Helpful hints for building coops

[igorsMistress]

Wow, super fast build! Do you have a light inside? Thanks for posting .

No electricity in it, but we have street lights here so not necessary. I can go out without a flashlight and see everyone on the roost no problem.

@jvls1942 no plans really other than size. Even the interior wasn't planned much. We went to home depot and looked at what sizes of plywood we could get and limited how much sawing we would have to do. Also @ 6x12 we didn't have to cut 2×4s or 2x2s. The roof panels were the right size etc.

The interior isn't painted, but I used a roller for the outside. Inside will be white washed next spring.

 

[jvls1942]

I would use a roller and paint the inside with a good oil based paint.
then you can go in once a year and hose everything down without doing any damage to the wood.
hosing gets rid of cobwebs and dust/dander.
you can use an air compressor to do this also. just set up a good fan at the door blowing out. get the dust airborne with the spray nozzle and compressor and the fan will blow it out the door. fresh air will come in above the fan..
the compressor and spray nozzle works to clean out the inside of your car, too. better than a vacuum cleaner.
I haven't tried it inside out house,
though.

 

[jeria]

Agreed fast, mine has taken forever it seems, a few things have slowed it down though. I feel like I have spent my entire summer working on it.

We do!! Messing with my main drain backing up today, wouldn't happen during the week when I was off. Now will have to schedule my plumber for after work and mess with slowly slowly doing a bit of laundry and dishes today. Waiting for the world outside to dry out after an early morning thunderstorm.

 

[Parront]

I read years back when people were sick of these all-reigning HOA's establishing their own rules when the City/County allowed differently. I hope some of these residents shut down some of the s**t that the HOA's put on folks. I pay over $1,000/month for my house payment, and will be damned what I can/cannot grow or raise any animal, vegetable, mineral in my huge, bricked-in backyard.

I am looking for a nice place, and I am not even looking at a place with an HOA. If they think that limiting the number of buyers is raising their property values, they are incorrect.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Back at it, i cut some boards and plywood for the back door. I have to borrow the extension cord from the brooder so i cut quick and hook it back up. It will be nice when we get power to the new work shop. Going back out after a break to do some painting and assembly.
I meant to add a hint i use when cutting wood. When i am done measuring twice, i mark an x on the piece i am not using. Then i can tell which are scraps without measuring and if i am looking for a small piece of wood, i know it is not part of my project.

 

[Parront]

Back at it, i cut some boards and plywood for the back door. I have to borrow the extension cord from the brooder so i cut quick and hook it back up. It will be nice when we get power to the new work shop. Going back out after a break to do some painting and assembly.

You are a hard worker, I am tired just reading your log here!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Some days i just want to lay around the house, but i have another building to put up after this one. A goat shed, which will need to be bigger! Plus the three chickens are picking on the guineas, who need more space. They grew up so fast!

 

[Parront]

I found this cute small A-frame coop plan on the Re-Store site. Someone here mentioned liking an A-frame.
http://re-store.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/diy-restore-coop_detail.pdf
I think this size would be easy to move around the yard. I am looking for a little bigger size, though.

 

[jeria]

Some days i just want to lay around the house, but i have another building to put up after this one. A goat shed, which will need to be bigger! Plus the three chickens are picking on the guineas, who need more space. They grew up so fast!

I understand that... trying to re-model my house and I start a chicken coop. What was I thinkin? Well back to work. I have to have the chicks moved out so when the plumber comes he can get his big machine through my laundry room to the main drain. Right now he can't. No where else in the house is safe from Ruby cat.

 

[Bobby Basham]

My 3 daughters are all the same married spouses who all now have their own businesses. They all work hard and have been successful at what they do. Their kids all work as well and have been active in sports. IE: One granddaughter works part time, is an All American Cheerleader, co-captain of her cheer and dance teams, plays softball (their high school team won state the past 2 years) and is on the honor roll. I didn't have help this summer on the coop because all the kids had jobs including the 4 --15 yo boys our schedules weren't meshing. I'm proud of my kids and grandkids.

You've also done good, Jeria, and there's still hope for this world. Someone mentioned about young boys sitting around playing video games all day, and it just tripped my trigger. I should have kept my mouth shut and let it slide, but that didn't happen. Anything I've said here wasn't directed at any parents or grand parents, but it's nice to know that you and others have successful children and grandchildren.

My main issue was that some of these young folks need to take life more seriously, because their gravy train won't last forever.

No offense was intentionally given and I hope none was taken. I just worry that some of these kids won't know how to stand on their own when the time arrives, so they need to be prepared.

Being a minority, I really had to work hard to prove myself, because we were unjustly held to a different standard back in the day, and my Dad warned me to be prepared. To this day, I have excellent credit and my score is peaking around 820, not too shabby.

Oops, this is a Chicken Thread. Are any of you working on any summer projects, whether it be hatching, special breeding, coup construction? Your ideas are truly amazing and they're really helping me redefine my coup build and other things to include in my run. The run just needs to be totally screened in with my 1/4" hardware cloth, but I keep procrastinating on the coop itself, constantly going back to the drawing board. Something that simple shouldn't be so complicated, but I want the best for my hens and have it done right the FIRST time.--BB