Coop Building Materials

[PDXRN]

Welcome Bob from across the river. I just built a similar coop but just used kiln dried standard 2x4's on top of an existing cement pad that was an unused kennel. I used cheap ply wood and clear plastic corragated roofing sheets. My coop is uninsultaed and my little flock of 7 seem no worse for wear. During our last cold spell it got down to 9F here in portland and they were happy as clams. They seemed more miserable when it warmed up a bit and started pooring rain. I added a seedling warming mat between two pieces of ply wood and put a waterer on it so they had unforzen water. I have mostly winter hardy breeds but two a Houdan and a Polish are not and faired well. My Barred rock and EE never stopped laying, and only started in late Oct. So they are very cold hardy animals just as long as they have a draft free place to spend the night.

 

[azygous]

You've gotten some terrific advice so far.

The only thing I could add, that a couple people have touched upon, is size. I started out a year and a half ago with two mature layers I'd obtained from a friend whose wife had just died. I built them a 4'x4' coup and a 6'x8' run.

Within a month, I wanted more chickens, I'd so fallen in love with having them. I got three pullets from someone who had too many. My 4'x4' coop was now at capacity.

The following spring, my chicken fever having ballooned, I searched for some baby chicks to raise. That meant enlarging the coop and run. I found that adding on to a coop is far more of a headache than it would have been to have built a larger coop to begin with. It didn't help any that there was a huge pine right where the new wing was to come out from the original coop. That entailed moving the coop out from the tree, and having to dismantle the run in order to do it.

So my advice is to build a coop three times larger than what you're planning. Or four times. Trust me. Five hens won't be enough when you find out how wonderful and entertaining and lovable they are. I have ten now, including a rooster, and there's a new chapter of hilarious antics being written each day. And the baby chicks are now pullets and I'm getting six to nine eggs a day from my all my girls.

Oh, I mentioned a rooster. He has his own partitioned off section of the coop so he won't annoy the girls when they are laying and roosting. That's another reason to build a larger coop than you think you may need - you never know when you may need to segregate one of your flock from the others. Also, if you add new ones to your flock of five, you'll have more room to partition them off until they are big enough to resist the inevitable bullying.

You're in for a huge wonderful adventure!

 

[PandoraTaylor]

from Alaska

 

[Chieftain]

I've reworked my plans based on what I learned here, and here's what I came up with....

Overall run footprint will be 10' x 5' (fifty square feet total, including run area underneath the coop), and the enclosed space for the coop itself will be 5' x 4' for a total of 20 sq. ft. inside. You've seen the link to the house I am using as an example, so you see where I am going. I plan on building and installing outside access nest boxes from the start.

Thanks for the advice on pressure treated wood. I just wanted to be certain that there is no risk to the birds, and I feel much more confident about it now.

I do plan on running electricity to the coop. My workshop is close by and I've already scouted out where to bury the cable.

I'm also planning on burying an apron of hardware cloth all the way around the perimeter. We have a surprizing number of urban critters here. My neighbor and I have relocated at least a dozen possoms, and I spotted a very healthy (and well fed) adult coyote here in the neighborhood just before Thanksgiving. All the more reason to set the posts firmly into concrete.

I was out digging the "foundation" for a while today. Since we are going to use part of our flowerbed for the coop, there is no sense in wasting the good topsoil, so I dug most of it out while I leveled the site. Eventually I plan to fill the inside with a layer of gravel covered with a layer of sand. Since the entire run will be covered it should stay nice and dry.

The other question I had on this topic is "Deep Litter". How much heat does the deep litter generate?? I know when I use chicken manure in the compost pile it gets hot very quickly and the pile steams all winter long. I can't help but wonder if a mass of deep litter inside the coop, under the roost, would not help keep the coop warm??

Again, thanks to all who jumped in ehre with ideas. it's sites like this one that have endeared us all to the internet, and it sure beats reinventing the wheel...

Cheers!!

Bob

 

[CityChook]

I use deep litter and have not found any heat reserves from it. Maybe because the ratio is off (there is too much carbon with the shavings vs. the nitrogen from the poo for a proper mix)? The deep litter, however, is quite good at insulating the floor. In the winter, I keep about 9 inches on the floor and turn it once a week or so. I change out the litter in the Spring (May) and the Fall (October) and have no smell or moisture problems.

That poo/shavings mix doesn't go to waste, though. I use it to mulch my flower gardens. Looks great and the poo (after it's been cooled for a few months) feeds the roses. Win win.

Oh, and about the city predators.... once you add chickens you're going to be amazed at how many critters will pop out of the woodwork. Nice to hear that you are planning for them NOW. You can never be too careful.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have not noticed any heat generated by deep litter. As Citychook said, the nitrogen-carbon ratio is out of balance plus I don't have the moisture needed to cook the compost. When it is time to change it out, I'll haul it to the compost heap and add nitrogen and water to get it to cook.

 

[al6517]

 

[Intheswamp]

Rank newbie here so take this with a grain of salt...just some things I've picked up on.

Build as big as you can.

If you use the exterior/"bump-out" nestboxes do not install them under the drip-line of the roof (unless you have a *really* large overhang). It would be better to put them to one side so that they're not exposed to the water run-off and so that you don't have to stand in a shower when you check for eggs.

With the number of chickens you mention I think I would build one large "communal" nestbox rather than a couple of individual ones.

Build as big as you can.

Interior nestboxes are better for conserving heat. You could build them under the roost as long as you incorporate a dropping-board to help lessen the manure load on the litter.

Build adequate overhangs on each side of the coop (I hear WA is wet...anything to that?

). As mentioned above and if accessing the nestboxes from outside build extra overhang to shelter you from rain.

Build the coop TALL ENOUGH so that as you round the corner or suddenly stand up under the overhang you won't begin looking like you're a prize fighter that lost his last fight. Ain't nothing like sutures hanging out your eyebrow to start a conversation at work on Monday morning.

Did I mention that you should build as big as you can?

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

One other little thing which is probably a "given"...pick up a vinyl/linoleum remnant and cover the floor of the coop with it for easier cleanup and floor protection.

Ed

 

[Chieftain]

Hi Ed, and thanks for the advice! I like the linoleum idea and Home Despot has plenty to choose from. I'm already planning on substantial overhangs on each end of the roof, which only adds to the efficiency of the rainwater collection system I'm also putting in. I'll be using opaque corrugated fiberglass for roofing.

The weather here today was bright and clear, so i got out and finished setting the posts for the new coop. I went with PT 4x4's and set them in concrete. Everything turned out plumb and square and it's anchored well enough that no critter is going to dig under it. The plan is to frame the ground level in with PT 4x4's and then fill the interior with a couple inches of gravel and then a couple of inches of coarse sand over that. It will drain extremely well and dessicate any droppings pretty effectively. Some DE in the sand will keep things pest free.

Here's a pic as it stands right now. The posts have not been trimmed yet, and yes Ed, I will make it plenty tall. I did 20 years in the US Navy, and I learned early about the perils of being 6'4" in a 5'8" world...

Framing and roofing next then coop construction. This will have 50 sq. ft. of enclosed run, and 20 sq. ft. of insulated coop for a flock of five. We also have a secure yard that the hens will be able to range around in securely, and I'm looking forward to a bug-free garden next summer....

Speaking of flocks, I have already secured 5 Rhode Island Reds here locally, so we are committed....

Happy New Year!!