Almost done! Pics!

[mandelyn]

Have the run just about done, attaching welded wire to the roof today. Took a break from that to get more coffee and post these. The building is an 8x10 metal shed kit from Lowes. We cut holes in it for windows, framing them out on both sides. Surprisingly sturdy!

Insulating with foam board, covered in cheap wood panels. Caulked in the corners (not done yet). The kit came with metal rails to screw the plywood flooring to. I'm still debating on if I want to cover the plywood or not. Still debating on paint on the inside walls to brighten it up.

More window cut outs to do yet. We're thinking two on either side of the top front, since we can't with how the door are. Or scrapping the doors it came with and framing out for swing doors that open out, that are open on the top with mesh and solid on the bottom, or one each. There's going to be a "heated corner" that's like a coop within the coop, where I can pop a light on if it drops below 0 or something and not have to heat the whole thing.

But here's where we're at so far....

Inside partially done...

 

[CindyG]

That looks great, except you're going to need ventilation up high I think. I'd like to see close up pics of how you framed out your windows. Nice run.

 

[Zahboo]

That's awesome! Do the doors slide or swing open? If they slide I'd replace them because the shavings will cram up the gliders. I love it!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

That looks very nice. I think in the long run, you'll be happier if you take the time to paint the inside. Once you get those messy birds in there and poop seems to get splattered, you wont get it painted later.

I wish I had. I painted the inside of my goat pen that is the same Noble horse shelter and it makes a HUGE difference.

I think it's a great idea to frame out the front door with the vent at the top too. If you have the slider doors, the tracks are going to get full of poo and shavings and not want to slide.

I look forward to seeing more pics as you finish up. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Tdub4chiks]

How about a separation inside (like 3 or 4 ft), so you can have storage area. That way you wouldn't have to worry about changing out the doors. Just put up half wall inside, with chicken wire on top with a screen door to get into the chicken area. Just an idea.

 

[Doopy]

It looks very nice. I agree with the previous posts that some top vents will keep the interior temperature cooler in the summer and ventilate the entire coop all year round. I wish I could build a cover over my run area. We have several different kinds of hawks everywhere. But my run is WAY too big to think about covering it.

 

[BWKatz]

Looking really nice. I'm thinking about using one of these sheds too. U can put a board across the bottom of the door to keep shavings in and the tracks clean.

 

[mandelyn]

Yeah I've already thought of the track door thing, it either needs new swing doors, or a "guard" of sorts just inside the door to step over. Leaves are already getting in with the doors left open. I have this mental image of not being able to get the doors open because the birds threw shavings into the tracks.

There's lower ventilation already, west to east. Didn't want to do too much on the north side. Front faces south, so there's options there with how we're going to do the doors, and windows above it.

The framing on the windows is pretty basic. 45 the corners, drill through everything, bolts going all the way through. Need to cut off the excess bolt and cover in rubber to dull the edges. The framing is 1x3 left over from decking. Recycled where we could!

Now we're thinking on a run built like that one on the other side. So the total space would be 8x30 with a building in the middle.

I'm going to do a paint inventory in the basement and see what colors I have. Different color on each wall? LOL May as well while the adhesive on the wall dries, can't put birds in it with the vapor.