Building a new coop, suggestions welcome

[enrgizerbunny]

Footer is dug and leveled up. It's not perfect, but it's very close. Grade stakes are going in tomorrow morning to ensure a perfectly level concrete footer. Grade stakes are pieces of rebar that will be driven perfectly level to the height of my concrete so that the concrete is level when it's flush with the stake, regardless of what the ground below it is doing. I will also put in boards to form the grade steps. I had a difference of 24" of grade over 8' distance.


For anyone considering this style construction - a grade laser/transit laser is worth the rental. I have a friend in construction that let me borrow this one, and it makes everything go smooth with one person.

I also got pictures of the inspector checking my work today.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Put in grade stakes and the step forms today. Added a couple bags of dry concrete mix to make sure the grade steps won't flow concrete when I'm pouring on Monday. Like I said previously- a grade laser is worth the rental if you don't have a friend that will loan you his. All these stakes are within an 1/8" of each other and the boards are set on the money. The pieces of rebar stuck in the ground will be flush with the top of my concrete. I'll be securing my first course of block using some old hilti epoxy to avoid having to work with the set time of the surface bonding cement.

How do I apply to write an article about this build? I've yet to see anyone do what I'm doing.

 

[David61]

I'm classically trained old school on footers/ foundations. Drive stakes, pull a string, use a line level and a tape. A very large project i would use a laser to verify my batter board corners but still work off a string for reference setting up.
40 years ago my dad showed me how to use a clear hose and water as a line level while going on about how the Egyptians built the pyramids.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I'm classically trained old school on footers/ foundations. Drive stakes, pull a string, use a line level and a tape. A very large project i would use a laser to verify my batter board corners but still work off a string for reference setting up.
40 years ago my dad showed me how to use a clear hose and water as a line level while going on about how the Egyptians built the pyramids.

To make my life easy and ensure everything was level, I've had the privilege of leaving the tripod out and just removing the laser so that I know I'm using the same reference point every time I've gone to level something. Similar concept to using a string off the same batter board / stake every time. While I'm the first to admit this is overkill for a chicken coop, it'll make a nice (second) shed for a future owner one day.

 

[3KillerBs]

How do I apply to write an article about this build? I've yet to see anyone do what I'm doing.

Click on the Articles tab. You'll find a green button that says "Post Article".

You can start writing up to the point you're at and then save it as a draft so you can keep adding information conveniently.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Opinions on nesting box curtains and dimensions? Previously I had a piece of 1/4" ply that had a hole for both boxes which were really just one big box. It wasn't ideal, but worked for 3 birds. I'm going to have 8-16 birds and I'm thinking about 6 boxes. I don't know if they'll be in the same wall

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Concrete day! After mixing over 1000 lbs of concrete in a couple of plastic bags (works really good actually) I have a footer poured! Did a couple checks with the laser to make sure it was level across as well.

 

[3KillerBs]

Concrete day! After mixing over 1000 lbs of concrete in a couple of plastic bags (works really good actually) I have a footer poured! Did a couple checks with the laser to make sure it was level across as well.

Wow. You're moving forward fast!

It's great to follow a project so well thought through.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Wow. You're moving forward fast!

It's great to follow a project so well thought through.

If it's not square/level it isn't going to work. A foundation can take the largest portion of time and should be as "right" as you can get it. Being able to build off something that is level and square is much easier than working around something to make the building level and square!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Opinions on nesting box curtains and dimensions?

The standard recommendation is a minimum of 12" x 12" with a height of 12" if they are covered. If you buy prefab nests they are typically 12" x 12". It's not that the vast majority of chickens can't or won't use something a bit smaller but that practically any chicken can use this size, even Jersey Giants. I had a problem when a hen hatched in a smaller open-topped nest, 7-1/2" by 11-1/2". A 12x12 would have been OK. If all I had or would ever have were the tiny chickens like D'Uccles or Sebright I'd think differently.

12 x 12 is the minimum normally recommended. It's not that they won't use a larger nest, they will. I made mine 16" cubes for a couple of reasons. The 16" spacing matched my wall stud spacing, making them easy to build in. Also if you cut a 48" or 96" piece of plywood into 16" sections there is no waste. Same is true for 12" sections.

When a hen lays an egg she stands up some. The egg comes out of the same vent that poop comes out of but it takes two different plumbing runs to get there. To keep the egg sanitary a small portion of the egg laying side protrudes when the egg is laid. It's not much, just enough to keep the egg clean. To keep from getting trash such as bedding on that bare section and taken back into her body cavity she raises up a little. Some people envision this as her standing tall and stretching for the sun but it's not like that. The egg is not falling from a great height. I like a fair amount of height on my nests to leave enough room to stack bedding material pretty thick plus to allow hot air to rise so the nest is less likely to turn into an oven in the heat of summer. That takes care if any laying issues relative to height.

Growing up on the farm I've seen hens get into pretty tight spots to lay and hatch. Due to a screw-up I've had hens use an opening into a closed nest that was 6" high. These were hatchery quality dual purpose large fowl and they could basically step into the nest, no jumping or flying involved. My preference is a minimum of 8" height, it just feels more right and gives some flexibility. Mine can fly up and land on the lip without special perches. I make my openings 8" wide. My screw-up was that I did not have enough lip to hold the bedding in. They were scratching the bedding, fake eggs, and real eggs out of the nest so I raised the lip a couple of inches. It worked.

As for curtains, some people use them and some don't. I don't. If you want to you can or try them on a few nests. Create your own opinion.