Chicken Coop for the wife

[mrchicks]

It's beautiful, you did a great job!

 

[suttonhollerchk]

What kinda siding is on coop walls?? Looks like sawmill lumber?? What stai

 

[Bullcreek417]

The siding is called 8" channel rustic siding. It is a white pine lap style siding that has a rough saw finish on the face to make it look more rustic. It is the same siding we have on our house and the wife wanted the coup to match the house. I buy it locally here at a supplier that specializes in wood siding. It costs 95 cents a foot for the siding and I used 126'. I also used the 1" x 4" rough finish pine trim they sell for 60 cents a foot. I ripped it on the table saw for the window trim and left it 4" for the corners. The total bill for the siding was around $175 and the exterior 4x8 plywood siding was about the same price at Lowes.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I feel like I am on the home stretch now. The girls helped this weekend with staining while I was putting on the siding and building the nest box. We had beautiful weather this weekend but it looks like old man winter is returning tomorrow.

The only regret I have about what I did this weekend is on the chicken door. I wish I would have raised it up 4" above the coop floor so the litter would stay in.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks lovely! You can just screw a board down across the opening of the pop door to keep the litter in. It will work fine. They can squeeze through very small openings.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I'd give it 8".

x2 they will squeeze through fine

You might try 10 inches, or just lay one down with bricks on either side to hold it straight to test the height - then screw it in when you decide how high to make it.

 

[Trefoil]

Foxes are extremely crafty- my first flock had 8, a fox took out 7 of them in midday while I was in the yard, on a tractor cutting the grass, I was only yards away..do not underestimate them.........

The most common problem suburban folks have is thinking they can kill their way out of predator problems. Housing to suit your predator situation makes for a much easier life both for you and your chickens. Once the predators in your area realize that they can't access your birds,they don't waste as much time trying. Especially during winters like this one I set scraps out for the coons & fox, in the long run they are easier to keep out than the mice and rats they keep a check on. And I enjoy seeing them around even if they do jump on every housing mistake I make.

I feel like I am on the home stretch now. The girls helped this weekend with staining while I was putting on the siding and building the nest box. We had beautiful weather this weekend but it looks like old man winter is returning tomorrow.

The only regret I have about what I did this weekend is on the chicken door. I wish I would have raised it up 4" above the coop floor so the litter would stay in.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great coop and the suggestions about the litter board are right on. Wishing you great success with your chickens... and homing pigeons.

 

[suttonhollerchk]

I got plywood all the way around my coop untreated. I wish I'd put it on inside and metal around outside. Now that I've got it in idk whether painting it will hold up to the weather or not. I'm to the point where ive spent to much but want it to look good since I've went this far. What's your thoughts on covering plywood metal is $1.80 foot its 36in wide. Coop is 14x12 5high to 8ft high.

 

[suttonhollerchk]

This is pic bull reek really only two sides are exposed to weather but need something to cover plywood.

 

[Bullcreek417]

They metal would work fine for covering the plywood. They make a special screw for the metal that has a rubber washer on it just for the metal.

 

[Bullcreek417]

Sutton that looks like a nice big coop.