is anyone building a coop while building a coop?

[nwmud]

My coop is taking way too long to build. so I decided last night, with the girls almost 8 weeks old they are too big to stuff in that little box and drag back in the house. so tonight I plan to build a Down and dirty coop. Using primarily scraps from other projects of other materials laying arround. I put them in a dog run each day to get them some space so, tonight they will sleep outside.

Anyone else end up building a temp coop while building a coop???

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Oh my gosh, yes!
I have 9 stationary coops and 10 tractors.
Uh, we are in the midst of building 3 more.....
I think it is an on going disease...er, project.

 

[flakey chick]

For the longest time I had them in the half-a-tractor during the day, and back into their brooder at night. Then I finally got the "house" part of their tractor done. We would let them free range late in the day, and they would knock on the door when they wanted to go to bed. They were very well behaved about bedtime.

 

[espressola]

Just make sure they are secure enough in the dog run for overnight- is it covered, are the sides just chainlink or are they a smaller-sized-aperture that is strong? Can some animal dig under the sides? Raccoons and opossums are wily creatures who will pull a live chicken through the wire to eat it piece by piece. It's never happened to me but I've read it countless times on here- better to sleep in a box (could you get a larger one, say an appliance box, from a store today and use that?) than to be ripped to pieces alive... yikes!!
Patty N.

 

[nwmud]

so I went home and got started building their temp coop. It took a total of about 4.5 hours to complete. its a little small but much bigger then their brooder. its roughly 3' x 4' size so big enough for 3 full size chickens. mine are still small enough I feel ok putting them in there at night.
its not a pretty coop nor is it painted. But with the coop in the dog run - I feel, the girls are safe at night. I need to add one more safety latch and it will be done until I get the real coop finished.
hers a couple pictures of the temp coop I built.

 

[chickachickadoo]

That looks pretty darn good for 4.5 hrs. The only thing I would add--and I see you have an eye hook on the bigger door--would be to put a different kind of latch on every door. Raccoons have no problems figuring out the kind of bar you have (where you just turn it 90 degrees to "unlock" it), or even eye hooks. They also can quickly learn how to slide bolts. A hasp and a padlock are a safer bet. I know it's a pain but, just as quickly as you could get the current doors open to reach in for your girls, so could a predator.

 

[jjamerb]

LOL I started to. I didn't think I'd get mine done in time so i was going to build a smaller one than the one I was building. Then I just realized that was time I could be building the bigger one.

But if i don't get bigger one done in time I'll need smaller one, but then if i get the bigger one done I don't need smaller one......

SO i just gave in and hurried on bigger coop

 

[nwmud]

Quote:
Thanks for the comment, Those hooks I am using are the spring loaded ones where you have to slide it to one side before you can lift it off. Plus the hooks are tight, almost too tight as i struggle with them some too. since the girls are also in a dog run and its been secured, I feel they should do just fine for a while until their real home is finished.wish the big one only took 4.5 hours even 45 hours would be acceptable. Its taking forever to get it built because I am painting everything and then putting it together.

Hope I get the big one done in time to enter Nifty's summer coop contest

 

[nwmud]

for extra security - we keep a video baby monitor in the coop with them and run it all night.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Thats a great temporary coop. Nicely done!