Building the Chicken McMansion (Part 3)

[Chieftain]

No sweat PTG...

BTW our chicks have arrived! I drove out to meet my source this evening and brought five healthy RIR chicks home. They hit the brooder and started yakking, eating, drinking and pooping...I think we have five winners! The dog is a bit curious about all that peeping but he'll get used to his chicken herding duties soon enough.

 

[LynneP]

Congratulations! Two weeks from now they'll be flying...so much fun.

Let us know if you run into any situations with them and we'll get them fixed for you.

You've turned the corner now!

 

[pacetruckguy]

Quote:
Chieftain,
Take a picture of your new girls. I want to see them.

 

[Chieftain]

I have some on the camera, and I will post some today. I also made some ventilation mods to the coop that I want to share. It's raining again today so I should have some time...

 

[Chieftain]

Here ya go PTG...

 

[Chieftain]

I added some additional, permanent ventilation to the coop based on suggestions I have had from several sources here.

I have added a brooder light in the coop, and plan on moving the girls out there in several weeks once they have feathered up and outgrow the brooder.

I bought a four inch hole saw and cut four holes all the way through the walls. Two holes are low on the back wall, just above the waterproof floor pan, and the other 2 are in the very top corners in the front of the coop. I used polyurethane based construction adhesive to glue aluminum soffit vent caps into the holes on both sides.

These vents will ensure that there is always fresh air in the coop, even during the short periods when I anticipate all of the windows would be closed, during a very cold spell or during a bad storm. At the same time the holes are very secure and it would take dynamite to get those caps off.

I built a pair of slides next to the coop door, and cut a plywood door to fit it. It slides up out of the way and is secured by a simple pin. The ramp from the run will land on the base in this pic. I'm building the ramp today.

 

[pacetruckguy]

Chieftain,
Nice job on the vent holes. Ventelation is a good thing in chicken coops.

The girls are very cute, they have no idea how lucky they are. My girls have given me 4 eggs a day for the last 3 days. One or two of my Red Sexlinks are laying, and one is laying extra-large eggs. I'm very excited!

 

[Chieftain]

Yah...the extra ventilation need came up quite a while ago, and frankly what has held me back from putting it in is the cost of that darned hole saw. That one tool costs $24 and I've been gritting my teeth over buying one for a while.

Truth is, I'll use it again...

 

[Freeholder]

That's a very nice coop -- thanks for posting all the pictures, as I've gotten some ideas from them! You will have some very happy chickens when they are old enough to move out there!

Kathleen

 

[prairiepearls]

Thanks so much, Chieftan, for posting all these detailed photos and descriptions -- VERY helpful! I'm in the planning stages of my coop -- still too cold and snowy in Kansas to get much outside work done. Mine will start with a 4'x8'x4' high Rubbermaid "horizontal shed." I'm hoping its double-wall construction will help insulate it. I bought treated lumber yesterday to build an 18" high platform to set it on, to make access more comfortable and provide some shelter underneath. Your window construction, ventilation, and nest boxes have given me some ideas about how to proceed with mine. AND it looks super-nice! Thanks again!