Found Possible Shortcut!!!!, Suggestions?

[4hLuvers]

Ok...so i have been asking all you GREAT bycers a lot of questions about coops/runs. We are ready to begin building the coop and still need some sort of shortcut. So, we were wandering around OSH yesterday and came across a small shed around 3' by 4'. So, my question is, would this make a good possible coop? and, would rats chew through the plastic floor?

THANKS SO MUCH! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!

-4hLuvers

 

[black404]

I think that would be great.... but I used a pallet for the bottom of my coup.

It measured aout at 4'x4' roughly and the board are about a half inch apart.

Then, I just built walls and a roof for it ... I got the plans free on the web somewhere.

The only worry that I have is if the spacing of the boards is toowide and causing a draft. And if this is adraft or not?And if it isnt a draft is this is too much air.

I put stackable boxes inside the coup...now I am thinking a bout a light or a bathfan with heat to distribute the air and warm all in the same unit.

 

[patandchickens]

If you put it raised a couple feet off the ground, which will also make it more convenient for you to reach into to clean and it will give a covered area underneath so they have some protected run area during bad weather, you should not have so much of a rat problem unless you are in a SERIOUSLY rat infested area. Rats prefer to stay in relatively concealed locations to do their chewing-through-of-things; an airy run space under the coop will not be nearly so appealing to them. Of course you need to make sure the coop is securely attached to a securely-footed base so's it doesn't incline to tip over.

4x3 isn't much space, though... even for just 3 chickens it will be tight if you are going to put food and/or water in there too. Make sure you know how you're going to furnish it and how many chickens (max) you may wind up with.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[cloudlet]

Hi,

I was in a similar place earlier this summer. I have 4 chickies and was going through all the different ways I could make their coop when I came across a children's playhouse at our local big box hardware store. It had been marked down to a price that I could barely buy the parts for, so i bought it and put it together for the girls. It's 4' x 4' x 6' at the peak. It has a lovely dutch door and two windows. I had to build a floor for it. I put it up on 4"x4"s and closed the space off with chicken wire. I live in Colorado, where it can get chilly, so i insulated it with 1" bead board and then covered that with a coated masonite that I held in place with glasers points. I covered the windows with 1/4" hardware cloth and put the reflective bubble pack that's used as an insulator on the inside roof.

I added a roost and put in a dog door as their in and out door. As for room for their food and water, I added 2"x2"s across at the top of the walls and suspended the food and water containers from there. As it turns out, the girls prefer to roost way up there than on the roost I provided. I'm amazed that they can get up that high in such a narrow space, but they do! I did have to put a slanted board over the food container though, because the kept roosting over it and pooping into it. (Silly girls)

We all seem to be quite happy with it. I would like a bit more space, but they have room to move around and flap their wings. The spend most of the day outside anyway.

Hope that helps!

(ps) I got my first eggs today! I'm so excited and surprised by them. We only have 10 hours/day of sun and I haven't put a light in the chicken hut, so it was a happy sight to see!

 

[4hLuvers]

CONGRATS ON YOUR FIRST EGGS!!!!!!!

 

[cloudlet]

Thank you so much! I'm hoping to find more tomorrow.

 

[tvtaber]

We have aplstic flor and have had no chewing issues. We have it on concrete blocks simply becuase it is on a hill and they level it out. If a rat wants in, he can just walk in through the pop-door!

 

[Chicken Salad]

Quote:
Congrats on your eggs!

You seem to have the same playhouse that I do. Thanks for some good suggestions on insulation and things. Eggscellent idea for the window bubbles!