Large Open Coop with Covered Run Design & Build with Costs and Pics

[Missceegee]

Day...I have no idea

My brother got sick and took a few days off. I had to go out of state for a funeral. Brother recuperated and he and hubby commenced work while I was away. They did:

• Framing and all hardware cloth is on
• Automatic door installed
• Both nest boxes installed
• Water and electric trenched several hundred feet and run
• Roof secured
• 3 sided metal installed

Today...

• I sanded some rough 2x4s and installed two 10' roost bars at about 48" high on the semi enclosed end. I also put one on the open air end.
• Hubby put in a ramp. We will modify as needed. We will be putting in another lower roost, but have to cut some supports.
• Hubby finished installing the flashing around the inside bottom for holding the litter off the wood. Even though it is ground contact pressure treated, FL is crazy humid with so many ants and insects who would love to eat the whole building!
• I took the puppy pen we had and opened it up to the open single roost end. Hoping to put the little ones here, but may have to put up some temporary panels around them.
• Added the litter - 12 bales pine shavings (8 cubic feet each) plus 3 bales hemp (11 cubic feet each)
• They also used the rented trencher foe half day on a separate wiring project from garage to our outdoor bathroom.
• I got 14 eggs today including a tiny first egg from our Black Sexlink (I think) and our first one from one of the Starlight Green Eggers.

Tomorrow...

• String for the door since I locked me and my son in accidentally tonight.
• Predator apron installation after a Lowes trip.
• Figure out where and how I want to put the auto waterer.
• Figure out what kind of feeder I want. I have a 1/2 cut pvc trough in my mobile tractor and I like it, but I like my field feeders that hold 20 lbs each, too.
• Decide if I want a mini perch in front of the nest box perches
• Find some things to climb on and under etc.
• Maybe move the birds.

Pictures

 

[3KillerBs]

Hubby finished installing the flashing around the inside bottom for holding the litter off the wood. Even though it is ground contact pressure treated, FL is crazy humid with so many ants and insects who would love to eat the whole building!

Same here in NC. The Steamy Southeast of the USA is an intensely hostile environment to wood.

String for the door since I locked me and my son in accidentally tonight.

Yikes!

Maybe wire or cable -- so there's no chance of the string breaking?

 

[aart]

Maybe wire or cable -- so there's no chance of the string breaking?

Better yet...... a different kind of latch.

 

[Missceegee]

Better yet...... a different kind of latch.

Probably so but since this one is on, I’m about to drill a hole for the escape rope to lift the latch. When it wears out I’ll prob choose the slide bolt style.

 

[3KillerBs]

When it wears out I’ll prob choose the slide bolt style.

Only if it can take a carabiner like these:

Raccoons can operate ordinary barrel bolts.

 

[Missceegee]

Only if it can take a carabiner like these:

Raccoons can operate ordinary barrel bolts.

Yep. My meat bird tractor is a slide bolt with caribiner.

 

[Missceegee]

The only happenings today were the escape rope and some clean up. I did purchase the hardware cloth for the predator apron but rain kept me from shoveling the area smooth and attaching it.

 

[Missceegee]

The rain quit and I had the urge to finish as much as possible and move the birds in.

• Scraped ground clear and flat and installed 24” hardware cloth with 0.5” holes around entire structure. Tomorrow I will add long sod staples. When it’s dry enough I’ll bring the tractor over and get some dirt and leaf litter from the woods to go on top of it.
• Installed grippy wood strips on the ramp. Still need to add the one lower roost. Though I remain confused at the 1’ per bird recommendations because mine sleep in a pig pile. They have 20’ and might occupy 4-5’ right now.
• built a short mini perch that is movable
• Brought in a small stump and a round thing they like to go in and their current feeders and waterers.
• Emergency escape string is temporarily through the wire because I lost my drill bit in the yard.
• moved the birds in and discovered my favorite chicken, BBQ, a RIR, is missing. She was there yesterday. We have them in an electric fence so it’s strange
• The chickens aren’t fond of the flashing around the bottom. Aart mentioned line of sight issues and that is it exactly. I am unsure what I’ll do about it just yet. I really want to keep the litter off the wood as much as possible.
• I have ordered a huge new silo type feeder for the run from Coopworx. I like my bucket port feeders but want to use those elsewhere. The silo will hold 80 lbs feed!
• I have a sight concern they may decide to lay in the nice deep litter instead of the roll out next boxes, but I hope not.
• I have the auto door set to stay closed for now to get them used to their new spot. Eventually I want them to have access to a pastured area inside the electric fence. They get over 2000 sq’ in the fence. I’ve jut got to figure the best set up to get them to different field areas.
• I have not moved the 7 week olds in yet but hope to soon.

 

[3KillerBs]

Installed grippy wood strips on the ramp. Still need to add the one lower roost. Though I remain confused at the 1’ per bird recommendations because mine sleep in a pig pile. They have 20’ and might occupy 4-5’ right now.

How old are they? Mine spread out more as they matured.

Emergency escape string is temporarily through the wire because I lost my drill bit in the yard.

Do you have a big, strong magnet?

The chickens aren’t fond of the flashing around the bottom. Aart mentioned line of sight issues and that is it exactly. I am unsure what I’ll do about it just yet. I really want to keep the litter off the wood as much as possible.

That will improve as the bedding piles up. You could give them logs and blocks to stand on.

 

[aart]

Though I remain confused at the 1’ per bird recommendations because mine sleep in a pig pile. They have 20’ and might occupy 4-5’ right now.

It's a general rule of thumb that is a good place to start.
It also can depend on how they access the roosts,
if they have to fly up they need more room for wing spread.