Coop du Jour: another Playhouse Coop (pics)

[SewingDiva]

Quote:
Yup - this is the very same Coop! Dennis (the man who sells the plans) is a wonderful person by the way and is very helpful and respsonsive to email questions. He also has two vidoes on YouTube that show lots of detail about the coop, both inside and out; just search on "Playhouse Coop" on YouTube and they'll come right up.

We don't have a concrete base although I'm sure you could add one. The bottom is built straight from the plans, and its a wood framed sill and covered with hardware cloth underneath. The plans say to cut out a center section but leave a 12 inch margin of hardware cloth to keep critters out but still give the chickens dirt to scratch in.

What I might do is cut out a center section and bend the 12 inch margins of hardware cloth down into the dirt a few inches at right angles to inhibit critters as much as I can.

~Phyllis

 

[taratrip]

i have been considering this coop also. i am back and forth between that one and a playhouse from lowes.
is that all your going to do with this coop? are you going to add a bigger run to it or anything?
i am only getting 2 silkie hens and was just wondering if that run on that coop would be big enough?

 

[SewingDiva]

We built it according to the 4 x 8 footprint; however, I think you could make the run bigger pretty easily by bumping out the side or by making it longer than 8 feet.

We thought about a Costco kiddie playhouse that is similiar to Lowes, but I wanted something I could get intside and clean without bending over.

I also didn't want to dig anything out after a snowfall.

~Phyllis

 

[taratrip]

thats exactly what i was thinking about the whole back breaking thing! after spending many hours on here and going back and forth about what would work for me i decided to go with the playhouse at lowes. you can actually stand up inside of it (well bent over a little but its perfect) and i'm going to raise it on cement footings maybe a foot and put a couple steps up. i'm still undecided about the run though. i found a 10x10x6 dog kennel on craigslist for a $100 but i really didnt want to go that BIG! and then i would still have to put the hardware all around it so i am still pondering! my husband is not very supportive of the whole chicken as a pet idea so i know i'm probably on my own here!

 

[mjolly]

I found a playhosue (home-made) on craig'slist and with a bit of conversion, it is now a well insulated/ventilated and homey coop. It looks like a little cottage. I placed it inside of a 12x18 ft dog run with 1/2 inch mesh all around (even buried 12 inches to prevent predators digging in). A lady from freecycle offered me some concrete pavers (different sizes) and they look liek a little cobblestone path leading up to my cottage in the woods! LOL!

I will have the coop finished this weekend and move the turkey and three 8 week old chicks out there. The 5 week old's will wait a couple of weeks until they can defend themselves a bit better against the 8 week old cuckoo marans.

I can post pictures when I am done.

 

[mirime]

S-Diva - great looking coop!

and mjolly, please do post photos - I'm thinking of the 8x8 one; and adding some insulation.

 

[Jolyn]

Any updated pictures yet? I can't wait to see the finished product!