I've Had It With The "Triangle" Coop!

[snugglepup]

Tell your husband we all think you deserve a people-sized coop. I'm sure that will help.

 

[cajunlizz]

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wait a minute , I am trying to visualize what you are meaning . You CAN NOT GET IN THE RUN ? A run is an enclosed area with attached COOP ( hen house ) . PLEASE EXPLAIN

 

[Chickie Mamma]

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I have an A-frame tractor too. I feel the same way you do. A year ago it looked so cute, my DH built it. After a year, I can't take it. It rains in, hard to clean, just like you said. So, lucky we use screws for everything, I am going to take it apart, and reuse everything to build something else. And this time it will be a great design.

Ah, Ha! It is a pain in the butt! I feel bad though, it took DH and I, 2 months to make it and it is sooo nice to look at. We made it bigger than the plans called for because hubby knew I would get more chicks in the future. Yes, we used screws also so we are going to take it apart as soon as it thaws. We are going to keep the house part, and just build a really nice enclosed "walk in" run. I actually got stuck in it the other day. I was trying to reach an egg that fell out of the nest and got stuck on a hook that the hanging feeder used to be on. They did not want me in there! I had to hang the feeder directly under the middle of the "triangle" so it doesn't get wet. What a pain. Good Luck with your new coop too!

 

[cajunlizz]

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I agree .... When we 1st. built our run with attached Coop , we had NO idea that we's get so attached and addicted . NOW we have 3 runs and 2 coops all with overhead covering and perimeter has buried wire 1 ft. deep .

I told DH to build it bigger the 1st. Merry Go Round , NOW he wishes he had . 1st. coop is 8x12 and run is 12 x32 ... nd. coop is 8x8 and run is 12 x32 and back run is 12x20

 

[seminolewind]

Chickie Mama, I've reached in for an egg several times only to catch myself from falling in by putting my hand down into chicken poop, LOL.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

Quote:
wait a minute , I am trying to visualize what you are meaning . You CAN NOT GET IN THE RUN ? A run is an enclosed area with attached COOP ( hen house ) . PLEASE EXPLAIN

Hello, its about 4 feet high but in a triangle shape. I would take a pic if it was not so dark out. The henhouse is attached to the run. The house is 3 feet and the run is 10 feet long. We made an open hinged door on the far end of the run, opposite the henhouse. There is also a door on the henhouse. But where the ladder is for the hens to walk up from the run into the henhouse, it is unreachable unless you pretty much crawl in. There was a pic on here not too long ago, I will try to find it. We really liked the way it looked and we regret it!

 

[Chickie Mamma]

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I did that this morning!!!!

Is everything frozen in there for you too?? The snow melted that was in there only to make a sheet of ice. I saw someone made chicken saddles, do they make little ice skates too??

 

[Chickie Mamma]

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My hubby understands I can't continue to do this anymore. He has had to come out and pull me out of there after being stuck on the hook several times. He put the hook in sooo deep, we can't get it out. We were so proud

But I'll tell him you all agree on a new design.. Thanks for the support!

When you finish a new run/coop, let me know and post it for me.. I'll do the same.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

Quote:
I agree .... When we 1st. built our run with attached Coop , we had NO idea that we's get so attached and addicted . NOW we have 3 runs and 2 coops all with overhead covering and perimeter has buried wire 1 ft. deep .

I told DH to build it bigger the 1st. Merry Go Round , NOW he wishes he had . 1st. coop is 8x12 and run is 12 x32 ... nd. coop is 8x8 and run is 12 x32 and back run is 12x20

Wow those are some big runs! What are they made from and how high?

 

[ruth]

Was it my idea you borrowed? My first coop was a triangle and it was the easiest thing in the world to keep clean, much easier than the actual chicken coop I have now and I still plan to have it moved to our farm here when/if I sell my home in Covington.

It was easy to keep clean because the bottom of the floor was half inch hardware cloth/welded wire so all I had to do was hose the poop through the wire holes. It was raised a few feet off the ground so air and ventilation could flow through, important in New Orleans 100 degree weather, and water could not flow in, also important in an area that can see 20 inches of rain in one day. The poop fell to the ground under coop where the chickens loved to scratch through it. I would occasionally rake it up but normally just tossed some pine shavings under there and the chickens took care of mixing it all up. We built a large run around the coop and it was a pleasure to go and sit in there on my bench and watch my chickens. The coop opened in front (large door with a small door for chickens) and back (double doors) with hinges and the sides lifted up to easily access the nest boxes which had pull out bottoms to easily clean. If you didn't borrow from my plans you might can adapt yours by putting it on higher legs, putting a hardware cloth bottom, hinged doors on side and build the run around the coop.

Here it is painted:

I could hang feeders or cans of feed from the side to hang under the coop.

It was always so clean and pleasant even our cat liked to hang out in there:

With three roosts it could hold lots of chickens.

So maybe you see something here you can use to adapt yours.