My Coop/Run envy is over, I finally have my own completed!!
For so long Ive sat looking a pics of coops/runs on BYC, and now MY day has finally come.
I designed the run myself, stealing good ideas from others, and combined features I liked along with many of my own ideas.
The hen house is 4 x 4 x 6 ½ at its tallest point, with a shingled slant roof. I got it from Craigs List (the first thing Ive ever purchased on there). It has an egg door, the chicken door and then at the side a larger door for easy access to clean. I modified the roost bar (by adding a 2x4 wide side up) to be more Silkie friendly, since mine prefer sitting to perching, and also did this so their feet will stay covered in the extreme cold. Its raised up a foot on pressure treated lumber legs, giving the chicks a fun shady place to hide and making it less pest friendly.
I sealed the inside with a quality primer/paint combo for moisture resistance; ease of cleaning, and to brighten it up. I added several inches of pine shavings. I also painted the trim red.
I specifically told the carpenter to build the run around the coop, not abutting it. I feel this will be much more secure, and now they will have a double barrier. Predators will have to first breach the run, and then still get into the hen house.
The actual run is my real pride and joy. This is where all my reading and researching came in handy. The run is 16 long x 8 wide, 8 ½ tall at the front and slanting to 6 in the back. Pressure treated lumber, ½ x ½ cloth all the way around. Walls, floor, and roof. It is COMPLETELY encompassed with hardware cloth. I have a lot of predators where I am, and every single person on my road has lost chickens, turkeys, geese, etc., so I was not messing around. All attached with washers for added predator resistance. The roof is clear corrugated paneling over crossed trusses for snow support. The clear roof will add solar heat in the cold winters & general sunlight year 'round. The high front faces the sun, and the low back faces the woods, so the snow will slide to the back and out of my way.
I ordered the shed shown in the pics at the same time and had that installed first, and had the run built up against it so that the right end of the run has a solid wall which faces the north to help block the cold north winds. The new shed also serves as my storage for grain, scratch, pine shavings & misc. chicken supplies.
I had the door built extra wide to accommodate a wheel barrow, and to make it easy for me to walk in with buckets at my side, etc., and added a ramp at the door.
I ordered 3 yards of sand, which filled the run to about 7, although it will pack down somewhat.
I added a big tree branch for roosting, hung their feeder from the chain just off the ground, and their waterer sits on 4x4 pt wood blocks.
Due to my FMS, I had to hire a carpenter to build it, so I can only claim credit on the design and the features, but not the sweaty labor. I did the sealing, painting, shavings, feeders, etc., but he did the major construction. He was very patient with me. I think at first he thought I was crazy for being so particular with my specifications, but by the end of it, he saw the result and I think he understood that it was a smart run. I didnt get pet chickens to be killed by predators, so I want to know that if that happens, I will have done everything in my power to prevent it.
Also, even though I only have 7 Bantams (5 Silkies, 1 Mille Fleur DUccle & 1 Cochin), I wanted the run to be generous in size because A. I cant free range them due to local loose dogs, and B. from what I read here on BYC, chickens get a bit addictive, so I may add more in the future.
In case you cant tell by the length of my post, I am very proud of the results. I have been plotting and planning this in my head for a long time now. Ive daydreamed about having chickens and doing this for many years. Today, after the sand guy left and it was officially finished, I just sat with a beer and stared at it with pure satisfaction & joy in my heart.
I think Ive thought of almost everything, but please DONT tell me about anything that's too late to change, lol! I just want to bask in the beauty of my creation for a while, and watch my chicks kick all the sand around with curious glee.
I typed this to boast, but also gave specs & details hoping that it might help someone else the way previous posts have helped me. Just trying to pay it forward. Thanks to all the BYCers who posted coop/run pics that inspired me and educated me.
Here's the run and the shed:
Here's a similar shot, only this was after I dragged over my chairs from my deck so that I could sit and stare at the run like a fool:
Here's a shot of the hen house inside the run.
Here's the inside of the hen house with the nest boxes. To the left, out of view is the roost bar.
Here's a shot looking toward the run door and feeders. The chickies look so little in comparison to their new home.
Here's Ducky (who's clearly not a duck but a Cochin) hanging out on the ramp. She seems to like it.
Here's Millie, a Mille Fleur D'Uccle, enjoying the new big girl waterer.
I thought of posting pics of the 5 Silkies, but they weren't in the mood to be photographed. They just wanted to run around like the little spazzes that they are.
Lastly, a shot from my lap, balancing a pale of scratch between my knees and taking pics of the happy chicks.
I designed the run myself, stealing good ideas from others, and combined features I liked along with many of my own ideas.
The hen house is 4 x 4 x 6 ½ at its tallest point, with a shingled slant roof. I got it from Craigs List (the first thing Ive ever purchased on there). It has an egg door, the chicken door and then at the side a larger door for easy access to clean. I modified the roost bar (by adding a 2x4 wide side up) to be more Silkie friendly, since mine prefer sitting to perching, and also did this so their feet will stay covered in the extreme cold. Its raised up a foot on pressure treated lumber legs, giving the chicks a fun shady place to hide and making it less pest friendly.
I sealed the inside with a quality primer/paint combo for moisture resistance; ease of cleaning, and to brighten it up. I added several inches of pine shavings. I also painted the trim red.
I specifically told the carpenter to build the run around the coop, not abutting it. I feel this will be much more secure, and now they will have a double barrier. Predators will have to first breach the run, and then still get into the hen house.
The actual run is my real pride and joy. This is where all my reading and researching came in handy. The run is 16 long x 8 wide, 8 ½ tall at the front and slanting to 6 in the back. Pressure treated lumber, ½ x ½ cloth all the way around. Walls, floor, and roof. It is COMPLETELY encompassed with hardware cloth. I have a lot of predators where I am, and every single person on my road has lost chickens, turkeys, geese, etc., so I was not messing around. All attached with washers for added predator resistance. The roof is clear corrugated paneling over crossed trusses for snow support. The clear roof will add solar heat in the cold winters & general sunlight year 'round. The high front faces the sun, and the low back faces the woods, so the snow will slide to the back and out of my way.
I ordered the shed shown in the pics at the same time and had that installed first, and had the run built up against it so that the right end of the run has a solid wall which faces the north to help block the cold north winds. The new shed also serves as my storage for grain, scratch, pine shavings & misc. chicken supplies.
I had the door built extra wide to accommodate a wheel barrow, and to make it easy for me to walk in with buckets at my side, etc., and added a ramp at the door.
I ordered 3 yards of sand, which filled the run to about 7, although it will pack down somewhat.
I added a big tree branch for roosting, hung their feeder from the chain just off the ground, and their waterer sits on 4x4 pt wood blocks.
Due to my FMS, I had to hire a carpenter to build it, so I can only claim credit on the design and the features, but not the sweaty labor. I did the sealing, painting, shavings, feeders, etc., but he did the major construction. He was very patient with me. I think at first he thought I was crazy for being so particular with my specifications, but by the end of it, he saw the result and I think he understood that it was a smart run. I didnt get pet chickens to be killed by predators, so I want to know that if that happens, I will have done everything in my power to prevent it.
Also, even though I only have 7 Bantams (5 Silkies, 1 Mille Fleur DUccle & 1 Cochin), I wanted the run to be generous in size because A. I cant free range them due to local loose dogs, and B. from what I read here on BYC, chickens get a bit addictive, so I may add more in the future.
In case you cant tell by the length of my post, I am very proud of the results. I have been plotting and planning this in my head for a long time now. Ive daydreamed about having chickens and doing this for many years. Today, after the sand guy left and it was officially finished, I just sat with a beer and stared at it with pure satisfaction & joy in my heart.
I think Ive thought of almost everything, but please DONT tell me about anything that's too late to change, lol! I just want to bask in the beauty of my creation for a while, and watch my chicks kick all the sand around with curious glee.
I typed this to boast, but also gave specs & details hoping that it might help someone else the way previous posts have helped me. Just trying to pay it forward. Thanks to all the BYCers who posted coop/run pics that inspired me and educated me.
Here's the run and the shed:
Here's a similar shot, only this was after I dragged over my chairs from my deck so that I could sit and stare at the run like a fool:
Here's a shot of the hen house inside the run.
Here's the inside of the hen house with the nest boxes. To the left, out of view is the roost bar.
Here's a shot looking toward the run door and feeders. The chickies look so little in comparison to their new home.
Here's Ducky (who's clearly not a duck but a Cochin) hanging out on the ramp. She seems to like it.
Here's Millie, a Mille Fleur D'Uccle, enjoying the new big girl waterer.
I thought of posting pics of the 5 Silkies, but they weren't in the mood to be photographed. They just wanted to run around like the little spazzes that they are.
Lastly, a shot from my lap, balancing a pale of scratch between my knees and taking pics of the happy chicks.
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