Coop renovation HELP

[cajunhillbilly]

Just cut you a board about 12" or 14" or wider and from whatever the length of the roost is. secure under the roost about 8"s or to your liking! Personally I would make it like a box ( with raised sides) and put an inch or a couple of inches of sand in the poop board to help with cleaning! the poop will be easier to clean in the sand with just using a kitty litter scoop!

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

response to painting the house : hah! Im four foot 10 ! im not aloud to make "important" decisions like that.!!

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

Quote:
Sounds like a good plan.. like a chicken litter box! aha. Funny.

 

[Bleenie]

I would also add a sloped "roof" on the nest boxes... I HATE scraping poo off the top of my duck nesting boxes because the chickens like to sleep on them!

I would also make the run taller for easier access, but if you're that short it might not be a problem for you right now

, I'm 5'8" so I definitely have to build my chicken/duck yards taller so I can clean things up easier. You could add a sheltered area out in the yard so they can hang out under it if they like... we do get a lot of those retarded sunny but rainy days around here. You can also keep their feed under the covered area in the yard too.

Other than that, I actually really like your coop. Maybe you could repaint the coop area in another bright color to go with the sky blue?

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

I wish i could!!! ugh!!! The chickens dont roost there anymore.... So no need o fix the nest boxes and the run is badlyyyy in need of rebuilding!! I think i might do that sooner than this summer...

 

[Lbrad7]

Looks like you have a great looking set up. The only thing that I can see that you may want to improve on would be to put some natural branches in the run to use as perches mounted at different levels. Its hard to tell for sure but it looks like you are using chicken wire on your runs. I think chicken wire is ok for the top of the run but you need something much heavier around the sides. You could leave up what you have and wrap 2x4 welded wire around it and it would help keep animals from chewing through and getting to your girls.

As for inside the coop...I agree with the other post that you need to put a board at a slant over your nesting boxes to keep them from pooping all over the top of the boxes. If you have a roost over them...move it to another location.

Good luck to you...hope you post pics of your improvements when they are complete!

 

[Sinfonian]

First off, hi from Western Washington. I love your coop/shed. I would be concerned with a sand-filled poop box under the roosts (if they ever use them) as they may just use them for dust baths... That could get messy.

Are there utilities to the coop? Sure we don't get bad weather in fall and winter, but a heat lamp in one corner might be good. You mentioned the run so I won't. Good luck with your projects. I'm building my coop in the next month.

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

tomorrow i will talk to my grandpa about making a poop board.. maybe a design like this?

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

Quote:
Oh yeah,, they love there roosts! there isnt anything else for them to roost on... now! I took out everything else!

hehe.

I do have a heat lamp.... You cant see it but, they are always warm enough...

 

[Lbrad7]

Just so you guys know...if your birds are feathered out they have no need for a heat lamp or hear source of any kind. (especially in your climate) They can actually do more harm than good to your birds. When they come out of an artificially warmed coop and into the open it is much more of a shock to them. Your birds are fine down to -0 so long as they are out of the wind. Check out some of the post from people who keep birds in Alaska and our Canook neighbors to the north....just my 2 cents.