First self built coop!

[Melly-Mae]

I know there are tons of beautiful coops on here, but with funds tight and my need immediate, I used what was available. It's my first time building one completely by myself and drawing up my own plans. My neighbor had old scrap wood he wanted to get rid of. Most was pretty badly warped and full of old screws and nails already, but I salvaged what I could and think I pulled off nothing short of almost magic! I still have to trim it out and paint it, but they are safe, and that was my goal. I still have a little scrap left if anyone sees anything missing. Or just has a cute idea to add. I will be "facing" the door with a solid sheet of wood once the temp starts dropping and sealing all gaps where cold winds can leak in when winters at it's worst.

 

[Boise-girls]

That's pretty cute, actually!

 

[Melly-Mae]

Than

That's pretty cute, actually!

Thank you!!!

 

[WIchickMama]

Amazing work, much better than I would be able to do. They look happy!

 

[suburbanfarmermi]

THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE A ROCK STAR!

I did have a concern about the nesting box hinge... wondering if the lid need to slope away from the coop.. It looks like the roof over hangs the nesting box..... But it would seem like snow and rain will still land on the nesting box lid and you would want it to run away from the coop vs towards it.

Another thing to consider ... instead of lifting the lid for nesting box access you might consider permanently fixing the lid/nesting box roof. Then cut an access door in the side... Similar to the one pictured below. Then you don't have to hold the lid up to access the eggs and depending on the height it may be easier to look for eggs and or clean out the nesting box... especially if you have little ones collecting eggs. If you do a side door make sure the opening is an inch or two above the floor of the nesting box so the eggs don't roll out when you open the door.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

I know there are tons of beautiful coops on here, but with funds tight and my need immediate, I used what was available. It's my first time building one completely by myself and drawing up my own plans. My neighbor had old scrap wood he wanted to get rid of. Most was pretty badly warped and full of old screws and nails already, but I salvaged what I could and think I pulled off nothing short of almost magic! I still have to trim it out and paint it, but they are safe, and that was my goal. I still have a little scrap left if anyone sees anything missing. Or just has a cute idea to add. I will be "facing" the door with a solid sheet of wood once the temp starts dropping and sealing all gaps where cold winds can leak in when winters at it's worst.

Wow! Great job! It looks amazing! Who will be living in there?

 

[Melly-Mae]

THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE A ROCK STAR!

I did have a concern about the nesting box hinge... wondering if the lid need to slope away from the coop.. It looks like the roof over hangs the nesting box..... But it would seem like snow and rain will still land on the nesting box lid and you would want it to run away from the coop vs towards it.

Another thing to consider ... instead of lifting the lid for nesting box access you might consider permanently fixing the lid/nesting box roof. Then cut an access door in the side... Similar to the one pictured below. Then you don't have to hold the lid up to access the eggs and depending on the height it may be easier to look for eggs and or clean out the nesting box... especially if you have little ones collecting eggs. If you do a side door make sure the opening is an inch or two above the floor of the nesting box so the eggs don't roll out when you open the door.

View attachment 2851283

First off, your kiddo is so dang cute with her little egg basket! That pic made my heart so happy! I really like your idea about the side door. I was already dreading the cleaning out of the boxes. The roof does extend just slightly past the nesting boxes, but I had been tryIng to think of how to water proof where the hinges are. Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[mrtoren]

Great work overall! It's tough to design and build a structure as complex as a chicken coop.

Here are a couple thoughts:

The flat roofs over the coop and nesting box give me some heartburn. It looks like you are in Oklahoma, which probably limits your exposure to frequent/significant snow and rainfall events. However, even an intermittent storm could cause some trouble. Sloping roofs are important for two primary reasons: 1) Controlled movement of liquid water off of the surface and away from the structure; and 2) Controlled movement snow off of the surface to prevent structural damage or collapse. You may not run into any issues immediately (or ever) but a sloping roof line over the coop and nesting box should be future considerations.

Decide whether you're Team 2x2, Team 2x4, or Team Natural for the roost. There are all sorts of opinions on the best roost shape. My review of the research led me to Team 2x2. It looks like you are using a 2x4, which, if your flock doesn't have issues with it, may be just fine.

Replace the chicken wire with hardware cloth. Chicken wire is meant to keep chickens in, not to keep predators out. There are many predators who can chew or break through chicken wire and attack your flock. The most concerning area I see chicken wire is over the coop windows. I recommend changing that to hardware cloth as soon as possible to prevent any predators from entering the coop.

Finally, do you have latches on the smaller chicken door and nesting box? Some resourceful critters, such as raccoons, are fully capable of opening doors, lids, and even simple locks (e.g. hook and loop). You'll want to secure these entry points to prevent predation.

 

[Melly-Mae]

Wow! Great job! It looks amazing! Who will be living in there?

Heck, I'm having a hard time even getting my girls to move in there! They are accustomed to roosting on my back stairs and are reluctant to leave. I've carried them to the coop 4 nights in a row now, but they are like NOPE! I've never had ones so stubborn. Lol

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Heck, I'm having a hard time even getting my girls to move in there! They are accustomed to roosting on my back stairs and are reluctant to leave. I've carried them to the coop 4 nights in a row now, but they are like NOPE! I've never had ones so stubborn. Lol

Sounds like they don’t appreciate all your hard work!