Bummed out.

[Qi Chicken]

We are planning to break ground on our coop on monday and I should be over the moon! ............But the guy building it said today that making a staggered design (like the one that won the recent coop contest based on the 2 in 1 shed) was not in our budget and we have to make a regular rectangle. One week ago I had never seen that design and was perfectly happy with the one we had, but now that I've seen it................I WANT IT!!! I feel like such a smutz for being disappointed but I want it perfect for my chickens! Well, let's be honest here, I don't think the chickens are going to give a darn. But I do! Any ideas on how to make it look like the chicken coop is a separate from the storage shed part when it's all one building? I can't figure out how to use the smilies but if I could I'd put one here!

 

[imtc]

you have a photo or link of the one you're talking about? I'm not picturing what you mean.

 

[loralei]

Ahhh! The dreaded coop-envy! I'm right there with ya sister! Our's isn't even finished and I'm threatening to burn it down (without the chickens in it, of course)!

I'm sure your girls will think your coop is perfectly lovely! You can always add decorative details as the budget allows.

 

[Darlasmum]

Coop envy is a very dilabating disease. Its syptoms include becoming green with envy, a depleation of the bank account, and feelings of ineptness. The cure for you is to start saving up and maybe get another quote. Good luck from someone whos been there.

 

[Qi Chicken]

I think this is the link------------
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=30900


See how one half is set back 1 foot. Somehow to me it just changes the whole thing. I thought of building a little porch off the front of the chicken side but to me the big thing is the roof line. I love the double roof line!

Okay, now I'm being silly. I know it but can't help it!

 

[PunkinPeep]

Well, i was going to suggest some kind of painted effect to make it look set off. But then you said it was the roof line than did it for you, and i don't know what to do for you there.

What exactly was it that the contractor feels is going to cost SO MUCH more about changing the measurements of part of your rectangle? If it's the roof, i guess i'll let it go 'cause i don't know anything about roofs. But if it's the walls......i think he's full of bunk and doesn't want to do something different....or wants more money out of you.

In materials, the cost should be pretty much exactly the same.

 

[ChanceRider]

Oh, I can see why you like that coop! I'd be thrilled with it too. My chickens have to "make do" with a converted 4' x 8' shed that was used by the previous owners to store their trash cans. How embarrassing is that for my poor girls?

Can you just build the main part, not offset, for now and then later on add the offset portion? I'm planning my next coop now, much larger and nicer than what I have, and will design it so it can be built in stages without having that added onto look.

Good luck with the coop... I hope you'll keep us updated with pics as it's built!

 

[NC Micro Farmer]

Your carpenter does not seem to be very talented. That is a vey easy detail to build. My guess is that you will not be satisfied with the final product if the carpenter cannot figure out how to do that with only a nominal increase. In Fact, it will cost a little less in materials since one segement is smaller than the other. The only issue is a small amount of complexity in the construction.

You should get another quote from another carpenter and see what the cost is. Don't necessarily select based on lowest cost. You will get what you pay for.

 

[Qi Chicken]

HI Guys,

Thanks for the replies. We live in a really rural part of Iowa and we have had a heck of a time getting people to do work, do it well, and charge us what they said. We actually had a guy that we paid 800$ to do various jobs, one job was to fix a door. We got the bill but the door wouldn't close. I called him about it and he said it didn't close when he got there and if we wanted it to close we should have said something!!!!!!!!!!! ACKKKK. THAT IS THE FUNCTION OF A DOOR!

Anyway, the chicken house guy built a deck for us this summer and did an outstanding job. He ran into some unexpected issues (like a well and septic tank under the old concrete) and didn't run up the price and the final thing was very well built. So it's kind of complicated, we've already given him the job essentially. The new design is actually a little smaller than what we had originally said but he said the concrete lip sticking out would leak. Essentially he wants to get 30-35$ per square foot and there are a lot of extras like nesting boxes that he doesn't usually have to do. I hate being a problem customer but I also hate not getting what I want! I have a tendancy to obsess about details that in the end won't really matter, I just don't know if this is something that is going to really bum me out for the life of the chicken house or not!

I'll run the risk of it leaking. If there is a builder out there that can give me an idea of how much more it actually costs to do a staggered roof line I would appreciate it. I now feel like we're trying to cheat this guy by adding all these extras and I don't want to do that!

To Microfarmer, He is actually extending the smaller part so it is 12 x 12 not 12 x 11.

Too long, Sorry!

 

[gsim]

I understand the desire to have a broken roof line. It looks much better and not so plain. It could leak where the slab is exposed. A good caulk like Sonneborne NP-1 would seal it permanently, but water will stand there anyway, so PT lumber sill is mandatory. Coat the sill with gear oil a couple of days before it is to be nailed down to the cement. It will last longer and the smell will go away. Whole thing looks really good to me. I just finished 8 x 16 for 24 pullets with a 2000 sq ft run. Ended up $1700 in the hole for it.

If I was you, I would add 24" tall roll of chicken wire to pen. Keeps chooks from sticking their heads out to be decapitated by coons. I would put a fence charger around pen too unless you have dogs that stay out all night. (Coons can tear chicken wire apart, and it looked to me as if you put that overhead in pen.)