First coop feedback

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I would agree with the others when they say possibly replace that screen with hardware cloth so nothing can get into them. Looks great though! I love the style.

 

[Torch404]

Help

I could use some advice. I just eyeball-ed the dog house I'm using for the hen house. Well I was thinking I might get 4 hens but my house is a little tight. I actually brought out the tape measure it's 32 inches by 29 inches, plus what will be about 15 inch square nesting box. I don't know if that counts for house space, but without it I'll have just shy of 6.5 sqr feet. I will have food and water in the run and apart from some sporadic but intense rain we have no winter to speak of. My run is at the 10 sqr feet for four birds, but I'm thinking three would be the max to go with.

But in that tiny space I need roosts. My paint skills are lacking so please excuse poor plan picture, they are from the top down.

On the parallel set up they would have less then 10 Inches between roost and wall and next roost. Is that too close to consider? I'm leaning more towards the diagonal set up. But I'd like to know what you think. Which looks better and why? Max birds, not banties, 2-4 in that set up?

I can always expand upwards in the future and make it two levels.

Advice please

 

[Torch404]

The winds of luck have blown my way!!!!

In stead of that small dog house which I was very sad to be squeezing a couple of birds into, my friend had a box

. A six foot tall five by five plywood box! one side is two full length doors, it already has holes cut for easy ventilation, and I can mount the floor half way way up and make everything SPACIOUS for four bird.

The winds of luck have also blown in some rain and I might not be able to work on it till the weekend after next. Hopefully things will clear up. I will post once I get something going.

 

[chicken_angler]

Do you have pics of your great find? It sounds good!

Cody!!

 

[Torch404]

It's been a simply beautiful day. Here's what I got done.
As I said before it is six foot tall and five by five. The dimensions may have changed slightly due to having to brace everything up.

The door did not line up after I braced everything. I'm planning on mounting a board to overlap the length.

Here is a side view. I'm going to cut out the existing hole more and make that the egg gathering door.

Here's the door open. The floor is about 2 foot up leaving about 4 foot for the rest.

Top side. I need to cut a hole and build a ladder so they can get to the lower level. How big a hole do I need?

I'm going to cut an exit here that will go out to the run.

I still need to paint it. I'm busy begging for exterior pain on CL. I need to screen in the roof and extend the edge so rain can not get in. And boy do we get the rain.

Let me know what you think and what I should change. Thanks!

 

[chicken_angler]

Dang thats a great find! I would have love to found that! I am not sure on how big to cut the door for underneath. Are you still going to use the white run you made?

Cody!!

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
This looks like hardware cloth to me. Am I missing something?

 

[Torch404]

Yes the bottom is going to open into the the triangular run I made.

It's the only screen I have and it is pretty sturdy so hard ware cloth or not it's what I'm using.

 

[Torch404]

I got chickens. Every thing is mostly together and working great. Still lots more I need to do to be finished.

Here is the run pushed up against the house. I need to cover the gap between the two.

I may also figure out some board to slide between the two so I can cut off the run from the coop. Here is my run access. The two panels open. I zip tied some corrugated roofing to cover the big holes. It seemed to flimsy to use on the roof.

Here is the egg door. It's a little awkward but over the milk crate inside. The gray paint is a gallon of free old exterior paint. I still have a lot more painting but I did get two coats on the bottom

The front will look better when painted

Here is the bottom section. They still haven't figured out the ladder. I've been carrying them up and down every morning and night. Any ideas? I put food on the ladder but it did not seem to help. I'm going to try adding one more step higher up to see if that helps but I'm not sure. How to train them to use it.

The top part. I've seen them all on the roost at various times but not when they are sleeping. I've even tried putting them up there. No luck. Maybe once I get the windows installed...oh yah got some small free windows at the recycling center. It will make the top part less dark.

Here's the ladder hole from the top. At night I'm covering it with a piece of plywood and a cinder block which I put their food and water on. That should keep most stuff out.

Tell me what you think I need to put eves of some sort to keep rain from getting in the top. Any advice?

 

[redoak]

Nice job and great job recycling materials