"Coop! (There It Is)"- Really, It Is!

AppleMomma65

Songster
Mar 16, 2020
292
369
166
Spooner, WI
My Coop
My Coop
I see lots of really cool, unique, and fun chicken coop's here - way to go! I know my skill set, and I know my patience level, and building one from scratch with pieces from Craig's List or FB Marketplace is just not for me (really, it's not for my husband - and he's my partner in crime so I have to take him into consideration) -- I REALLY admire those of you who have built your own!!!! So, with that all said I wanted to show off my new coop that was just delivered today --- eeeek! I saved, and saved, and saved, and saved all of the money from my pottery sales these last few years to buy this beauty and I'm so excited for us to put it together! We'll be adding a 10'x10' run on the one end with a door that is the same height as the coop, so no stooping (thanks to a member here who made that suggestion) - making a total run space of 154 sq feet - the chickens will free range the majority of the time. Our plan to make it Fort Knox is to place the coop and run on a frame, put hardware cloth on the bottom of the frame, dig the area it will sit on 12" down, , and then surround with hardware cloth, then an apron of hardware cloth and then fill in the entire space in coop and run with dirt. I figure with the money invested in 12 chickens and a coop a bit more on security will (hopefully) go a long way in protecting them.
coop1.JPG
Coop2.JPG
Coop3.JPG

Rhode Island Red "Scarlett"; Barred Rock "Oreo"; Buff Orpington "Pancake"; Black/Blue Splash Orpington "Eggatha"; Lavender Orpington "Lilac"; Jersey Giant "Black Betty"; Austra White "Sally"; Barnevelder "Henrietta"; Cream Legbar "Hen Solo"; Olive Egger "Picholine"; Easter Egger "Mel"; Light Brahma "Freebie"
 
I wanted to show off my new coop
Hey, that looks pretty cool.. congrats! :highfive:

I like the design... biggest issue I can foresee is the lay boxes being higher than the roost will often cause them to sleep in the lay box which equals poo on eggs.

I would consider doing the entire space in the coop/run with deep litter, semi deep litter, or maybe large chunk bark... as bare dirt is a breeding ground for bad things where as adding natural stuff to make it similar to the forest floor mulch with lots of layers of different size leaves, twigs, pine needles, mowed grass, etc... invites good bacteria to the party and keeps funk at bay.

Hope you love your new coop and it works out fantastically, I know what an investment they are! :wee
 
Hey, that looks pretty cool.. congrats! :highfive:

I like the design... biggest issue I can foresee is the lay boxes being higher than the roost will often cause them to sleep in the lay box which equals poo on eggs.

I would consider doing the entire space in the coop/run with deep litter, semi deep litter, or maybe large chunk bark... as bare dirt is a breeding ground for bad things where as adding natural stuff to make it similar to the forest floor mulch with lots of layers of different size leaves, twigs, pine needles, mowed grass, etc... invites good bacteria to the party and keeps funk at bay.

Hope you love your new coop and it works out fantastically, I know what an investment they are! :wee
Thank you - that's a great suggestion! We have a lot of dead pine needles and leaves so will do that!
 
Love the name, makes me laugh and I can't say it without singing it :D

It says you live in MN, is there a place for the girls to escape the elements?
 
So I've done a LOT of reading on the subject of cold and chickens and what I've read is that cold hardy breeds do fine in cold temps as long as they are free from dampness and have good ventilation. I did add the optional "cold weather" package to the coop which includes these individual corrugated plastic panels that clip onto the wire areas of the coop. I'm sure I won't use all, but rather use them to cover the sections that would get the most wind and snow blow and will not use at the top so air can escape. I did also add these freeze-guard water nipples to the self waterer - knowing full well I will also need to add a heat wand to the inside of the waterer (and also check to make sure nothing is freezing). This past winter was a relative breeze - if all could be like that, I'd be a happy camper.
 
Congratulations on your new coop!
I too saved all of my pennies and decided to use it for a prefab coop! My husband and I are new chicken caregivers and look forward to our new coop arrival in about a months time!
I'm wondering how easy it will be to put together? Please let us know how your build is going?
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom