Between the Bees, Coop Outfitting

[we3ernes]

You guys are moving along pretty fast and it's looking real good, but now that you have chicks it's important to finish fast as they grow like weeds.

I'm falling way behind on my shed conversion... I need to get cracking on my shed .

JT

No kidding! I should (fingers crossed) have the coop done by next weekend. There are several things that can wait (more roost boards, the nest box, food and water system). Weather report looks good and my calendar is fairly open too!

 

[RoosterML]

@we3ernes about the poop board folding up I think you won't like doing that after awhile. Also even when folded up I don't think you'll be able to reach over due to the height of the walls, limiting you to still access via the front door area. Just ideas for you to think about. All I can say is after using that area under poop board i won't be doing it again.
With the 40" depth you can make a scraper to do what ever you need to do to clean it, I have found kids garden tools work great when needed. Trying to help that's all.

 

[we3ernes]

I would also suggest a dutch door for the brooder space, bottom panel with chick door can stay closed...and also that it is going to be tough accessing that space.

The ladder.....kinda steep and ladders might not work well for coming down off board.
A cleated ramp would be better and located somewhere else as it's blocking the nest perches you're going to need. But I may be biased and it'll work out just fine.

Oh, and, don't just paint that foam, cover it with something solid or they'll peck at it.

Got trim boards going in over the foam.

I was debating about the ladder/nest boxes. Since it will be a community nest box they should be able to enter from the ladder (theoretically) so I was thinking it could serve for the nest as well as the roosts. I can move it to corner of the “L” if I need to.

I can do the cleated ramp, just thought a ladder would be easier to keep clean....

 

[we3ernes]

You're coop and home are lovely. I'm like you.....aesthetics are just as important as functionality. Looking forward to seeing the finished coop and house

Thank you @Suzi18 !

 

[aart]

Got trim boards going in over the foam.

I was debating about the ladder/nest boxes. Since it will be a community nest box they should be able to enter from the ladder (theoretically) so I was thinking it could serve for the nest as well as the roosts. I can move it to corner of the “L” if I need to.

I can do the cleated ramp, just thought a ladder would be easier to keep clean....

Awesome...despite all my planning I still had to modify some things once I saw them in use...I have no doubt you are highly capable of observing and adjusting as necessary.

Yes, a ladder would be cleaner but might not be as functional for the birds, especially when descending.

 

[we3ernes]

Finished the brooder/isolation pen. As per your recommendations I made a type of Dutch door.

In the “closed” position.

Chick portal door open.

Large door open.

In people access mode - large door open, brooder lid/poop board is open (held open via latch).

Entire portal section lifts out (very similar to my litter threshold at the coop door).

And can be set aside when I need to completely clear the shavings out.

 

[aart]

Awesome!! Great pics!
One thought, poop board better be darn clean before flipping it up

Portal....or 'tiny door' as I like to call them...I found my slimline hens could fit thru a 4x4" opening, so had to close my horizontal sliding tiny doors down to ~3" to keep her out of the chick area...and had to add a piece of wood to the vertical slider to reduce the 5" opening.

 

[we3ernes]

Awesome!! Great pics!
One thought, poop board better be darn clean before flipping it up

Portal....or 'tiny door' as I like to call them...I found my slimline hens could fit thru a 4x4" opening, so had to close my horizontal sliding tiny doors down to ~3" to keep her out of the chick area...and had to add a piece of wood to the vertical slider to reduce the 5" opening.

I was eyeing that door and was thinking it looked large (it is the 5’x7” that @azygous recommended for chick integration). I had been thinking I ought to add a few pieces of trim at the top and bottom.... At this point I don’t have adult chickens, but might as well get the pieces cut, sanded, and painted now!

 

[we3ernes]

Posted these on the latest poop board thread, but need to include them here as well.

Poop boards with removable roosts. Still need to add a pieces of trim to the front to hold the PDZ on, caulk, and paint.

In the photo below you can see pieces of the brooder hanging on their “cleaning” nails. I will probably store them in the loft between uses.

Here are the poop boards folded/lifted up and in their “spring cleaning” mode.

You can better see the three pieces that make the brooder front hanging here.

I also have a place to hang up the brooder/isolation pen roost. When the pen is being used I’ll keep the roost up so it doesn’t interfere with using the lid.

Finally started adding some shelving and hooks. Probably should have done this before I started work so I could get things out of the way, but my common sense is sometimes underdeveloped.

 

[aart]

I was eyeing that door and was thinking it looked large (it is the 5’x7” that @azygous recommended for chick integration). I had been thinking I ought to add a few pieces of trim at the top and bottom.... At this point I don’t have adult chickens, but might as well get the pieces cut, sanded, and painted now!

Yeah, I followed that for my center door...mistake...but easily fixed with a piece of wood and a couple screws. I don't paint or trim....I do sand all sharp edges tho.