Micro Farm Coop Worklog [UPDATE: SHINGLES ON - PAGE 27]

[DarkWolf]

Well, I figured I'd start a worklog for my coop, which is NO where near being built just yet. I however have chicks sitting beside as I type this, which helps to remind me that I only have so many weekends before they're too big to stick around in the house.

I've got some basic lumber laying around from a prior buy which I can use, so it won't be a big pinch to the wallet. Or as much of one.

PLANNING

My plan is for a 10' by 8' coop, set on 4x6 skids resting against cinder block to level them up. This will allow for ample room inside for storage or whatnot.

The roof will be a 40 degree pitch or so, having gable dormers on both sides to give both ventilation as well as window seats for those birds which may feel like perching high.

A 3 foot section of the back floor will be under cut by 2 inches to allow for a deeper litter area in which will be used for roost space. Along this back wall will also be a thin "clean out" door which can be opened at floor level and litter may be swept directly outside of. The floor itself will be vinyl covered to make cleanup easier.

Walls will be 7' high. Back rafters will have collar ties set at 12" from peak with a shelf tying the walls together at 6' height and used for storage. Front rafters will have ceiling joists set at 7' and will be shelved as well.. Coverings will be required to prevent roosting.

The run will be made up of pressure treated 2x material nailed to the ground to prevent base movement via aluminum nails. The run will be covered to 3' high by hardware cloth with the remaining side and top covered with chicken wire. A chicken wire skirt will also be buried at least 16" out along the ground.

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I'm sure there's more I'll add in just to keep track of everything.. This first post is almost a notepad for myself so sorry if it's more of a ramble..

This is to house 8 birds at current, though may try and hatch a few eggs and add to the group. A coop this size can house from 20 to 26 birds, so alot of room to grow.. But 8 is real nice right now.

It's possible that I may downsize this plan to a 8' by 6' coop, in which case shed dormers would be used instead as well as other changes made to make better use of the space. At 8x6 I can still house 12 to 16 birds, so not a problem there. So long as it's comfortable to work in. Once I put together a supply sheet I'll adjust for each and see how much added cost the extra space will actually be.

Anyone have any other "MUST HAVE!" points or tidbits that should be included in a coop? Beyond electricity, that is.

 

[DarkWolf]

Surprised no one chimed in.. Oh well. Considering it's just the beginning of a worklog with no real work yet.. Not surprised.

Having the chicks beside my office comp has been fun, but distracting to say the least. Instead of working, I find myself kicked back watching the birds. Hmmm..

I'd taken a branch from the Pecan tree which came down during the ice storm that blew through KY a while back and placed it in the crate with them. First chicken rule #1 kicked in. Run like heck and hide! It's NEW! EAK!

Now? They're all good with it.. In fact, three of them are roosted on it under the heat lamp.. Cute as can be... Oops... One fell off..

Ok.. How long is it until the lamp is not needed, anyway? Hmmm.. Have to do a search real quick... See if I can find out.

Anyway, the plan this weekend is to get a foundation of some kind down, get the floor framed and sheeted with OSB and to get as many walls framed as humanly possible.

Argh.. but right now I've got to box my new pups ears.. It ripped the outside strip off the dog room doggy door to the outside run and was chewing it up. Goofy Black Lab, Sharpe mix.

 

[CATRAY44]

Wow, your coop sounds like it will be really nice! I move my heat lamp back away from the chicks a little bit each week. If they get loud, I adjust it a bit. I usually have my heat lamp with indoor chicks gone by 5 weeks. When they are fully feathered, I put them outside, near the big girls but out of pecking reach.

Arn't labs a hoot?!

 

[Hippie Chickie]

Hey, I'm about where you are. ruminating about how it's going to be put together as I listen to the chicks peep in the kitchen. We have a large pile of wood that was donated for a bunny hutch. Then our neighbor's bunny kicked the can and we got a nice large already built hutch for free! I also found a window in the shed so It looks like the only thing we'll need is screws, hinges, and the door! Now if it would stop raining in the pacific northwet and I could actually drag the DH out with me to get started!

 

[DarkWolf]

Started on framing and got the floor down today. There was a bit of framing stupidity due to me dropping the level of the floor. I just need to scab it out some to support the back wall. Not a big issue.

I gave the bottom of the OSB a coat of sealer before I laid it down.

Here's a view of the coop from the back porch. It's just a bit away from the house. Because it's visible from the road it needs to be extra pretty..

I'll be doing plantings around the run to mask it and make it look better.

Off to the right you can see the drop in the floor. It's a 2" deep inset so that the litter can be deeper here. This is where the roosts will be. I'm debating either 1) wood chips or 2) sand.

Cleanout door cutout. It's got a 2x4 joist sistered against it and screwed every 12". Not sure how high the door will be here. It's 2' wide however, which will be fairly easy to clean out via.

The 2" drop in the back section. Once vinyl flooring is laid down there will be no issues with cleanup.

 

[DarkWolf]

No pictures today. Just an update.. I had enough lumber on hand to get the wall framed out on the door side. Since I'm going to be making my own door jamb I framed the opening large enough for me to use some extra rough sawn poplar as the jamb.

Going to talk to the father in-law and see if he can give me a hand picking up the lumber for the rest of the walls. I've got several 2x6's left over I can use for the roof @ 24" OC.

I've also got 3 Raspberry bushes to plant as well as 11 Blueberry bushes... Hurm.. Where to find the time for all this..

 

[DarkWolf]

Spent more time today on the coop. It's been raining alot recently and has disrupted working on it. Managed to get three walls up before we had to call it quits for now. I was really hoping for all four walls.

As you can see, the entry door is to the left and off to the right is a window with a large cleanout door under it. You can also see the drop in the floor level, though my plans for the roost poop have changed. Still handy to have.

One of my helpers up and collapsed we were working so hard.

Here's a close shot of the deeper section where the roosts will go. Granted, I have another plan for roost poo management, but it's still good to have it deeper over there.

A shot looking at the door. I've got to frame up a door jamb out of the rough sawn poplar I have on hand.

Other side of the coop where the plum tree is. You can see the open section at middle/bottom, this is for the cleanout door. Above that will be a window of around the same size.
[URL]http://pics.fuzzywolf.com/IMG_2770.JPG[/URL][img]

Closer shot of what's explained above.
[IMG]http://pics.fuzzywolf.com/IMG_2772.JPG

Here is a shot of the California wall style of framing corners. I used warped 2x4's on the inside so I just stuck a shim in to hold them apart. A 2x4 butts flush against this and can be nailed in on both the right and left, giving more strength. I chose this method because of the higher winds in the area. Gives more strength to the corners.

This is the cleanout door opening. I'll finish it off with some poplar.

Still wish I could have gotten more done.. I'm most likely taking a day off work next week to do more to it.

 

[DarkWolf]

I've got the bulk of the walls framed up now and have added a single sheet of T1-11 to the back side so that I can get a feel for how it will all mash up. This weekend will be busy with sheeting it, as well as getting the roof as complete as possible.

Wanted to show off one of my chicks though.. She was such a good bird.. Now she's going through a bicker chick phase.. Darn rebels.

 

[RHewitt]

Looking great Wolf. You have put a lot of thought into your design and I am sure it will pay off later. I really like the recessed floor to allow for deeper shavings in the roost area. That is a good idea. I hope your help reCOOPerates in time to help you get some more work done. Great photos and keep up the good work!

 

[mrsgibber]

So cute, bet it's gonna be a beautiful Chicken. The coop is coming together nicely.