Building a coop...... What were we thinking?????

[fricknfricassee]

Hey to everyone out there who purchased baby chicks for the first time in their lives this year. I am one of you (we).
After looking over several coop designs here on BYC, we decided to build our own coop (after ordering a variety of 25
baby chicks from Ideal Poultry). This has been a challenging experience in our marriage of 35 years, to say the least.
We have accomplished quite a bit of "handyman work" around our place in the past 26 years and it always seemed
to work out just fine. I don't know if it is because we are older, or what, but this coop building is really getting to us.
Thank the Lord that we are animal lovers or they would be finding new homes by now.
Our coop is coming along and I will definitely post the photos when we get it all finished. It certainly has been a challenge to build and the babies are getting bigger each day. I think we will both need a vacation after this is all
finished. Perhaps just sitting outside the run and watching the chickens will be enough (like a mini vacation).
I forgot to mention that we also picked up 5 Americana mixed babies locally and they are living in a box in my
living room. I take them out each day to a temporary pen and bring them back in at night. The 25 littler ones are
in the shop in a bigger box. Tell me we aren't crazy, please.
I love them all and they give me a smile on my face when I watch them showing off their little personalities.

 

[Adenium]

This is why we gave up before we started and decided to order a coop. The yard takes enough work as it is and we're STILL clearing trees from last October's ice storm.

Think what a sense of accomplishment you'll have when done, though! Just shows what 35 years of working together lets you get done. Assuming you don't kill each other in the process I'm still a little sad we're not building ours as we'll need to modify the one we buy anyway. You get to make everything just the way you want it.

Whose is the pretty coop in your avatar? Yours?

And I think watching the chickens completely counts as a vacation. Just add a couple drinks. Maybe sit under an umbrella.

 

[Momagain1]

we did the same thing...

we were just cheap tho...cause I was NOT paying the $$ ...BUT YES...we sit outside often andwatch the hens...it is relaxing...(and ppl say we are odd lol)...

 

[HEChicken]

Hopefully when all is said and done you will be happy with it. I am currently in the process of building a coop too, although my DH's work schedule (he is out of state half of every month and until November, works 80-hour weeks when in town) means he has no time to help. Mine is 10x14 and those dimensions make it near impossible for one person to do alone. So I have a friend providing help for the things that take two, and I do the parts I can do alone when I am by myself. It is a big job and a lot of work (and I am often hot and tired and just want to rest) but I know I will be happy when it is completed.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I think we will both need a vacation after this is all finished.

Who's gonna do all those chicken chores while you're gone? No, no. You're never, ever going on a vacation again.

 

[takeo808]

I'm a first year chicken keeper too. I was looking at purchasing a coop, but the prices are ridiculous. I didn't want to invest large amounts of money for a hobby that I was just starting...what if it turned out that chickens just weren't for me. Anyway, long story short, I decided that my coop/run (only two chickens) would be a wooden frame, conduit, and hardware cloth contraption with maybe a doghouse in it. I went to the store, bought my lumber, conduit and hardware cloth. I went home built my frame in about twenty minutes. Only problem, I bought too much lumber. Standing there looking at my sad little frame on the ground and the pile of extra lumber, I thought shoot I can to a better job, plus what am I going to do with the rest of this lumber. Two weeks, five more trips to the hardware store, and about $400 more dollars, I have 10'x4'x6' coop and run. I didn't really expect to spend that much money, but once I got started, the ideas kept coming and the price kept rising. All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with my work. I'm glad I built it myself. And I got to spend a lot of time with my dad building it. The kids don't like that I put the chickens out into the coop cause that was their playhouse. And now that my wife has seen my skills, she has already decided that I have to build the kids a real playhouse that looks like the house in the movie Up.

 

[fricknfricassee]

Yes, this is our coop in the building process. Today it is primed and tomorrow I will put the first coat of paint on it. Although it has been stressful for us, it is
coming along and it is rewarding at the end of the day to see the progress. I just think it is taking longer than we had figured to build. We aren't carpenters
by trade and so we encounter problems all along the way. I am sure we couldn't endure building a home from scratch. Anyway, thanks for the kind response
and we will post the photos in their entirety (if I can figure that part out) when it's finished. We are both pretty tired, so I will close and hit the sack for tonight.
I wouldn't recommend doing the "Hip Roof" design for anyone who doesn't have carpentry skills...... also it's a pain to paint! Good night.

 

[Adenium]

Ok, carpenters or not your coop looks great. It reminds me of a couple hip roof designs we admired on the Coops page. Lots of work but oh so pretty. Can't wait to see finished pics and make sure you show us the inside too! No skimping!

 

[LindaJean]

I'm also new to this and older. We were going to build a coop and after building the foundation - I'm so glad we decided to buy - we got a 7x7 Rubbermaid shed and putting it together was somewhat of a challenge, but I'm glad we went that route. Every day is an adventure with out little flock and I'm so glad I decided not to wait another year. I've been wanting to do this since we moved to the country 4 years ago and now they are here. Here's a picture of my set up. We've since added a net over the whole top and a rain shelter.

 

[fricknfricassee]

Who's gonna do all those chicken chores while you're gone? No, no. You're never, ever going on a vacation again.

You are right. We are already "house bound" because of 2 horses and 2 cats, so I suppose vacations are out. At least we live in a beautiful area and enjoy
nature in our own backyard that many folks drive for hours to obtain. We are only 1 hour from the Mendocino coast, so we are able to make day trips.
Anyone know of "chicken sitters" in our area? Thanks.