenario back then....

Looks perfect!! We get hurricane force winds where I'm at so I need a way to shut my vents because the wind does blow in at manage to hit the chickens sitting on the roosts even though the vents are nine feet up and the roosts are only 3 feet up!!! Every coop is going to be different because your conditions are different. It's best to put many in and have the ability to shut them then to not have enough.

I have rancher cousins in South Dakota that have chickens and never built a coop. They just let them fend for themselves. When I was a kid I was appalled to see the dead chickens hanging in the trees.....some made it, others died where they roosted in the trees. Now, I'm not knocking ranchers, my grandparents had a coop on their ranch. It was made of old railroad ties (railroads used to run throughout the Black Hills of South Dakota). The most exciting night of
my life was when the cousins were smoking in the old coop and left a smouldering cigarette that caught it on fire. You can imagine the fuel in those old railroad ties!!!! Flames shot up as far as my eyes could see threatening the old Victorian farmhouse perched above the coop. We had a bucket brigade going until the volunteer fire dept. came out, but by then there was nothing left to save.

I'm guessing your Dad didn't have anything like you're building. Glad you're having fun with it!! Your grandkids are going to love it and I bet your wife will too.​

 

[bird_is_the_word]

this is very impressive carpentry work

nice job

 

[M&LO]

OK....we're back on the chicken coop project. Other things took presidence but we're finally back to work.

Here's the primer coat of paint on the coop...right about now, I'm sure my neighbors were getting worried about the pink....

Now for the real color to match the barn....

I've got a set of stairs in today too!!!

I'll keep updating as I get more finished.....

 

[BirdWalkFarm]

Your coop well ................. Just Wow ! It is great

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

Wow what a coop!

I am in Texas. I have a 4-sided coop, but it is not just square, it is also composed of 60% wire. Bottom of wall is wood and top of wall is farm fence (I know, I know). I learned the hard way that most of the rain comes through the south wall, so I covered that with plastic. For winter I covered most of the remaining walls with plastic and stuffed paper into the roof gaps over the roost. The coop was well ventilated until I closed off the drafty roof gaps over the roost.

 

[M&LO]

The project continues. Honestly, all that's left now is a little painting of the trim and the construction of 2 small doors.
The 1/2 roof - 1/2 wire top is now complete. I did that so they'd have some shelter from the rain other than just inside
the coop and also some sunny area. All of the hardware cloth is now up and the inside is painted and the roost installed.
We're getting close to getting some chicks...just keeping the project posted as promised.

 

[happyhensny]

Great coop! Do you have a goose in there?

 

[tcbfan5]

Quote:
Ditto!

The camera loves him!

The coops not bad looking either

I agree!

LOL!!! ~ Way to go!! VERY NICE!!