Cinder Block Coop

[HappyHatch'en]

Using block is a good idea, great for washing down the interior of the coop....no frost line here in GA...but block around here are $1.65 each...+ morter....perhaps you can get free ones at building sites that the builder will be happy to give up...ask first however....five finger discount might get you shot. I'm using used rusty metal chicken hse roofing for roofing and 2' interior walls...outside is 1 x 8 vertically.
Happy Hatch'en

 

[Western Chick]

Do you mean like this:

ETA- I realize this isn't the best picture of it but it's the structure on the right, you get the idea.

If you're building new I would think that wood would be cheaper and easier, unless you have a bunch of blocks sitting around.

This is actually the original milkhouse on our dairy barn. It has to be close to 100 years old. It has survived some of the most brutal temperature extremes on Earth- up to 100 in the summer and down to -60 in the winter.

It has a concrete floor that is now quite broken but I can still hose it down when I clean it out. It stays pretty cool in the summer but is not insulated for winter- my chickens get frostbit combs. I do close up the windows with polycarbonate greenhouse panels in the winter

My biggest complaint is that any time you need to hang something on the wall- nest boxes, feeders, etc- you need to drill into masonry, place anchors and the whole bit.

 

[patandchickens]

I don't know where you're located, but if it freezes at all in the winter, I'd really recommend not fooling with cinderblock. Reason being, you would have to build/pour a good solid footing, wider than the cinderblocks and deeper than your maximum frost depth. This is MUCH more work and expense than you wanna get involved in, trust me.

Even in a frostfree climate, you need to have a very well tamped base for the block wall, evn if it is just 2' high, because otherwise the ground can erode/settle unevenly under it.

Frost heaving, or uneven erosion/settling, will cause your wall to get all wonky and even if it doesn't collapse it will no longer mate properly with the rest of the building and critters will be able to get in.

I don't really see any advantage of cinderblock knee walls unless you are on a deep foundation or poured slab, anyhow -- predators can easily dig underneath.

Good luck, have fun, be real careful with any attempts at building walls,

Pat

 

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

ok

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have my barn built on a cinder block foundation.
Here is the inside of one of the coops. You can see the blocks and how we went with wood for the walls.
The front where I am standing is open with just hardware cloth as the front. We are somewhat warm here. It only got down to 20 last night.

 

[chicken_angler]

Quote:
Umm tyler, that would make it so theres 10' by 5 feet for every coop. Do you know that? how many chickens are gonna be in each coop and why do you need 10 coops?

Cody!!

 

[BlueLagoonRabbitry]

I know

 

[chicken_angler]

are you gonna free range the hens outside of the coops?

Cody!!

 

[rooster0209]

Western Chick, you have a coop like mine

This is the old hog house built in 1941

The floor is concrete. support poles are through-out the inside & wooden panels slide between the poles to create seperate the hog pens.

 

[Buster]

Quote:
I'm jealous!