Indispensable Features?

[3riverschick]

I have become a big fan of covered runs. Especially if you get much rain.
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I use a colony house system and all my runs are covered. It makes it so much simpler to cean the run. Gives the birds
protection from the elements. Protects from predators. One simple way to cover a small colony run (6 by 14), large enough for
8 large fowl or 16 bantams......a neighbor was selling her above ground pool at a yard sale. The kind with the stiff fiberglass
sides 6 feet tall. Bought it for 25.00 .
Cut the fiberglass into 7 1/2 ft. lengths. Built the run and built a slight curve to the roof frame.
Then laid the fiberglass sheets crosswise across the run so the curve in the fiberglass matched the curve in the roof.
...overlapping the sheets a foot or less . Plus overlapping the ends and sides by a couple of inches to let the rain
and snow slide off this kind of roof . Handles the weather great!
I also raise all my colony houses. About 2 1/2 ft. of the ground. Then go to Lowe's an buy translucent carpet runner
protector (smooth, without bumps) which is this wide. Staple it to the outside 3 sides below the house. Now the birds have a 3 sided "cave"
beneath the house for shelter in foul weather but the light gets to come in too.
Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA

 

[galefrances]

A design that utilizes passive solar concepts is essential for me. Depending on where you live, you will also likely benefit from such a design.

Here is a picture of my work in progress. It is oriented south,south, east, which allows for additional late afternoon sun in the side window for that last solar "bump" before the sun goes down. Note the windows up high ( in this photo, the windows are boarded up because I was waiting on glass). The windows are covered with an eave. In the summer, when the sun is high in the horizon, the windows are shaded during the day. The same goes for most of the front facade, due to the large eave on the front (which also doubles as weather protection for the point of access).





Plenty of resources available online to walk you through the passive solar design process.
Here is a passive solar diagram that is almost identical to the concept that I utilized:




For my "heat absorbing panels" I will be locating my water tank for the automatic watering system at that location. 65 gallons of water makes one great solar reservoir.

Another "heat reservoir" is soap stone. I found a pile of remnants on craigslist for $25 dollars. The nice thing about soap stone is that you can work it with normal hand tools. I bought a 15 dollar circular saw blade at home depot for my skill saw. Seams are easy to make (which is common when using materials sourced from craigslist) - you just need to use epoxy to fill a crack between the two slabs. Here is a couple of photos of the installation in my coop. The countertops are directly below the west, south west window I was talking about above. The countertops hold heat well. You can walk into the coop a couple of hours after the sun has gone down and feel the warmth of the countertop with your hands. All about building the "solar charge" of the structure during the day to support the night.

WOW. This is the most well thought out coop I've seen. Would have never thought of solar.

 

[galefrances]

Quote: Bruce,thank you, this is just what I needed. Both my DH and I are more visual. I've been looking for a system like this so I don't have to haul the water out to the coop so frequently, and as you know, the regular waterers get so dirty. This is the simplest set up I've seen. Do you think the insulated bucket will be sufficient when the temps get down to near zero or below? I'm wondering if a small heater could be added. This will be our first winter with chickens and they're calling for a bad winter this year. And thanks for the heads up on the teflon.

 

[crazychickenwom]

There are some GREAT ideas on this page! I would like to add a few that I have found to be very useful, while of course I have been looking to add some of the previously mentioned ideas to my already "done" coop:


When I began my coop was going to be half the size of the one I ended up with, your idea to go with something bigger than you think you will need is an imperative one! Once I ordered my chicks, and then ordered again, and then discovered the AMAZING Buckeye chickens, and then turkeys, not to mention the creepy meat chickens, and then too many roos, I needed this double coop and then some. I have also converted a stock trailer into a pen for the turkeys and a movable tractor type for the meats... think big!

Also, this picture shows how my doors are the entire back half of the coops. They open all the way and the height is exactly right for the Gator to fit under to just scrape the bedding material etc into the bed and then go dump in the garden / compost pile, measure the height of your wheelbarrow or other chosen vehicle of poop removal, it will pay off. The recycled windows are hinged from the top to allow for opening in the right temperatures without allowing too much wind to blow through, this is the windy side of the coop so I will keep them closed till spring, but plenty of light can get in. I used hardware cloth on the inside of the doors for screens.

The rocks around the bottom of the coop are for pest deterrent (they can't dig through those), but also provide great steps and and a platform for looking through the windows!



Her you can see the coop is separate all the way through. I have taken off the top half of the center wall and replace it from roof line to the wall with chicken wire, that way the different groups of chickens can see by not touch. The ventilation can also circulate better between sides.



Here you can see that the run is completely covered, while my coop is situated under the trees I worried about predators getting in from above so I wired the top and sides, the wired the pieces together so that they couldn't get through the sections. Also you can see the ventilation, this side of the coop receives the least amount of direct wind yet will allow for good airflow. We also have a roof vent and smaller opening under the roof on the left and right sides. My DH was amazed at the lack of smell!


Something I don't have a picture of yet are the nest box / storage on this side of the coop. Since most people say the hens almost always prefer to use one or two of the man nest boxes they make I elected to go with a community nest box. The box runs the length of the coop and is wider than the extension of the rocks surrounding the coop, better dimensions will be added soon, One side of the box is for laying and the other side more than holds the feed, extra feeders, and food for the turkeys and rabbit too. When my younger girls start laying, next spring, I plan to do the same thing on the other side of the coop for them. the lids hinge upward and are covered with roofing material to keep them extra dry.

In the future I would like to add automatic water, a rain barrel, an automatic door, a tarp over the whole run (metal roofing covers part way), and I will need to add another door to the other side of the run so it can be separated... and the list goes on... Hope you are able to use some of my ideas, or even build upon them for your use!

 

[chick-n-pigs]

YES! Finally. And I am today in the process of changing the bucket. No problems last night but it was below freezing. Mother Nature is telling me to get on that insulated bucket replacement. The Ace bucket will magically transform into an orange Home Depot insulated water jug later today (I HOPE!!!). I need to go to the hardware store for a longer connecting pipe (inside cooler to outside) as the cooler has about an inch of insulation and I don't have the proper length piece.

I used clear tubing simply because I wanted flexibility in where things were positioned. You could glue it up entirely of PVC pipe and fittings if you are certain of your layout. It would cost less since PVC fittings are much cheaper than threaded barbed tube fittings. You can't see real well, but on the right side below the bucket is the tube the little pump connects to. It goes into the bucket up near the top on the right side above the water. I don't have it installed at the moment and didn't think to take a picture inside the bucket.

For the replacement, I am putting the pump connected low (replacing the cooler's push button valve) and the gravity feed will come out the bottom. It is a REALLY small pump, meant for reptile tank waterfalls and struggles to get water to the top of the bucket if it isn't mostly full. I'll have a second shutoff since you can't really mess with the nipples on the pipe if there is water in the bucket and no way to keep it there

. BTW, if you do the saddle nipples, and I am QUITE happy with them, ignore the instructions that say you don't need teflon tape. You MAY not need it but if the hole isn't just perfect, they can drip. Teflon tape is cheap and it sure isn't going to hurt even if the hole is perfect. 3 of my 5 leaked (at the pipe, not the nipple parts) and I thought the holes were good.



Inside the coop. The gravity feed comes in on the right. There is a Tee with a plug in case I ever need more nipples. I can throw a 90 fitting and more 3/4" pipe on that end. Won't get the circulating water though unless I moved the tube to the end of the new pipe. On the left is the drain and the tube that connects to the pump. When the pump is running, the water will run left to right. The girls have been good about not pecking the clear tube. You can see water stains on the wall. Clearly they favor the left side

It is THEORETICALLY level but I had to unscrew one side to pull the plywood away from the studs (rodent control work) and maybe I didn't get the screw back in the hole. Or, as there is a slope back (left) to front (right), it could be level in this picture. The trough underneath is, I believe, an old chicken feeder. It had 'legs', I found it in the barn along with a whole lot of other stuff, some useable, some trash.




Bruce

I like your new setup with the home depot water cooler. Do you plan on putting a small aquarium heater in the bucket to provide a source of heat? How many chickens are you watering with the 5 nipple setup?

 

[BorderChicken]

I don't know if its "indispensable", but I'm installing a sliding poop board/tray under the roosts. I got some heavy drawer sliders, the kind used in big roller tool boxes. Then I removed two panels of siding on the coop at floor level ( the coop is 2' off ground level, this idea came to me after the whole coop was sided). Cut a board to the dimentions to cover the area under the roosts,attatched the drawer slides to the sides of the board and secured it the floor of the coop (the slides, not the board). I then reattached the removed siding planks to the outside of the poop board and a handle to that. The whole thing is flush with the backside of the coop so it looks seamless. The only thing giving it away that something is there is the drawer handle on the bottom piece of siding. All one has to do now is pull the handle and out slides the poop tray for easy cleaning. No climbing in the coop to lift it out for cleaning. Easy peazy lemon squeezy. The board is really a shallow drawer, as I put pieces of trim board around the perimeter so as to hold a layer of Sweet PDZ/DE. I will post pics for anyone who is interested in seeing it on the Sierra Vista Coop design. The whole thing works exactly like one of those hidden slide out cutting boards you see in many kitchens...

 

[bruceha2000]

Do you think the insulated bucket will be sufficient when the temps get down to near zero or below? I'm wondering if a small heater could be added. This will be our first winter with chickens and they're calling for a bad winter this year. And thanks for the heads up on the teflon.

No, on the "sufficient" question. I just figure it will cut down on the cost of electricity for the 250W stock tank heater. There is about 1" of insulation between the inner and outer shells. I suppose if one had extra rigid insulation lying around, an insulated box could be easily constructed to serve the same purpose. I might do that as well

And it might be a good idea to put pipe insulation on the tubing outside the coop but I don't know if it comes that small. I also have to decide if I want to cut a slot in the side of the cooler for the electrical wires (and still be able to screw on the cover) or drill a hole in the top. So many decisions!

I think it would be extra beneficial for people who live where it is so hot they need to throw ice in their chicken's water in the summer. Less heat would get in and the ice would melt more slowly.

I should have learned not to pay attention to "not necessary" after an experience I had MANY years ago with a 3 piece tub surround. The instructions said IN BOLD "It is not necessary to caulk the seams". Guess what, every time someone took a shower the water splashed off their bodies, against the wall ran through the seams and into the basement. So, if it CAN'T hurt to do something "not necessary" but it seems like a good idea, I'm going to do it from now on.

I like your new setup with the home depot water cooler. Do you plan on putting a small aquarium heater in the bucket to provide a source of heat? How many chickens are you watering with the 5 nipple setup?

As mentioned above, I got a 250W stock tank heater (from Amazon). It has its own thermostat and temperature preset - above freezing but not warm - setting, not modifiable. It can either sit on the bottom or float (it has a removable floatation ring). Once I start using it, I'll check the temp of the water.

I think an aquarium heater would cost a lot more to run as they are meant for much warmer water than the chickens need and are meant for use in a "humans find it comfortable" ambient temperature range. I have a 200W fully submersible heater for my 29 gallon fresh water aquarium. If you do use an aquarium heater it MUST be fully submersible. You can't use the kind that hangs over the edge because, unlike aquariums, the water level in the chicken watering bucket will drop over time. The submersible aquarium heaters cost the same or more than the stock tank heater. With them, you need the 1/2 degree temperature adjustments. The chickens just need unfrozen water.

I have 12 girls, they are 17 1/2 weeks. In THEORY the suggestion is 1 nipple for every 3 birds but they don't drink ever second they are awake and they can take turns if necessary. I've seen 2 hitting the same nipple at the same time. As I said, the two on the right seem to be the least used.

 

[bruceha2000]

I have yet to build my own coop. I just took over my husband's shop . It is in the plans to build one, so I can have separate runs for everyone, have a few extra runs for my Serama, and can get my ducks in their own pen.

Hmm, take over the shop AND expect a coop to be built? Isn't that an oxymoron?

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi all,
I am new to the site, but read almost everything chicken coop related.
I built my first one this spring, have it full with 25 girls and waiting to see how they will take their first winter.
you can see pictures here:

http://sinivir.com/chicken_coop.html

I hope it measures up with some of the coops already listed here.
Thanks,
A.

Any coop measures up as long as it serves its purpose!! BYCers have everything from the Taj Mahal to coops made from old pallets. They are all good. Yours looks great, solidly built and well thought out. I assume you don't live where there is a lot of snow given the fairly flat roof.

Bruce

 

[galefrances]

Quote: Bruce, this is great! Now with the insulated bucket I can really see how it's connected. I've shown my DH and he seems to think this will work for us. I wish I would have listened to him and had electric brought out to the coop. We'll have to use an extension cord run through PVC temporarily. Thanks again. (I envy the space you have) And as far as planning goes... I plan and tear apart all the time.