Happy dance- coop is almost done!

[Folly's place]

Love it!
However, your hardware cloth is not attached well enough. Add wood strips, screwed into the framing over all the edges, including the hardware cloth. Also consider 2"x 4" woven wire over at least the lower section of the screen door, over it's hardware cloth.
Cheap sheet vinyl would be good over the wood floor, although if the wood floor is dry, rubber stall mats work very well too. Anything to make things easier! Cleaning daily is a pain, consider deeper shavings and clean-out a couple times each year instead. It's a management choice, give yourself options.
Can you open a chicken door to the outside for a run? Or add a full sized door? And having that window opened almost all the time would be good, especially if you change it to hinge from the top, so when opened, it acts as an awning.
Mary

 

[KnightsMist]

Love it!
However, your hardware cloth is not attached well enough. Add wood strips, screwed into the framing over all the edges, including the hardware cloth. Also consider 2"x 4" woven wire over at least the lower section of the screen door, over it's hardware cloth.
Cheap sheet vinyl would be good over the wood floor, although if the wood floor is dry, rubber stall mats work very well too. Anything to make things easier! Cleaning daily is a pain, consider deeper shavings and clean-out a couple times each year instead. It's a management choice, give yourself options.
Can you open a chicken door to the outside for a run? Or add a full sized door? And having that window opened almost all the time would be good, especially if you change it to hinge from the top, so when opened, it acts as an awning.
Mary

Hi, yes I still have modifications to make the coop. It will have a pop door out to a fenced in run- as soon as we build it..!

Modifying the window unfortunately is not an option for us but the barn is open 24/7 unless stormy weather, so there is plenty of ventilation and fresh air.

The screen door has hardware cloth over it as well, I don't intend to modify it further. Many of my options are limited by a historic preservation agreement on our property- we need approval from the historic society to make any changes. Thus, I'm trying to keep modifications to a minimum, to remain with the current aesthetic of the barn.

As I have over 9 years having horses and donkeys at home, I imagine my chicken keeping practices and structures may change over time to adjust to needs, with regard to cleaning etc. My preference for now is to not have any other material over the floor and adjust down the road if needed.

 

[Suzz]

Looks great you’ll have some very happy spoiled chickens!

 

[BleuSaphir]

Fantastic!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

We are building a coop in my existing barn (circa 1800s) that presently houses my horse and 2 mini donkeys. Last weekend I cleaned out the area (was being used for random storage) and pulled down some shelving and boards to clear the area. We finished the shell today- it is now fully enclosed! Next I need to add roost bars and poop boards and then nest boxes. But I'm so thrilled with how this came out and had to share!!

All wood was reused from other areas of the barn and the green door was just in a pile in the attic of the barn- so the aesthetic is maintained and you would never know we just built it! I'll share more when things are further along.

Before: open storage area
In process: All cleared out ready to build
Now: coop is enclosed! Wood boards and hardware cloth top to bottom, and has an existing wood floor.

I love it! Thanks for sharing. It looks great!

 

[KnightsMist]

Uodated pix. We finally finished the roost and poop boards over the weekend. Still need to build nest boxes, but I have time. I had a grand idea abour building our run, but we may outsource it to a pro since we don't have a lot of spare time to get it done.

Girls are currently free ranging during the day and love scratching around and hiding in our lilac and forsythia bushes. Lots of bugs and space where they can also be shaded from the sun and protected from some predators. It will be nice to have the fenced run done soon though.

 

[3KillerBs]

Uodated pix. We finally finished the roost and poop boards over the weekend. Still need to build nest boxes, but I have time. I had a grand idea abour building our run, but we may outsource it to a pro since we don't have a lot of spare time to get it done.

Girls are currently free ranging during the day and love scratching around and hiding in our lilac and forsythia bushes. Lots of bugs and space where they can also be shaded from the sun and protected from some predators. It will be nice to have the fenced run done soon though.

It's looking good!

 

[KnightsMist]

I don't know who first invented poop boards but now that I have them I understand why they are the #1 most recommended item to folks building coops! So, so easy to clean. Girls are loving the new roost

Tomorrow is day 1 of building their run- I decided to outsource part of the job, so the frame and 'roof' (just 2x4 welded wire, not solid) will be done tomorrow, hope to get the hardware cloth up next week. Wish us luck!

 

[KnightsMist]

We now have a run....sort of!!! The framing and top are done, my husband and I will finish it next week. Pretty pleased with it thus far! Well worth hiring someone to do it for us, DH and I are just not this handy. We will finish with hardware cloth on all sides, hardware on the door, adding roosts etc to the inside, and prettying up the outside a bit. Dimensions are approx 21'x16' (Excuse the mix of new and old posts, and PT and non-PT wood- was done for a reason.)

 

[3KillerBs]

We now have a run....sort of!!! The framing and top are done, my husband and I will finish it next week. Pretty pleased with it thus far! Well worth hiring someone to do it for us, DH and I are just not this handy. We will finish with hardware cloth on all sides, hardware on the door, adding roosts etc to the inside, and prettying up the outside a bit. Dimensions are approx 21'x16' (Excuse the mix of new and old posts, and PT and non-PT wood- was done for a reason.)

It looks great.