CHICKEN CASTLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION...

[Kevin Taylor]

I decided after another loooooong Canadian winter to rethink my coop needs. I thought it might be fun to share progress photos and open the thread to ideas moving forward.

I have no plans at all, other than the fact I need a building. It's being purpose built from the ground up for my chickens, and at the present time it's sitting at 12' x 20'.

Truth be told, I also think posting photos and progress will help keep me motivated to keep building. LOL... It's a tonne of work, but I actually enjoy it. No different for me than creating an attractive fish tank to display fish right? HAHA...

My plan is to have plenty of windows (yet to be cut in), one man door into a 'common area' and at least 5 seperate coops areas with seperate runs and enterances. It will have hydro, lights, insulation, and everything else I can apply that I have learned on this site. And yes, there's a floor going in too. I'm still on the fence about how I want to do it though. It'll be in the future pictures I suppose.

If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to share them. I almost have a 12 x 20 building and once that's done, it's time to start prettying it up so to speak. I have used a lot of wood I had laying around, but obviously needed more sooooo off to the lumber store I went. By all accounts, I should have the chickens moved into their new palace for around a grand...Canadian...so 650 US. THAT'S resourceful. Even if I do say so myself. LOL...

 

[chickens r life]

Raise ur coop onto cinderblocks that way animals won't live underneath it.

 

[eggbert420]

 

[drumstick diva]

Gonna take a whole lotta eggs to pay you back. Love to watch people build. It's so relaxing for me.

 

[Kevin Taylor]

Haha... long live the popcorn eating emoji. Thanks for that chuckle.

In response to the elevated coop, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT and I knew it. GOOD CATCH! Thanks!!! You seriously saved me from building it and having to deal with yeeeears of BS and unwanted issues, etc. Thank you Thank you Thank you!

I'm beyond lifting it safely at this point, so I'm going to simply make an elevated floor I guess and integrate a step to get in the door. Thankfully I built it tall. Yeesh. That was close.

Thanks again.

 

[b.hromada]

That looks fantastic! Nice job! Thanks for sharing your pics with us.

 

[ZachyWachy]

Make the nesting boxes stick out of the side so that you just have to lift up the roof(or wherever you make it accessible) to get the eggs. l have a hen that sleeps on top of them, kind of annoying because then there is a big pile up of chicken manure on top that l need to take care of. You may also want a place where you can put young chickens and/or broody mamas(and later their chicks).

 

[Kevin Taylor]

Make the nesting boxes stick out of the side so that you just have to lift up the roof(or wherever you make it accessible) to get the eggs. l have a hen that sleeps on top of them, kind of annoying because then there is a big pile up of chicken manure on top that l need to take care of. You may also want a place where you can put young chickens and/or broody mamas(and later their chicks).

Gold thinking. I'm hatching eggs at the moment so a nursery would be a good idea since babies are ongoing around here. Thanks!!!

 

[ZachyWachy]

Another idea is to have it to where you can feed and water the chickens from outside(use like pvc pipe or something) so that you don't have to go in there and be surrounded by hungry "dinos." Also, try to get the water to be heated during winter, refilling the water every day can be annoying, it might be an interesting project to get all the food containers connected together, and all the water as well, then you just have to put the food, or water, in only one entrance instead of many. Aisles in between the separate coops might be nice too.

 

[Kevin Taylor]

I intend to make the whooooole thing as user and maintenance friendly as I can. Canadian winters are UGLY and I don't want to have to spend a minute longer than I have too out there farting around with food and water. I'm definitely going to rig something up for both to make my life easier. Thanks!!!