Chick's are a week old, started coop today - pics

[cockadoodle]

My 4 pullets are currently doing great in my brooder (pics on my byc page). I've been stockpiling materials for my coop for about a month now and started on it today. My coop is going to be roughly based on this design.

http://poultry.purinamills.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/web_content/ecmd0007989.pdf
actually, I came up with my own design, but that's pretty close. The basic footprint is 4'X5' which should be ample room for my 4 hens. I took the advise here and made it bigger than needed, although living in an urban area, I really can't legally have many more and want to keep my neighbors as happy with us as they've always been.

Thought I would share my progress, I have a materials list that probably differs from the above plan and am putting my modifications into autocad in case I ever decide to make this again. Added benefit keeping my design skills current.

I'm using dek-blocks (home depot) for the footings:

and 4 of these 4x4 post_to_2x4 widgets ( I really hate toe-nailing boards together)
You'll notice a half-block cinder block (painted brown) towards the top right of the pic... don't use those, you pour concrete into them to make your posts sit tight, and they crack (lesson learned)

and right as dinner was hitting the table, made it just past this pic where everything was screwed together):

The hardest part was getting the dek-blocks level as the ground here has a moderate slope in 2 directions, took a few hours to get everything plumb and square.

Tomorrow I'm putting in a single floor joist or 2, nailing in the floor and putting in the sill plate so I can start framing. I hope to be finished in a few weeks to a month. Will probably have to move my chick's into a larger brooder before I'm done, but I have an extra dog kennel (visible in the first pic) that can probably get me an extra couple weeks of build time.

Regards,
Mark

 

[Zahboo]

It looks good so far. Keep us posted! Your dog looks like a famous camera holic lol. It's very cute. I couldn't see the plans, but I'm sure they are good. Don't forget the nesting box! Is your's going to be exterior acces or interior? Also, Is there a particulat reason it's raised? This reminds me of so many good coop starts

 

[Indiana hens]

Sometimes it is nice just to dive in. Planning makes you worry! Looks like it will be a success!

 

[cockadoodle]

Thanks

I haven't figured out the best place for the nest boxes yet, but they are definitely going in

They'll be hanging off whichever side makes the most sense once I get a better feel for the "floor plan". Trying to make egg collection easy but will make sure their boxes are in the 'quietest' spot in the coop.

I elevated it for a couple of reasons, mostly what I've heard here regarding the positives about that approach. The main one I was thinking is that I'm hoping to have part of my run under the coop so I can provide them with shelter from snow in the winter and some shade in the summer, the run is going to include that space underneith and then extend out into the side yard a bit, keeping the overall footprint a bit smaller. The shortest post there is still 18 inches up, and about 25 inches on the 'tall side', so they should have good head room under there. Was also thinking I might have fewer rodent issues in the coop that way, but not really sure as I've seen mice climbing phone poles before, but maybe it will help a little... and with the ground sloping like it does there, pouring a slab was going to be really expensive and or just really time consuming, but I did want a floor of some kind that I can cover with linoleum or something (pine bedding on top of that, might do deep litter) Wood floor and ground contact sounded bad, so figured I might as well go verticle a bit. It will have a shed roof, and a few windows (tons of adjustable vents at the top. I'm hoping my trips to home depot will start decreasing now, am scrounging craigs list daily for windows, paint, a few more 2x4's. etc, but I kind of screwed up and saw the chickens I couldn't resist

My dog thinks I'm building him a new house, so I'll have some explaining to do pretty soon.

~Mark

(edited for typos

)

 

[redoak]

Nice job so far. I noticed in the plans they use dowels for roosts, I'd use 2x4's with the wide side up for roosts.

 

[cockadoodle]

Good point redoak, I'm not a big fan of buying specialty lumber for roosts anyways, so that's definitely going out of plan as well. Every time it get's windy here I end up with a yard full of large branches, so I might try to make it a bit more natural inside and put some of those to use if I can find the right size, maybe use a 2x4 for a poop board if I can align it correctly under the roost, if that's wide enough you think?

~ Mark <- has 0 experience with things like poop boards

 

[Dr.Doorlock]

Whoa there! You might want to consider the one thing that makes my life easier and the girls life cleaner. I made the bottom of 1/2 sq. welded wire with a slide-out solid bottom. It's GREAT when I clean the coop because I can slide the bottom out and wash it off after I've removed the waste or replace it with a sheet of masonite. Another idea I'm enjoying are the removable nest boxes with the hinged top. I can raid the eggs from outside and take the nest boxes out by removing two screws. If you like the ideas, now is the time to work them in so you will have the right space at the bottom and between the studs.

See it at my BYC page:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=17397

and at my personal page linked below.

 

[cockadoodle]

Raiding the eggs from outside has always been a requirement, but how you did them is probabably the best way I've seen yet. I was originally just going to use the ones in that plan from purina, the typical dual boxes hung off the side, and build those in, but yours are definitely a step up from that. I like it a lot! and I probably only need 1 for 4 hens, but will make sure the studs are spaced for 2.

The slide out floor sounds cool too, I've seen some videos of those. I have to get this puppy built, and quick!

So many choices.

Keep the ideas coming, I really can't thank you guys enough.

~Mark

 

[Dr.Doorlock]

Quote:
If you are in it for the eggs and have production hens like my RIRs, you might want to have a nest box for each hen. I have 8 hens and six boxes, but I plan to make two boxes inside the coop.

Did you also notice the feeder and waterer? I had to go through a LOT of trials to get the waterer to dispense when needed without flooding their floor, but the feeder worked very well from day one. As I mentioned, they waste as much as half their food if you use standard feeders. This is the best idea I got from another member. He simply made one to set inside the coop.

Whatever you do, remember how fast they grow. I had to move my hens into the coop before it was finished and I had to put the blinders on them because they were pecking each other. They ran out of suitable space very quickly.

 

[Beauregard]

Quote:
Whats planning?

Just build it it will turn out ok, you can always go back and add on or redo later if you need to... or at least thats what works for me.