Helpful hints for building coops

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Making progress on the pallet run...
View attachment 1955552
Outside
View attachment 1955554
Inside. You can see how I joined the pallets with the green pieces of wood.

Very neat Cap. It's not easy to recycle and get a good looking chook run!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Bread takes practice, I've eaten a lot of funky loaves.
I make all my bread and use the foil packets of dry active yeast.
Nothing fancy just basic half WW half white with soaked cereal grains mixed in.
Sometimes I mess around with buns, or epi loaf, or pizza flats.
View attachment 1955997

Yum! I'm getting hungry just looking Aart!

 

[buddyellie]

The first thing you want to do before planning a coop is to speak to your family and get their imput. Especially if you want help on your project.
Second, you need to check restrictions and ordinances in your area to see if you can legally own fowl in your area. You don't want to go to the time and effort and expense of building a coop only to find that chickens are not permitted.
Next, decide how many chickens you want and whether they should be large fowl or bantams. Then you can look up how much space each needs to live.
Then get some graph paper to sketch out your design. I count sqares running horizontally and vertically, then decide on a scale. Usually, two squares equal one foot. Unless it's a small coop. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just gets your idea down on paper to refer to as you work. I do a floor plan, and a sketch of each wall and the roof. Mark where each board will go. This will help you estimate how much wood you will need. I will post a sample of my design for a coop later. Right now i need to get back outside and work on the guinea tractor.

The first thing you want to do before planning a coop is to speak to your family and get their imput. Especially if you want help on your project.
Second, you need to check restrictions and ordinances in your area to see if you can legally own fowl in your area. You don't want to go to the time and effort and expense of building a coop only to find that chickens are not permitted.
Next, decide how many chickens you want and whether they should be large fowl or bantams. Then you can look up how much space each needs to live.
Then get some graph paper to sketch out your design. I count sqares running horizontally and vertically, then decide on a scale. Usually, two squares equal one foot. Unless it's a small coop. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just gets your idea down on paper to refer to as you work. I do a floor plan, and a sketch of each wall and the roof. Mark where each board will go. This will help you estimate how much wood you will need. I will post a sample of my design for a coop later. Right now i need to get back outside and work on the guinea tractor.

I found that our county didn't allow backyard chickens and set out to get the law changed. It took some time to get approval by eventually the law got changed.

 

[jvls1942]

I guess I really don't understand the term county.up here we begin with state, then county, then township, then city, village and wide spot along the road which are often called a "ville". ie: Nutterville, Taegesville.
the Nutter and Taege are old family names..
I can't imagine a whole county banning chickens.
supposed to go below zero tonight.
DD picked up the extra freezer . Her friend will take the parts washer and both mopeds.
good...gaining space is good..
.....jiminwisc......

 

[CapricornFarm]

Very neat Cap. It's not easy to recycle and get a good looking chook run!

Thanks, I wish the weather would cooperate so I could finish. I had too much winter prep going on today.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I found that our county didn't allow backyard chickens and set out to get the law changed. It took some time to get approval by eventually the law got changed.

Good for you!

 

[jvls1942]

-2 F for early morning tomorrow.
glad I don't have chickens to water and feed.
I am getting absolutely nothing done with the cold temps.
tomorrow I think I will gather up all the extension cords and bring them into the house. I have enough new ends to make about 4 good cords.
Ollie is leaking oil from somewhere. I am thinking / hoping it is a hydraulic steering cylinder. easy fix..
......jiminwisc........

 

[aart]

Can you say 'Lake Effect'?
We got 5" yesterday('regular' storm)...then ~16" of lake effect overnight.
It's supposed to keep churning all morning, until the 30mph winds start up and fill the path I shoveled to coop. At least I got out there to feed and close upper windows.
Winds can still blow snow in thru upper eaves, was gonna fix that, but it didn't happen soon enough.
Still need to change over tractor from mow to throw. Sigh.
NOT what I wanted to do the day after a tooth extraction(whine),
luckily it doesn't feel too bad.

Coop path.

 

[Molpet]

Can you say 'Lake Effect'?
We got 5" yesterday('regular' storm)...then ~16" of lake effect overnight.
It's supposed to keep churning all morning, until the 30mph winds start up and fill the path I shoveled to coop. At least I got out there to feed and close upper windows.
Winds can still blow snow in thru upper eaves, was gonna fix that, but it didn't happen soon enough.
Still need to change over tractor from mow to throw. Sigh.
NOT what I wanted to do the day after a tooth extraction(whine),
luckily it doesn't feel too bad.

View attachment 1957563

Coop path.
View attachment 1957564

I guess I will be grateful for 2" and 6f

 

[Molpet]

-2 F for early morning tomorrow.
glad I don't have chickens to water and feed.
I am getting absolutely nothing done with the cold temps.
tomorrow I think I will gather up all the extension cords and bring them into the house. I have enough new ends to make about 4 good cords.
Ollie is leaking oil from somewhere. I am thinking / hoping it is a hydraulic steering cylinder. easy fix..
......jiminwisc........

hope it is an easy fix