How a bookkeeper built a coop. :)

[KettermanHillCoop]

I'm a bookkeeper...not a carpenter. I never built a thing...well maybe a hut out of tree limbs as a kid. I was in a mad rush this past weekend to build a home for a little flock I was rescuing from my work. (Assclowns dumped them off). I used whatever I could find cluttering up the shop for building materials.

The abode needs some tweaking...predator prevention and weather protection...(and bigger) but this is what I have thus far. Oh...and a pic of the 4 of the 5 girls I was able to capture last night. (Hoping to get the last one tonight).

Any suggestions on improvements would be fantastic! Just remember...the chickens probably have a higher skill level in the carpentry arena than I do.

 

[nminusyplusm]

Wow, great job! Those are some lucky chickens, thank you for rescuing them!

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I think the coop looks really good for somebody that doesn't have a lot of experience! Yes, maybe making it a tad bit bigger would be a good idea, unless your chickens don't look like they use a lot of space, mine don't even though our coop is pretty big and has a lot of run space.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

That's really nice! How long did it take you to build?

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Wow, great job! Those are some lucky chickens, thank you for rescuing them!

I agree they are pretty lucky to have gone from being dumped to having an amazing home!

 

[AllenK RGV]

I'm a bookkeeper...not a carpenter. I never built a thing...well maybe a hut out of tree limbs as a kid. I was in a mad rush this past weekend to build a home for a little flock I was rescuing from my work. (Assclowns dumped them off). I used whatever I could find cluttering up the shop for building materials.

The abode needs some tweaking...predator prevention and weather protection...(and bigger) but this is what I have thus far. Oh...and a pic of the 4 of the 5 girls I was able to capture last night. (Hoping to get the last one tonight).

Any suggestions on improvements would be fantastic! Just remember...the chickens probably have a higher skill level in the carpentry arena than I do. View attachment 1168456 View attachment 1168457 View attachment 1168458 View attachment 1168459

Woohooo!! You caught them, congratulations!

 

[biophiliac]

Great job! Super photos!
and ...

 

[AllenK RGV]

Follow on projects I would recommend:
1)hardware cloth>chicken wire to any ventilation i.e. windows and gaps under eaves to deter predators.
2)Stain or paint to help your coop go the distance and improve resilience to water damage/deforming.
3)Locking pop door for the chicken.

above is minimalist approach, below is more the paranoid approach:

4)figure out how to deter any digging predators with concrete or a buried barrier.


I would estimate you need 10 or less total feet of hardware cloth from the pictures to cover your ventilation. So a cheapie 2x5' roll? I personally would opt for a good lock on the front door and cover the inside portions of every opening run+coop with the hardware cloth but by the time you do that you will run $50+.

Excellent job on the coop I am so very surprised you found the time to do such a nice job on that.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

That's really nice! How long did it take you to build?

2 Days

 

[JurassicBawk]

Very nice. I believe that you already said you were going to replace/cover the chicken wire with hardwire mesh, so that will be a big help with predators. You might want to attach it on the sides then extend it down and out on the yard to prevent anything from digging under as well.

If you want to add a bigger run later, check to see how much chain-link panels (like for a dog run) are in your area. I found 10x10 runs (6' tall, 3 panels plus a panel with a built -in gate) for $200 in my area at a local co-op store. I used that as the basis for my coop, then covered it in hardwire mesh and netting for more protection. It was easier than me trying to figure out how to do it with door/wire with my skill set, especially for the gate. You could always put this whole coop/house inside the pen for more protection like I did. I got 4' tall hardwire mesh and attached it 2.5 feet off the ground on the chainlink, then out 1.5 feet on the ground for a digging barrier. For the top portion of the chainlink and roof/covering, I used bird netting since it was easier to work with and much cheaper.