Coop Design Problems

[kmatt87]

If it is, it is not a horrible coop and it depends on how it is used. If you put it out in the middle of a field in Nebraska all winter I dont think it will make it but if you put more wood preservative on it, add some screws for reinforcement and redo the roof maybe it will be fine. It looks just like the one on the website. I am more of a hands on guy and probably would build one now but that one was $75 with a feeder and we got it 3 months before we even got chicks because it was a pretty good coop,cheap and how we were going to use it, it didnt need to be bullet proof. Did you already order it?

its ordered, paid for and on its way here. My hubby is a hands on guy too, but thats part of the problem! lol, he's an independant contractor, chiropractor and accupuncturist. He's rarely ever home.
We're in CO so i'm sure we are going to have to reinforce things just due to the heavy wind. I was already planning on doing another coat of water proofing on it as well

 

[Hawgon]

I'm building a 8X4ish coop for my girls. I got 11 chicks this week. (due to chicken math! wanted 4-6, same price, after "small order fee" to order 10, got 11). The coop will be a walk-in so 5-6 or 7 feet tall so I can do multi-level perches. They will have access to an old dog run (I think it is like 9X12, it could be smaller) all day and will free-range when we are home.

I am not worried about over crowding. I know my interior space is less than the "recommended" when you look at just floor space. But, with it being multi-level it is actually bigger.

You will be fine. The dont need a track and workout area in the coop for em...lol Mine go in and within 2 or 3 minutes they are all asleep. Lots of poop though so make it easy to clean or your poop board easily accessible, it makes cleaning quicker and easier. I clean my poop board twice a week and my run once a week and there is absoulutely no odor from my coop or run. Your set-up sounds great and I think 4 sq.ft/bird is maybe for a live in the coop type of situation. Good Luck.....

 

[Hawgon]

its ordered, paid for and on its way here. My hubby is a hands on guy too, but thats part of the problem! lol, he's an independant contractor, chiropractor and accupuncturist. He's rarely ever home.
We're in CO so i'm sure we are going to have to reinforce things just due to the heavy wind. I was already planning on doing another coat of water proofing on it as well

You should be fine....I would add maybe 2 coats of waterproofing if it is in the rain or snow and it comes with really short legs so get it up in the air and that helps also.. I would add some screws to the inside corners of the coop and to the roof to help with snow and wind load. The guy that had mine originally said that it leaked from the beginning so I would add some cheap Home Depot shingles to it. That is what I did and then you can see from the picture I added a cedar roof cap to help at the peak seam because the one that comes with it is kinda small and cheap. All of my trim pieces are screwed down now and it is very stable and secure. The security of the coop is great as far as locks and stuff and the ventilation is good also...You should not have any problems with a little TLC.

 

[kmatt87]

You should be fine....I would add maybe 2 coats of waterproofing if it is in the rain or snow and it comes with really short legs so get it up in the air and that helps also.. I would add some screws to the inside corners of the coop and to the roof to help with snow and wind load. The guy that had mine originally said that it leaked from the beginning so I would add some cheap Home Depot shingles to it. That is what I did and then you can see from the picture I added a cedar roof cap to help at the peak seam because the one that comes with it is kinda small and cheap. All of my trim pieces are screwed down now and it is very stable and secure. The security of the coop is great as far as locks and stuff and the ventilation is good also...You should not have any problems with a little TLC.

thanks for the tips! We have some leftover shingles from when we did the roof on the house last yr, and i'll make sure to add a second coat of water proofing.
What area leaked the most?

 

[Hawgon]

thanks for the tips! We have some leftover shingles from when we did the roof on the house last yr, and i'll make sure to add a second coat of water proofing.
What area leaked the most?

He just told me the roof leaked when he sold it to me but I have had no problems with since applying shingles. Stays dry as a bone in rain, even hard NW rain. Keep me posted..

 

[kmatt87]

He just told me the roof leaked when he sold it to me but I have had no problems with since applying shingles. Stays dry as a bone in rain, even hard NW rain. Keep me posted..

will do!

 

[ECBW]

My flock gets free range too, sort of. After finding out that there are foxes and hawks in the neighborhood by way of losing some of the birds, mine only get an hour of supervised "free" range a day.

So, be psychologically prepared and keep your guards up when free ranging.

 

[Hawgon]

Thanks ECBW.....We had a neighborhood cat come "visit" our 6-eight week old chickens today while they were free ranging in the backyard....No harm but was a wake-up call for us to be around them and not just let them out of the run and walk away.

 

[Hawgon]

Kmatt-Did you receive your coop yet?

 

[CountryChickies]

Does anyone have drawers as their floor in their coop? I was trying to think of a way I could make some type of drawer that I could slide out and clean. I think I am also going to make a 'poop board' under their roost.