Building 4x4 Barn style coop with 4x8 run

[tbatz11]

We started on the expansion this weekend.... and we lost a silkie chick

I had gotten two silkies, a grey and a white. They came from a local couple who has a little farm.
A few days after we brought them home the grey one got constipated and couln't poop. She barely drank, could barely walk, and wouldn't sit down at all. We thought we were going to lose her. I gave her honey, apple sauce, then milk of magnesia. After the latter she started pooping again. She's lost weight and looks like a week old chick even though she's over 2 weeks old. But so far she had fought through and seems ok.
This is Thunder Cloud

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Then on Saturday the white silkie got very lethargic, we have no idea why. The woman I got them from said to keep pushing water, that they can get dehydrated very quickly. I was holding her in my hands and dipping her beak in the water when she died right there. Her/his name was Cotton Ball.

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Yesterday I went and got 2 more silkies, a white and a grey. Cotton Ball #2 and Storm Cloud.

I didn't take too many pictures while were were working because I didn't have pockets for my phone. But here is what we got done...

That's my 2 year olds head, he was stuck like glue to me while I was out back.​

I think I will take off the main barn door and put something in there that slides and doesn't take up much space. So if I need to separate the chicks then I have that option. Not sure what to put in place of it yet, i'm thinking some kind of screen.​

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Its 44.5" wide and 48" deep. The floor sits on a frame of 2x4's. I framed the inside to allow for insulation if we decide to do that eventually.
Then the 3 walls were all covered with siding and Mike climbed inside to cut out the door.

Now if only we could keep the dogs from peeing on it

 

[rides2far]

Looks great! We had the same problem with our 2 male dogs peeing on everything new! That's why I like girl dogs. LOL

 

[aart]

You GO girl!!!
Sorry about the deaths.
Leg lifters cannot be 'rehabilitated'...no more boy dogs for me.

 

[tbatz11]

all 3 of our dogs are boys =(
one of the cats is a boy, both of my kids are boys.... I'm hoping the hens will even us out!

Didn't get any coop work done today. But I did go out and buy some metal roofing, a ridge cap, and red and white paint.
That was a looong trip! The lady at the paint counter got the paint wrong 3 times, and spilled the 4th quart allover the floor and herself.
The guy at the counter where i had to get the roofing couldn't find the ridge cap that they have in stock on his computer. It took THREE guys to figure it out!
Then I was dumb enough not to tie the ridge cap and roofing panel so the cap got bent when I hit a pot hole and scratched the panel all down its length, about in the middle.
We only need 4 feet of the 10ft ridge cap so we can cut off the bent part, but we need the whole roof panel! I'm hoping to find some green spray paint that can match the green of the roof.

 

[ChickzNSilkiez]

That's our coop. The box is 4x4x4, the nest boxs started 24" up and slanted down 9" to a 15" cut. If you only want four chickens, I think itd be fine to only have one side of nesting boxes. I have a door the opens half way up in the back part for easy cleaning. And it's completely framed, no insolation, but sturdy. If you made one similar with all the siding and shingles and such, three men lifted carried the co-op to be put on the stilts. I'd also recommend using a sled to move it around. That coop with six nest boxs, two roost bars at various heights, cost me under 200.

Very nice!

That's our coop. The box is 4x4x4, the nest boxs started 24" up and slanted down 9" to a 15" cut. If you only want four chickens, I think itd be fine to only have one side of nesting boxes. I have a door the opens half way up in the back part for easy cleaning. And it's completely framed, no insolation, but sturdy. If you made one similar with all the siding and shingles and such, three men lifted carried the co-op to be put on the stilts. I'd also recommend using a sled to move it around. That coop with six nest boxs, two roost bars at various heights, cost me under 200.

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