II Arrows
In the Brooder
When we first started raising chickens I decided to build our girls first coop out of as much reclaimed materials as I possibly could. I wanted that rustic old timer chicken coop feel.
90 percent of the coop was from reclaimed materials. The 2 glass windows in the front of the coop was from an old cracked fish tank I had laying around. All the coop's siding panels were from 6 foot fence boards. Overall I loved the way it came out but it wasn't built to last.....so I figured out. Over the course of 2 years the roof over the run has started to buckle. A good heavy rain it will start to leak and I'm putting that lightly. Its more like a little waterfall inside the run area. You can see the huge gaps I left between the OSB boards. That's me rushing. For the most part it does stay fairly dry on the inside of the run. Recently it started to get wet on the inside of the coop itself, and thats a big no no. I keep buying tarps to put over the coop and run but it only lasts so long before it starts to let water in. Sooooo I decided to build another coop.
The new coop is not as high off the ground as the other but I know for sure it will not leak. Nearing completion of the new coop build I realized I didn't take into consideration building an atrached run. My chickens free range everyday and The only time the really use the run area is in inclement weather. So this is what I'm thinking. I want to get some bantams and the new coop that I just built would be their new home. That leaves the old coop which I could either relocate and do a complete renovation on it or just build a new one. What do yall think?
The new coop is 6 foot by 6 foot by 8 foot at the peak. I'm working on a little deck for them, it's just more shaded area for them to get out of the hot afternoon sun. My wife is dead set on having an in closed run area for them like the old coop, and in a way I have to agree with her. I'm just mad at myself for not dooing or realizing that when I was building it. I think the new coop would be perfect for bantams.....which I want soo bad right now, but it was built for my flock I have right now. Decisions Decisions!
90 percent of the coop was from reclaimed materials. The 2 glass windows in the front of the coop was from an old cracked fish tank I had laying around. All the coop's siding panels were from 6 foot fence boards. Overall I loved the way it came out but it wasn't built to last.....so I figured out. Over the course of 2 years the roof over the run has started to buckle. A good heavy rain it will start to leak and I'm putting that lightly. Its more like a little waterfall inside the run area. You can see the huge gaps I left between the OSB boards. That's me rushing. For the most part it does stay fairly dry on the inside of the run. Recently it started to get wet on the inside of the coop itself, and thats a big no no. I keep buying tarps to put over the coop and run but it only lasts so long before it starts to let water in. Sooooo I decided to build another coop.
The new coop is not as high off the ground as the other but I know for sure it will not leak. Nearing completion of the new coop build I realized I didn't take into consideration building an atrached run. My chickens free range everyday and The only time the really use the run area is in inclement weather. So this is what I'm thinking. I want to get some bantams and the new coop that I just built would be their new home. That leaves the old coop which I could either relocate and do a complete renovation on it or just build a new one. What do yall think?
The new coop is 6 foot by 6 foot by 8 foot at the peak. I'm working on a little deck for them, it's just more shaded area for them to get out of the hot afternoon sun. My wife is dead set on having an in closed run area for them like the old coop, and in a way I have to agree with her. I'm just mad at myself for not dooing or realizing that when I was building it. I think the new coop would be perfect for bantams.....which I want soo bad right now, but it was built for my flock I have right now. Decisions Decisions!
My chickens don't have a run yet, so they each take turns in a tractor while I do stuff. Their run will be an old circular trampoline with a net and a thirteen foot diameter. Which you could do as well, if you wanted too. Just attach some wire and.. Boom! Chicken run. 
