?for Buff Hooligans

[urbanchickees]

We are getting our first chickens in days and we are starting our coop. We were going with a small coop design but then I cam across your pictures. I LOVE your coop. I was wanting to know the demensions of it. The height in the middle of the house and how tall your run is. Also the vents at the top front/back do you have wire behind those and do you close them in colder weather. I also noticed that it is close to your main house. Is there much of a smell with it? I know I have a lot of questions but we want to do it right the first time so we aren't rebuilding down the road. TIA!!!

 

[CityChook]

I heart her coop, too. And you'll never meet a nicer person! Luv ya, Buff!

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Hey Citychook, don't go ruining my lean mean smart-aleck reputation here on BYC!

Urbanchickees, when I go home tonight, I'll take some measurements and post them to you tomorrow (Friday) morning.

One thing I can tell you off the bat is that the run seems tall - until you try to go in there to rake and give treats. Then it's whack, whack, whack the front of my head, the top of my head and the back of my head. The run height was determined by that's where the coop roof edge ended up. It seemed visually logical to make the run at that height.

The coop is indeed very close to our house. (My dad was horrified, remembering farm chicken setups when he was a kid in the 1930's.) But I wanted to be able to sit at our dining room table and watch the girls. In the full year now that we've had chickens, smell has never been a problem. The only time I notice any smell at all, is when I'm IN the run after it's rained for days on end and the accumulated poo has stayed moist. Chicken poo dries up quickly normally. And it only smells when it's moist.

Regarding the coop vents, we did put hardware cloth over them because we felt they are made of relatively soft, bendable aluminum which a raccoon would have a field day with. We never covered them with anything during the winter, but our temps never got below 20 or so, and our house protects the coop from too much wind (except for that wicked Nor'easter).

More tomorrow,
Buff

 

[urbanchickees]

Thanks so much Buff. i want to be able to see our girls too and at first we were talking about hiding it behind my husbands woodshop. After putting all that work into it I think it would be a shame to hide it. Oh and one more thing do you go in to collect your eggs or do you have an outside hatch to get them?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Urbanchickees, here's the dimensions. My husband went out with his measuring tape last night, and I followed him around with a pad and pencil like a government aide!

Coop:
Floor of coop to roof peak (outside measurement) = 6 feet
The red painted base is 1 foot high, so the total coop height is 7 feet.

Width of coop (front door side) = 4 feet 2 inches
Length = 5 1/2 feet


Run:
From ground to top = 4 1/2 feet
The wood forming the base is 4" x 4" wood, partially buried.
Length = 12 feet
Width = 5 1/2 feet


Regarding collecting eggs, we have to open the big door to get them. But the nestbox is hung just inside the door, so we don't have to step into the coop to get them.

Hope this helps,
Buff

 

[urbanchickees]

Thank you so much and please tell your hubby thanks for me also!! I will post a picture of our rendition once it is complete!!

 

[urbanchickees]

Buff just wanted to send you a quick update. We finished our coop this evening and picked up our 3 girls right after. They a quietly resting in there new digs. We copied your design, but on a bit smaller scale. I love how it turned out. We did put our nest box off the back with a hinged roof for easy access, that was about the only design change we made. I will post pictures tomorrow. Thank you again for all your info.

 

[urbanchickees]

i am learning to upload photos hope this works. Finished coop, still need to paint the star so that it stands out against the door. We are also landscaping around it and putting in pavers. But that is for another weekend

The other side. And a pic of my girls!!!

 

[Cetawin]

Oh what a fitting tribute to BuffHooligan's coop.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

Charming coop! Just perfect for a suburban backyard.

How in the world can anyone consider this a 'livestock' operation?
I'm thinking these improvements will add considerably to your home's equity.

Carla