Coup and yard plans

[vnsseed]

Hey, glad you found this place, lot's of good info here. Your setup is gonna look good! My only suggestion (from our conversations and your goals) is to make the coop easily expandable.... make sure you can put an addition on it without redesigning your yard and coop. Just a thought. My motto has become "bigger is better, and never enough"

 

[wsmith]

Dave,
I've been thinking about that too. I think with the design I have I can expand if needed, or just add another one. The "segregation pen" is what i am planning on using for "fertilization control" can also be Roo bachelor quarters. I have a well built wood dog house that the dogs have never used that I will be converting for any Bachelor we keep around. I still need to design and build a smaller "dorm" for the hens and roo. That will probably go in either the Roo segregation pen or I could do another one. I could even build another yard, its not like I don't have the room....

My wife, Beth is already rolling her eyes, and it was her that wanted chickens in the first place. It went from Roos only for meat, to a couple hens for eggs, to the goals we have discussed. What next!?!?!

When I was a kid, we kept BRs. Keeping them in the winter was difficult at best. Combs getting frostbite, water freezing, light bulb under the waterrers, frozen eggs, dogs breaking in and killing chickens, etc. I hated it as a teenager, because it was my job to take care of them, along with the calves, dog, pigeons, ducks, etc. It took me 33 years to even consider doing it again. Now, we have heated waterrer bases, Nice rose combed Doms, better coup designs, not to mention a better attitude.

 

[wsmith]

So here's the new amended plan.....

I extended the backyard fence and created a flock management area. This will allow me to build three brood pens and have them all woth a 6 ft wood fence.

 

[wsmith]

OK. Here is the revised revised plan.... Keeps getting bigger....... Chicken math?????

Here is a photo taken a couple of weeks ago from our roof. It shows where the yard will be, per the plans. (Perspective is a little deceiving.) The dogs will sure be happy when the back yard fence in all in. It will quadruple their area. Since the photo was taken, nearly all the posts going across the back are in.

 

[wsmith]

Here's the latest installment of our chicken venture....

These will be 4 4 x 3 houses that will be used for isolation, brooding, broody hen nesting, etc. each will also have an attached 4 x 3 shade roof on one side, and sit in am 8 x 8 pen. We will also be building 2 larger growout / breeding pens with larger runs.

Most of the lumber used is recycled/repurposed. The floors are reused cedar fencing sections. We had to buy a few 2 x 4s and still need to acquire some sheathing, etc.

A work in progress.

 

[bryan99705]

Suggest you anchor the coops to prevent blowing over since you have wind issues, a couple cables over each unit and fastened to screw in dirt anchors will keep them from tipping over. You might incorporate electric fence into the permiter plan to help stop coons, coyotes, and other critters, including a strand the top of the fence for coons and birds. Don't forget to skirt the fence to stop the diggers from going under the fence too.

 

[wsmith]

Good thoughts, and we're already on those issues. We will have braced 6 foot wood fence all around the yards. The fence will be skirted on the bottom with 3 foot wide wire fence to prevent underground access. The top will be covered with wire mesh. The only predators we get are coyotes, dogs, fox, snakes, hawks and owls. Too far away from water for racoons. All fence posts will be / are cemented in. The small houses will be inside the fences, and will be attached to the ground with steel posts. The pictured houses are sitting on or next to my back patio during construction only. Even so, they haven't blown away yet..... even with 50 mph+ winds.

Just acquired most of the remaining 4X4 posts so we can continue with the fence construction.