Arizona Chickens

[Mikey D]

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I like the idea of using siding to match the house. I need better orientation--in the pics looking broadside at the coop/house, are we looking north, left is west and right is east? How I might proceed would be very much influenced by the coop's orientation.

The area is on the north side of the house, left is east, right is west. We are looking towards the south. I put it there to take advantage of the shade.

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I like the idea of extra floor space and the shade area for the water. I'm leaning towards a half wall from the middle to the top on both ends of the coop proper with the left (east) side for the nexting boxes.
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I'm also of the mind that the run will be as pred proof as the coop. I'm thinking of leaving the right side of the coop open to the run. A solid piece of siding from about 1/2 way up to the top of the coop/run for shade in the afternoon / evening. That's how Meg Moringa-seed had hers. If they're in the coop or run they should be equally as safe. I was wondering this from a chicken psychological standpoint - I didn't know if they liked being "cooped up" at night.
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I don't have poop boards but I think they are a good idea, especially for someone like me that is fairly fastidious about coop cleanliness. I figure that if it's easier to keep clean, you will be more likely to keep it clean. In my urban situation, that is a important goal. I don't know for sure, but I suspect your birds will appreciate a wider roost. Mine do catch some droppings, but I keep a 6" drywall knife in there that I use to scrape it off when I rake the floor. It adds less than a minute to clean up time. Maybe others with more experience will have other ideas. I'm not sure why chickens would drop from the ceiling---well now that I think of it mine have occasionally fallen off the roost when they are fighting over prime roosting areas right at dusk.

Do they have a reflexive "grab and hold on" like other birds when they sleep? I didn't know if wanted a flat surface to rest their bodies on or a rounded "branch" type for a roost.

Are we the post quoting maniacs or what?!?!?

 

[Mikey D]

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Dang! I thought it was a great idea too! Plexiglass is expensive.

I agree - good idea. I've a glasier friend, I don't think it is possible but I'll ask if you can drill holes in tempered glass.

I also agree about the cost of plexiglass. If you call around, some plastic suppliers have a scrap bin & they sell that stuff by weight - way cheeper than retail!

***edit - I called Desert Star Plastics - I10 & I17 - Desert Star Plastics they have a scrap bin but nothing in the 1 - 3 foot range, just small pieces. a 4 x 8 sheet of 1/8" acrylic is around $100 - $3.25 per square foot. ***

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Alright, I'll try this without quoting!

Your coop positioning worked out perfectly! That is excellent for limiting sun exposure. I think it would have been tough if it were south-facing. Everything else sounds great to me. You can always change or add things in the future if you find a need. So, does the entire length of the coop/run have this 1/2 covered siding at the top or just a portion of it? I'm assuming the roof will get some exposure during the day? How much and for how long? Are you going to insulate it?

When I grew up all of our roosts were made of 2"-3" diameter sapling tree trunks, that seemed to work fine--as do my flat boards today. I don't know which is better, hopefully the others with more experience will have something to add.

Ooh, that's actually not too bad a price on the plexi. I could stretch one sheet to do the top 2' around the exposed area.

 

[Mikey D]

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The entire area is 17' long. The first 5' will be coop and the left and right sides will have 1/2 sheet from mid to top. The other 12 feet are Meg's panels. The entire thing will be covered in a sloped roof with as much eves as I can add and still open the man doors. While the area is on the north face of a 2 story house the sun does loop-de-loops and I wind up with a small bit of direct sunlight at the ends. I was considering the 1/2 sheet thing on the far west end to limit sun from that direction as well. I was going to leave the entire front (south end) open for ventalation but do have a concern about the winter. I may have either a face (south) on the coop like yours or a re-movable panel for the summer / winter.


Not sure if I was going to insulate it - leaning towards not. I will shingle it with asphalt shingles to match the house & was considering a rain gutter for S & G purposes.

 

[mclevinson]

Mikey, they like to grip IMO. And my next coop will not have a poop board, as I want DLM compost. I put the apron on the coop to keep the shavings from flying around in the wind but they still got sun in the afternoon, hence my desire to move it to the west wall under the trees. If I get to put it back there I will put something on half of the South side of the coop for shade for run shade.

 

[tightwad]

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A Craigslist ad in Tempe has some plexi pieces.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/art/2613988403.html

 

[Mikey D]

OK - here is 2000 words.

This is taken from the west side - it is afternoon around 5:00

From the East side

The distance from the left side panel to the edge of the house (64") is for the coop. I'm not sure I even need the left side panel & might re purpose it to form the front & or side of the coop. If you can picture a sheet of siding that goes from midpoint of the left panel to the top and a coop similar to the left side of Gallo's - then you're seeing what I'm imagining.

I think I have the door panel up-side-down.

I have to throw a tape over it but I'm thinking the roof will be pitched from just above the conduit you see to overhang the front edge. OK I threw a tape over it - 4' 9" worth of roof to the front edge. If I make it 6" that'll give me 15" + of eaves for shade. Although it will put the eves in head banging range for my path.

 

[tightwad]

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Very cool so far! So, what room looks out directly into the coop? Hopefully, no bird splats.

 

[Mikey D]

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Very cool so far! So, what room looks out directly into the coop? Hopefully, no bird splats.

It's Tammy's office. I'm going to put sheets of fiberglass reinforced plastic (that pebble textured stuff you see in commercial bathrooms) against the house to minimize damage to the siding. Hopefully no splats!

 

[mclevinson]

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If I didn't like you and yours so much I'd totally have coop envy.