- Sep 16, 2010
- 7
- 0
- 7
My husband I farm up in NE Montana and we have decided we (with lots of wonderful help from my mother-in-law) are going to get some chickens this spring. We are planning on making the coop and the run this fall in preperation of the baby chicks. All though we are not getting the chicks for the purpose of the girls we thought Easter would be a good time to get them as we will be busy with our bumb lamb operation and will be easy for us to keep a good eye out for them.
As most farmers do, we are hoping to build the coop by recycling some of the items from around the farm. We have an idea and I just wanted to post it & maybe get some feed back from a more experienced group. We plan on pouring a cement slab for the coop to rest on. It will be attatched to the cement w/bolts that will go through rebarb w/a loop (cemented in) & the bottum of the coop. This way we can remove the coop (w/skidsteer) and house out coop & slab when ever needed.
The coop itself will have 4 foot sides up to a pitched roof. The frame will be made out of PVC pipe. The siding will be metal roofing material attatched to PVC pipe with bolts & nuts. We have insulation panels that were used on garage doors that we will cut to place inside then that will be covered with paneling that I plan on painting with exterior paint. The pitched roof will have one side that will fold up so we can access the nest boxes (we plan on using milk cartons for this) & feed and water. The other side will be for roosting.
The run will be trentched down and fencing will be laid down. It will be outlined with railroad ties. We have hog panels that will be bent between the railroad ties & nailed down then covered in chicken wire. Each end will have a frame made out of PVC pipe and will have a small door to get inside as well.
Does this sound like it will work out? Is there something we are not thinking of or overkill any where? I think it should be sound enough to not let in any predators. The coop and run will be located inside the bumb lamb pen where a llama is on patrol. I'm hoping she will become protective of the chickens as well.
Would love to hear everyones thoughts good or bad. My mother-in-law had chickens for 20 years so I don't feel like I'm going into this to blind but never hurts to get more opinions!
Thanks!
As most farmers do, we are hoping to build the coop by recycling some of the items from around the farm. We have an idea and I just wanted to post it & maybe get some feed back from a more experienced group. We plan on pouring a cement slab for the coop to rest on. It will be attatched to the cement w/bolts that will go through rebarb w/a loop (cemented in) & the bottum of the coop. This way we can remove the coop (w/skidsteer) and house out coop & slab when ever needed.
The coop itself will have 4 foot sides up to a pitched roof. The frame will be made out of PVC pipe. The siding will be metal roofing material attatched to PVC pipe with bolts & nuts. We have insulation panels that were used on garage doors that we will cut to place inside then that will be covered with paneling that I plan on painting with exterior paint. The pitched roof will have one side that will fold up so we can access the nest boxes (we plan on using milk cartons for this) & feed and water. The other side will be for roosting.
The run will be trentched down and fencing will be laid down. It will be outlined with railroad ties. We have hog panels that will be bent between the railroad ties & nailed down then covered in chicken wire. Each end will have a frame made out of PVC pipe and will have a small door to get inside as well.
Does this sound like it will work out? Is there something we are not thinking of or overkill any where? I think it should be sound enough to not let in any predators. The coop and run will be located inside the bumb lamb pen where a llama is on patrol. I'm hoping she will become protective of the chickens as well.
Would love to hear everyones thoughts good or bad. My mother-in-law had chickens for 20 years so I don't feel like I'm going into this to blind but never hurts to get more opinions!
Thanks!
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