- Feb 4, 2011
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Moved to the country a few months ago and promised the family we'd get a coop built. There is a monthly market near us where they have a lot of laying hens for sale, so I promised that I'd get something built before the next one (now only 6 days from now). I am getting close to finishing, but I am really running on a tight schedule. I just wanted to run some of my concerns/plans by some of you folks with experience. I've been reading the forum for some time now.
We have an outbuilding that is 2/3rd concrete slab, and 1/3 was a dirt floor that had a couple of horse stalls. The concrete portion has been covered with mats and a make-shift gym that we use. Rather than buy or build a shed outside, I decided to repurpose one of the horse stalls, using the wood from two to create a 12X12 coop 8' tall. There are two windows in this stall. I stacked up the 2 stall doors to make one large entry door from inside the outbuilding to inside the coop. Overhead, I just strung 1" hex wire. The box portion of the coop is completed, but I still need to add perches, nest boxes, and a pop door. There is a large light overhead, and electrical outlets near the coop.
The dirt floor in the coop tends to get damp when it rains. Not so much from leaks, but from seepage. For this reason, I have put down a 3" layer of pea gravel, and plan to put shavings on top of that. My first point of anxiety is whether this area is going to stay too damp and cause too much odor inside the outbuilding? I have already resigned myself to the fact that I may have to build something new outside if it happens, but any advice here is appreciated.
Outside, I have put down and buried hardware cloth around the exterior of the outbuilding around the entire perimeter where there is not a concrete slab. I contructed most of my pen outside (approximately 24X36 X 6' tall) using 4X4 posts, 1X6 boards, and 1" hex wire again. Because of uneven and sloping ground, I tried to keep the fence fairly level, and use an apron around the pen of more 1" hex wire. It looks fairly nice, but because the outbuilding and a nearby white horse fence are at different angles, I had to make something that isn't a true rectangle. I put some interior posts up ( I have a few more to go) and then I plan to cover the top with more 1" hex wire and then cover about half the pen with a large camo net to create some shade.
I am getting pretty worked up over finishing this pen in time and having it look OK despite some wierd angles. Somebody tell me not to worry about it
I am trying to make the set-up as predator proof as feasible. My main concern during the day is hawks, which is why I will put wire on the top. Other predators will mostly be at night (coyote, fox, raccoon, dogs). I'm pretty secure with the hardware cloth around the building perimeter and they will be in at night, but I still question whether I should have gone heavier on the pen construction?
I will try to post some pictures later, and I can always make some changes as time goes on. I really just need to get something that is workable enough to bring home some chickens next Sunday.
Thanks for this site, and all of the information I have been able to find along the way. A couple of other questions:
1. How high to place nest boxes and perches? (coop is 8' tall)
2. Feed and water inside or out or both?
3. Helpful hints for keeping coop dry and odor free?
We have an outbuilding that is 2/3rd concrete slab, and 1/3 was a dirt floor that had a couple of horse stalls. The concrete portion has been covered with mats and a make-shift gym that we use. Rather than buy or build a shed outside, I decided to repurpose one of the horse stalls, using the wood from two to create a 12X12 coop 8' tall. There are two windows in this stall. I stacked up the 2 stall doors to make one large entry door from inside the outbuilding to inside the coop. Overhead, I just strung 1" hex wire. The box portion of the coop is completed, but I still need to add perches, nest boxes, and a pop door. There is a large light overhead, and electrical outlets near the coop.
The dirt floor in the coop tends to get damp when it rains. Not so much from leaks, but from seepage. For this reason, I have put down a 3" layer of pea gravel, and plan to put shavings on top of that. My first point of anxiety is whether this area is going to stay too damp and cause too much odor inside the outbuilding? I have already resigned myself to the fact that I may have to build something new outside if it happens, but any advice here is appreciated.
Outside, I have put down and buried hardware cloth around the exterior of the outbuilding around the entire perimeter where there is not a concrete slab. I contructed most of my pen outside (approximately 24X36 X 6' tall) using 4X4 posts, 1X6 boards, and 1" hex wire again. Because of uneven and sloping ground, I tried to keep the fence fairly level, and use an apron around the pen of more 1" hex wire. It looks fairly nice, but because the outbuilding and a nearby white horse fence are at different angles, I had to make something that isn't a true rectangle. I put some interior posts up ( I have a few more to go) and then I plan to cover the top with more 1" hex wire and then cover about half the pen with a large camo net to create some shade.
I am getting pretty worked up over finishing this pen in time and having it look OK despite some wierd angles. Somebody tell me not to worry about it

I am trying to make the set-up as predator proof as feasible. My main concern during the day is hawks, which is why I will put wire on the top. Other predators will mostly be at night (coyote, fox, raccoon, dogs). I'm pretty secure with the hardware cloth around the building perimeter and they will be in at night, but I still question whether I should have gone heavier on the pen construction?
I will try to post some pictures later, and I can always make some changes as time goes on. I really just need to get something that is workable enough to bring home some chickens next Sunday.
Thanks for this site, and all of the information I have been able to find along the way. A couple of other questions:
1. How high to place nest boxes and perches? (coop is 8' tall)
2. Feed and water inside or out or both?
3. Helpful hints for keeping coop dry and odor free?