Google Sketchup Coop Design

[clarkestep]

Quote:
I personally would put the next boxes on the side where you have the hinged wall, and put the hinged wall where you now have the nest boxes. The reason being is that you may get water run-off in your nest boxes from the roof. Sometimes I've had to collect eggs in the rain and a lot of water is running off my roof. My nest boxes are where your hinged wall is. And I really like how you have the hinged ventilation doors that can open and close. I need to go out and put plastic bags over the vents under the 'short' side of the roof.... DH and I didn't think of that when he built ours.

 

[ShockValue]

Thanks for the comments and ideas everyone. Keep them coming

I wanted to work on the "run" tonight, so here is version III...

 

[Amiga]

It's a beauty, ShockValue!

 

[jenjscott]

OK, SV, so when did you say you were coming to build it?

 

[jpace]

I like the V3 model. Will you be burying the edges of the chicken wire?

I have been meaning to play with Sketchup - are their any online tutorials about it?

Looks great!

John

 

[OverEggstended]

I myself have been playing with SketchUp. Not quite on topic, but...

How did you post the pics? Just save to google (which mine does not want to seem to do) and then change to a jpeg?

 

[ShockValue]

JPace - I'll bury the chicken wire if it ends up on dirt. We also have a large concrete pad that's left over from an old double-wide that was on the property that I've been considering building the coop on. There's tons of videos on YouTube for SketchUp tutorials.

OverEggstended - Low tech method: Print Screen, then paste into mspaint. Crop and save as jpg

 

[clarkestep]

Quote:
I still think the water run-off may be a problem, but if you put a gutter along the roof line it would stop it. If you add a gutter you could catch the run off for a waterer.

One thing also that I see (because of my own poor design) that may be of help......

under the coop where you have it wired off and you have their food..... make the side under your nest boxes a take off wire panel or a wire door so you can easily change out the food and water. That way you don't have to walk all the way across the run to get to it. We made a stationary self feeder that I can add food without going into the coop, but I can't get to it to clean out the dirt when the birds kick it in there, without having to crawl under the actual coop.... a bad design flaw. I'm going to have to make some adjustments on my run soon.

We also have our run door close to the actual coop and not on the end of the run. Not that it would make much of a difference, unless you plan to close the chicken door every night. Then you wouldn't have to walk all the way through the run. Less poop on the shoes! LOL

 

[ShockValue]

clarkestep - About the chicken feed/water things. I just threw those in there for effect, but I think I'm going to make one of those cool PVC pipe feeders that has it's own post here in the forum. I haven't gotten around to modeling one of those yet!

Either way, you're right about making it easily accessable. I'll have to think that through.

Anyone have a physics engine with a fluid dynamics modeler so I can see how the rain will fall?

 

[jaboo81]

Love it but get more chicks!!