- Mar 19, 2013
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My wife mentioned, in passing, that we should start raising chickens. We've lived on 5 acres for 8 years now, and most of my friends and neighbors have chickens, but I'd never really considered doing it myself. After doing some research I pretty much dove head first into the project. I originally intended to build a small coop, with the run incorporated under the roof. a few months and several grand later my 8x8 coop is almost finished. There will be an attached 8x12 run for the days we can't let them out to free range.
In September or October I bought most of the material for the coop. I stacked it in the garage and waited for the weather to get nice enough to build. The weather started to get nice in January, so I got started. I set the concrete piers for the coop, and built forms for the concrete.
I needed to raise the ground level quite a bit for everything to sit level. Most of the concrete for the run is about 10" deep. It's 4" to 6" around the coop itself.
After pouring concrete on Friday, I started flooring and walls on Saturday. I ran out of light before getting the fourth wall up.
Sunday I put the T1-11 siding up. I cut out the rough openings for the windows and nesting box and called it a day.
The following weekend I built the rafters and sheeted the roof. The rain was on its way, and I was racing the clouds.
I got the roof on in the nick-of-time. The rain started to fall as I hammered the first row of shingles on. Luckily it was a very light rain, and didn't last very long. I only smashed my finger once with the hammer starting the 1" roofing nails. It almost doesn't hurt two weeks later.
I didn't want to rent a trencher for a 40 foot run, so between the tractor and elbow grease I dug a trench to run a power line from the garage.
After painting the coop I built the frame for the run. It will be surrounded in 1/2" hardware cloth. I'm doing 24" hardware cloth on the bottom of the sides and 48" cloth on the upper part of the sides.
I found the porch lights at Home Depot. By complete accident the perfectly matched the color of the trim I chose.
I plan to build poop boards along the wall with the pop door and nest box. I ended up with an impromptu vent hole when I realized my porch light was too high, and interfered with the top of the chicken pen.
This afternoon I put in the pop door, but I think I'll need to change it. I used a cutting board and drawer slides. I think it is too heavy for the Add-a-Motor so I'm going to replace it with a lighter wood door. I put remnant linoleum sheet on the floor today. Tomorrow I plan to build the poop boards and roosts.
A few of my tenants.
Clearly excited about her new coop.
In September or October I bought most of the material for the coop. I stacked it in the garage and waited for the weather to get nice enough to build. The weather started to get nice in January, so I got started. I set the concrete piers for the coop, and built forms for the concrete.
I needed to raise the ground level quite a bit for everything to sit level. Most of the concrete for the run is about 10" deep. It's 4" to 6" around the coop itself.
After pouring concrete on Friday, I started flooring and walls on Saturday. I ran out of light before getting the fourth wall up.
Sunday I put the T1-11 siding up. I cut out the rough openings for the windows and nesting box and called it a day.
The following weekend I built the rafters and sheeted the roof. The rain was on its way, and I was racing the clouds.
I got the roof on in the nick-of-time. The rain started to fall as I hammered the first row of shingles on. Luckily it was a very light rain, and didn't last very long. I only smashed my finger once with the hammer starting the 1" roofing nails. It almost doesn't hurt two weeks later.
I didn't want to rent a trencher for a 40 foot run, so between the tractor and elbow grease I dug a trench to run a power line from the garage.
After painting the coop I built the frame for the run. It will be surrounded in 1/2" hardware cloth. I'm doing 24" hardware cloth on the bottom of the sides and 48" cloth on the upper part of the sides.
I found the porch lights at Home Depot. By complete accident the perfectly matched the color of the trim I chose.
I plan to build poop boards along the wall with the pop door and nest box. I ended up with an impromptu vent hole when I realized my porch light was too high, and interfered with the top of the chicken pen.
This afternoon I put in the pop door, but I think I'll need to change it. I used a cutting board and drawer slides. I think it is too heavy for the Add-a-Motor so I'm going to replace it with a lighter wood door. I put remnant linoleum sheet on the floor today. Tomorrow I plan to build the poop boards and roosts.
A few of my tenants.
Clearly excited about her new coop.
