Coop pics****

[jasmer]

Our redneck podunk jerry rigged chicken run. The hen house is just the shed that came with the property, the rest is from recycled pallets, chicken wire, a crap load of staples, and some big sticks we found on our property. The only thing it's missing is duct tape.

The shed has an enclosed area on 3 sides, we added a 4th wall with a door and a large open vent over the top of this wall. The roof extends another full length for an open, covered area. We covered the end to keep the rabbit sheltered from wind and did the side with the gate in chicken wire, and the run extends out the back. It's a temporary thing, the shed was left by the previous owners and we got the chickens on short notice (friend moved to Hawaii and couldn't take them). We'll be building something a little more long-term and, frankly, better, but ours is I feel a good example of what you can do with recycled materials and something to use for a hen house.

The nesting box in the pictures has been replaced, that one was just too big and bulky, we built a smaller one lower to the ground that has 4 nesting boxes. The chickens only use 2 of them. It's also set on part of the driveway and gravelled, we're probably going to mulch it if we keep using it.

 

[Cknldy]

On the adobe chicken house- what did u use under the adobe top for the structural shape? Wire or a frame of some kind that the mud/mix doesn't fall through and layer adobe on top? I went very old style to seal cracks between boards for winter- i put clay mud in them! Hey, it works. Free, not hard at all, non toxic and easily replaced.

 

[redriver]

Love the colors!

 

[Brookliner]

We have had chickens and geese on and off for over 30 years. 3 years ago we decided to clean out our old coop built 25 years ago and get some new chickens. We then built an enclosed run onto that coop because we have every predator in the state in our back yard. Then "chicken math" took over". I wanted some Ameracuna Bantams. So we got some chicks. Then we got some eggs to put under our Cochin broody hen. Then we built a small 2 story broody coop to house 2 more broody hens and their chicks. Winter was going to arrive eventually so we needed another coop and I wanted one that I could walk into to clean and take care of the chickens. It had to be REALLY predator proof. We had moved the old coop when we built on the run so we decided to build the new coop where the old coop used to stand.

This time we put in concrete filled sonotubes to raise the coop 2 feet off the ground so that we could extend the run underneath and also to provide a sheltered area for our geese. The footprint is 8' x 12'. It is 10' high from the floor on one side and 6' high on the opposite side. It has a shed style roof. Since my DH and I have very limited building skills we hired out the construction. Due to the wet Fall we had, construction took longer than I had planned on. Move in was around Halloween. I don't have in progress pictures but will describe my plan and its features. 1st, I wanted to use poop-trays since I have had very good luck keeping my old coop clean and smelling good using them. I also wanted to try using deep litter on the floor of the coop. 2nd, I wanted an area inside that I could store my feed and other supplies and tools. 3rd, I wanted good ventilation and no drafts. 4th, I wanted a coop that I could walk into to clean, feed and in general take care of my birds. Above all other considerations the coop needed to be extremely predator proof. I came up with the following plan.

We started by leveling and laying out 1/2" hardware cloth under the area of the coop inside the sonotube legs and attaching it with hex headed screws and washers to 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" pressure treated 8' posts laid on the ground. We covered the hardware cloth with 4" of sandy soil. The floor of the coop was built using two pressure treated 2x6x12's and eight pressure treated 2x6x8's these were nailed together and leveled on six pressure treated 5x5 legs (the 5x5's were recycled from our town transfer station) which were on top of the concrete filled sonotubes. 3 sheets of 4x8 5/8" pressure treated plywood was nailed onto the above frame to make the deck upon which the coop would be built. I purchased an 8x12 piece of vinyl flooring that was put on top of the plywood deck with vinyl adhesive. Next the sides were framed up and the openings were framed. The roof came next built on eight Pressure treated 2x6x10 rafters with six 2x4x14's used as purlins laid on the 4" side perpendicular to the rafters. The roof is Ondura which is corrugated asphalt. There is a 1' overhang on all 4 sides.

Hardware cloth was stapled (with a air compressor powered stapler) to the rafters and purlins.to provide predator proofing under the overhang. A 1x6x12 board was nailed across the ends of the rafters on both the upper and lower side of the roof. We repurposed an old door we had for the man door that opens in. We also put a batten door on over this door that opens out for extra winter protection. We had 3 old windows that we re-purposed and we got a large 4x4 foot insulated window (at the transfer station) that we made into a slider. The pop door was made using a large nylon bread board (an idea I got on BYC). We constructed a partition wall between the chicken area and the food/storage area using five 2x4's (various lengths), a wooden screen door, and a 4x8' sheet of non-pressure treated plywood. We then insulated with non-fiberglass insulation batts. Then put up 6 mil plastic sheeting to moisture proof the walls since chickens produce a lot of moisture while breathing. We protected the insulated walls with luan plywood sheets. The outside sheathing is T1-11 and the window and door trim is either 2x4 or 1x4 pressure treated. There is a 1' x 2' clean out door at floor level that has an inside and an outside door. the pop door has an outside door that can be locked over the pop door. During the winter I put insulation between the 2 doors. The 4 windows have 1/2" hardware cloth covering them on the inside (except for the slider which has hardware clorh on the outside. There is 1/2" hardware cloth on the lower wall openings where the rafters meet the wall (to keep the chickens from exploring).

The poop trays were installed next on the lower wall side 8' and the end wall 8' and a feeding/watering tray was built on the wall infront of the slider also 8'. the wall in front of the slider is higher than the poop trays. In retrospect we should have made this one lower than the poop trays. The roosts are 6" above the poop trays. I have a ladder that goes fron the feeding tray down across the far end of the coop so that my Cochins who don't fly well can climb up from the floor to the feeding tray. Each end of the feeding tray has a 2x2 foot patio paver for waterers to be placed on. I also have a paver raised with 8' cement blocks on the floor in one corner to accomodate my Cochins and my one special needs hen. I put a thin coating of PDZ on the feeding tray to facilitate cleaning and there is roughly 2" of PDZ/DE mixture under the roosts. We have 7 plastic bins with lids that hold my grain, oyster shell and BOSS. We installed 2 shelves over the bins to hold all the extra stuff you acquire. We extended the electrical lines from the old coop so that we could have a place to plug in our cookie tin waterer heaters, and a light over the coop area to provide better light in the coop during the day and a light over the grain bins. We provide no other heat in the winter. We have been in the minus degrees and all chickens were perfectly fine.

This coming Spring we will start construction of a covered run off the back of the coop. I will provide information when that happens. We also need to finish the painting this coming summer.

Showing our 3 coops,
Our new coop showing the large sliding window, clean out door and man door.

From the side that the run will be built on the small door at the bottom is covering the pop door. The opening at the top is for a future fan in the summer. DH is standing next to coop he is 6' tall for scale purposes. Green painted window opens up.

Showing the lower side with the overhang and window that opens up.

Showing the batten man door and the window (opens out) near the feed bins.

Interior showing the food tray on the left, the 3 nest boxes on the lower left, the future pop door in the center, the ladder a roost/poop tray and some of the residents. For the winter I am housing 14 Bantam's. That is the reminants of a cabbage hanging in the center.

This shows the roost/poop tray side.

Shows my lower feed and water station. The 2 bin fixture holds poultry grit on one side and oyster shell on the other side. I also have a hanging feeder with layer pellets. I put a few treats on the paver for my Cochins and special needs hen (brown one in the back).

This is our feed storage area. Out of view is the man door to the right and screen door into chicken area on the left.

This shows the rail (lighter wood) that the slider slides on. When open in the summer the window will slide across covering the wall above the rail.

This shows 13 of my 14 bantams sitting on the roost at night. Missing is my special needs hen who was in a nest box.

Having treats on the food tray

I hope you have enjoyed the tour of my new coop. Everything is working out just as planned. I am using Hi Fiber Gold horse forage for my deep litter and am very happy with it.

 

[Cknldy]

Since your birds are not chicks- sawdust works great under the roosts. I use a cat litter scoop and it is great! My hens have even dusted in it since I keep it cleaned out.

 

[WhiskiRanch]

This spring I will building a bigger, better coop/run for my chickens. Where my coop/run is now, we will be expanding the shop and its right smack dab in the way. The new run will be 48ft by 16ft and be over up against our "long barn" so I can use my tack room to store their feed and it will be more out of the way and have its own space. I will most likely reuse both coops Im using now and I was given an old, very large dog house thats insulated with a lift lid that I will also be using. I would love to build something along the lines of what the first post showed but my sweetheart likes to reuse stuff when he can

so that means nothing brand new for my chickens... oh well. I will just paint what I have so they all match and I think it will look good. Will post pictures of my current coop after I come in from feeding everyone as well as pictures of the site where the new coop will be going.

 

[greasearch]

Here's a video off our chicken run using a mobile coop and poultry netting. Enjoy!

 

[Rachy]

Our coop

 

[kac266]

This is the coop we built almost 2 years ago, we started wth a 4X8X4 doghouse (top half) the window on the side actually had an AC for our 2 golden retrievers (now in doggy heaven)
My DH took half of the floor out and added 2 feet to the bottem so I could stand up in it. The bottem hatch door is where we collect our eggs,the run is 8X10,covered in hardware cloth with 2 feet of hardware cloth buried completely around run, roof is made from the white plastic curvy sheets(panels.
the dark rectangle you see toward the bottom is a slide door, we keep it open all the time.
Above that,you can faintly see a shelf that holds a large fan that blows through an opening covered with hardware cloth, that stays on most of the summer in this NC heat and humidity.
I can also enter the run through a hardware cloth covered door.
Can you read,that I am totally scared of predators coming to get my girls?


The inside has been changed somewhat from this pic, I now have 1 roost going from left to right,I didnt like the baby crib side for the roost,so now that is in the run, they love sunning on it,they use the cat litter boxes for nesting boxes,but I had to take the tops off,they wouldnt go in there until they were off, scaredy chickens I guess?Oh,and under the roost I use a pullout board covered in vynil and sprinkle with DE and scrape every week(easy)They also have food and water both in and out.
I also took the 500 pounds of sand out as it got wet and stunk, I use the wood chips now and like it better,the walk in door has the HW cloth also plus the blue vinyl curtain I pull down in the cold weather, the outside of the door has a tall white shutter that is easily put on or taken off,the same way you would hang a picture.


The outsise has the finishing touches with metal yard ornaments found at the dollar store,all in all I think my girls are spoiled but happy as they give us more eggs than our family can eat,makes for some happy dogs.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Nice coops everyone!!