Building My First Coop

[K0k0shka]

Covered run with a gable roof should be nice . Looking forward to seeing it take shape .

Thanks! It will be partly covered year-round, and I'll cover the rest for the winter only. I want to leave part of it open for the warm season because I have a shrub in the middle of the run, and don't want to cut off its water supply. I also want to get some composting action going on the run floor, and it will need water.

 

[adirondak5]

They all came out this morning , quite quickly too . They also stayed out , after 15 minutes I closed the pop door just in case .

 

[aart]

Why do you want them to stay out?

 

[K0k0shka]

They got it! Do you give them anything fun to find while scratching?

 

[adirondak5]

Why do you want them to stay out?

Just so I can give the coop its daily spruce up , just keeps em out from under my feet while I'm doing that . Door gets opened up after I'm done .

 

[adirondak5]

They got it! Do you give them anything fun to find while scratching?

I didn't give them anything extra this morning when I first let them out but I just gave them some lettuce and they are tearing it up . Yup , I think they got it .

 

[adirondak5]

So far all is going good , the girls are all doing great , going out in the morn and coming back inside about 5 minutes to dark the last few days . I put a cut off branch in the run screwed to the uprights just so they have a place to roost and nap outside , they were suspicious of it at first but got accustomed to it pretty fast .

 

[adirondak5]

Gave the birds a pile of leaves this morning , they are enjoying themselves . Yesterday it rained pretty heavy most of the day , the wind blew like a banshee , the girls went out for about a half hour and then decided to spend the rest of the day in the coop . The way the wind blew and the rain came down it was a pretty good test for the coop , roof , vents , windows . It is water tight , stayed bone dry inside .

 

[K0k0shka]

Good weatherproofing job!

 

[adirondak5]

Good weatherproofing job!

Thanks . Yea , I've seen water blow uphill on some roofs and go under flashing and find its way inside , seen doors and windows leak when rain and wind blows . That usually is a good test , I'm sure you got that same storm that blew through here yesterday . The only thing I was a tiny bit worried about was the coop door in back (people door) , I didn't make up a drip edge for over that door yet but I think the 8" over hang with the fly rafter back there kept any water flowing down that back wall over the door to a bare minimum if any at all .