Anyone from Colorado?

[mylilchix]

I would love to hear how you designed your coops. We're in the process of building ours and I'd love to get some advice as to how you built yours!!

Thanks, Sonja

 

[LoneCowboy]

I'm in Longmont. I actually build and sell coops so feel free to ask any questions. You can see the ones I build on Craigslist in boulder, denver or fort collins listings. But I'm not snooty about the how to's I'm happy to help people out.

 

[corancher]

Sonja

You will find that there are several people from Colorado on the forum.

I was lucky that our ranch already had a barns, and loafing shed that could be converted for poultry use. We always try to use what we have so it not always real pretty but it works.

 

[flock-mama]

I am in southwest colorado,Our coop is an old camping trailer. lol. All the windows were busted out so we put up chicken wire. We also fenced the whole trailer and made them a yard the length of the trailer, the trailer has 2 doors so we split the inside and outside with gates, its used as the nursery when there is babies. The hens & roosters, roost in milk crates I stacked and tied together over where kitchen sink is. The nesting boxes are the closet and cupboards all through the rest of trailer. On the fenced yard we put more fence to make a top so they couldn't fly out and NOTHING els could get in through the top. It works out great. Good luck with yours.

 

[mylilchix]

We were planning on insulating the walls and putting venting along the north and south walls. Will that be enough for the CO winters? I'm also wondering what you used for fencing the top of the run. I was planning on using welded wire with a chicken wire surround for the walls, and then doing chicken wire for the top. Any suggestions? We have a lot of predators. We're also planning on getting llama down the road to protect the chickens.

Thank you for the advice. It helps to talk to people who know your area and climate!!

Sonja

 

[chickadeedoodah]

Hi Sonja,
I live near Morrison/Littleton and am new to chickens. We have 5 in our backyard in the suburbs. My husband recently finished our coop and run. We used the 1/2 inch 19 gauge hardware cloth on the sides and top of the run and in the coop window. We did not bury the hardware cloth because the land we built the coop/run on has larger landscaping rock. I cleared their run of the rock ( what a job!) so the chickens wouldn't have to walk on it and then we ran the hardware cloth out about 10 inches at the bottom the run also sits a bit lower in the ground, and I stacked large rocks and bricks all around the perimeter. Kind of hard to explain- sorry! The chickens have been out there for at least a month. Our neighbors tell us they have racoons on their roof alot. But, so far so good!

We insulated the entire coop with the white styrofoam board. My husband is not a "builder" but he did good job all things considered. Now if he would just install the big perches...
Good Luck with your coop.
Carol

 

[mylilchix]

Hi Carol,
Where did you get the stryofoam board? I'm debating what type of insulation to use. We're up in Conifer, so in addition to raccoons we have fox, bear, and mountain lion. I'd love to see some pics of your coop if your able. Did you take the City Chicken class at Chatfield? My son and I did it and it was a huge help!!

Sonja

 

[thepone]

Hi Sonja - I'm in SW Colorado. We tacked our coop onto the south side of an existing shed, gave it two double-paned sliding windows, one on the east and one on the west for ventilation and on the south side used a 3'x5' picture window to take advantage of the winter sun (no sun comes in in the summer). We insulated the walls but not the floor or ceiling and we're finding it's not retaining the day's heat very well (during those cold times when I wish it would). Before next winter we may finish the insulation job. We used scrap house insulation and the hard insulation board which we had some scraps of laying around. We ran an extension cord out to the coop during the cold nights this spring (below 40) to run a heat lamp while the chicks were still forming their feathers but next winter they'll be full grown and I only foresee using it in really cold weather.

There are pictures of the coop construction at http://ranchogardiner.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html
Since these pictures we've added a large run with a 6' high welded wire fence with chicken wire aproned 3' up and 3' out from the bottom to prevent critters digging. So far so good (we have foxes, racoons, coyotes, etc. in the neighborhood).

It currently houses 12 chickens: 8 Golden Comets and 4 Araucanas.

Good luck!

 

[MrGreenJeans]

Hello from Colorado Springs !
I too am in the process of converting my tool shed, which was once a chicken coop, back into a chicken coop (well, part of it anyway). I need to get updated pictures up, but I'll probably wait until I get the walls in place. I should be further along, but some things that look good on paper make you bonk your head on roof rafters once you put them in place. Modifications were made

My original idea was posted here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=62762

It started looking something like this:

I think it's been modified a bit further - I kept getting irritated because things weren't square and some of the angles don't quite work out. Then it dawned on me - the chickens could care less - I picked up the hammer and made a lot of progress. I've got some leftover R-13 bats that I will pack the walls and ceiling with before covering with plywood. I may end up having to provide some heat in the wintertime just based upon insulation guidelines (http://www.askthebuilder.com/B165_R_Value_Guidelines.shtml ) but I had the material, so I chose 4" studs. If I remember correctly, home depot carries like R13, R19, R30, but you have to use a deeper stud for the latter two.

I'm trying to cobble together what I'm calling a "Billy Bob" window - a couple of pieces of plexiglass sandwiched between wood lats held together with glue, machine screws, caulk and a prayer. We'll see how that goes, but cost is ~$23 a 2'x3' window.

I picked up 3 4'x10' half inch rolls of hardware cloth too - they were on sale at one of the Home Depots so I got to save a few bucks. I still plan on burying a foot, running 3' up the post, then covering the top 4' (2' in the back - sloped roof) with weld wire. I'll roof with weld wire too, and may actually bury a floor of it - I'm really concerned about the neighborhood fox.

It's coming along slowly but surely - I hope to get it mostly knocked out this weekend. Good luck with yours !

 

[coloradochick]

Hey all, we're coming out of the woodwork. This is great!!!! We definitely need to get a SWAP or a Meet Up or something scheduled.

Cara