Don't believe all you read

[Captain Carrot]

So I got some plans for an A-frame coop and run. The designer says it's big enough for 6 medium sized hens. So I take it to mean about 3 or 4 realistically.

I had the ply and battens cut to size, and built it yesterday.

It's tiny, there is no way I could get more than two hens in there, the floor space is enough for four hens but the slopping roof7sides aren't taken into account.

I'll use it for bantams, but I'll have to come up with something else for the hens I'm getting in a few weeks.

Ark/A-frame builders beware.

No pic at the moment I'm afraid, will take and upload a couple tomorrow

 

[elmo]

I personally have never been a fan of A frame coops for that reason. The space at the top of the frame is really not very useable.

But I do have an A frame day tractor. Maybe you could use our A frame that way, and build another more conventionally shaped coop?

 

[Cargo]

Heya Cap. Take a look at my BYC page. You could build something like mine pretty quick.

 

[begbfg]

Quote:
That's a really neat coop!

 

[Captain Carrot]

Quote:
That's a really neat coop!

Indeed, good job there. I just need a smallish coop for them to roost at night, they'll be out in a an enclosure during the day.

 

[cabincrazyone]

The only thing an A frame is good for .... is that it takes the least amount of material to build it. I consider them a waste of time and material because with 33 percent more material you could have a rectangle with ALL the floor available.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
And it isn't really even very *much* of a difference in material, per *usable* floorspace... it is less than the 33% you quote, how much less depends on exactly how you build the rectangular version of course.

IMO the main appeal of A-frames is that they *look* interesting. Beyond that, though, their merits drop off real sharply.


Pat