Coopsicle

[TheWilliams]

Hi everyone, wanted to share the coop I just finished up..get it on the interwebs so it might help someone someday. Its based on the coopsicle design from the "Reinventing the Chicken Coop" book by Kevin McElroy, but with some design changes. It sits on a single post, set in concrete, which I think should help with the rats that were nesting in the deep bedding in my previous run. The girls free range in the yard all day, so no need for a run anyway. I've attached some pictures below. Happy to answer questions or explain things, also I wrote a blog post explaining the build at http://bambamsclub.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/coopsicle/

This is a cool design, the girls took to it really quickly. Hope its helpful for someone!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Nice coop! It somehow reminds me of a treehouse!

 

[MoonShadows]

Nice design and construction. To me it has a whimsical look.

 

[TheWilliams]

Thanks, now I'm trying to figure out how to put a droppings board under the perch, everytime i get on here i get new ideas...

 

[aart]

Cool Beans!

Are only the ends at an angle...not the sides? Nice for keeping water off the walls.
How is the floor attached to the post?
Nesting boxes higher than the roost, are they roosting in the nests?

 

[TheWilliams]

Cool Beans!

Are only the ends at an angle...not the sides? Nice for keeping water off the walls.
How is the floor attached to the post?
Nesting boxes higher than the roost, are they roosting in the nests?

Yea, only the ends are at an angle...I think angling the sides would be an interesting twist, and I thought about doing it, but it would have introduced some changes in the plans that I wasn't prepared to deal with over a single weekend. Instead I increased the roof overhang to try to keep some of the rain off the walls, the original plans only had 3 inches of overhang and I was worried about the walls getting really wet. We had a squall line come through a couple of days ago and the walls were dry...I think the tree cover helps keep the rain-drops coming from directly above instead of sideways. I'm going to use a clear sealant on the outside as a just-in-case.

The floor is attached with a couple of bolts. I used screws to temporarily attach it and then drilled, installed, and tightened the bolts down. Having the opening in the framing fit snugly is helpful.

Aaaaand yes, this is my first time with nesting boxes off the floor and I've noticed they just started roosting in the boxes. I suppose I'll just lower them a bit and raise the roost so its higher. They took to laying in the boxes much faster than I thought. Their instincts are amazing sometimes. Thanks for the comments/questions, hope this was helpful.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Nice design and construction. To me it has a whimsical look.

x2