Hello Yall
I been posting for a few months now but never have I posted a thread about my coop and run design, or why I started to keep chickens .
First my wife and I just purchase this home 2 yrs ago back in late August of 2006 which had 3.25 acres of land and our new home is set back 400 ft from the road which we like a whole lot seeing we live in the city for most of both our lives , it is in the country and in a wooden area , it came with a 40ft x 18 ft barn /garage which is home for my Koi in temporary pools and the rest is still full of Junk Tools- lawn equipment 1958 tractor /backhoe- and etc etc. you get the picture . I started to clean some of the wooded area and cut some trees out back in the farest part of our property for my new Koi pond but seem the wife didnt like that part so my new plan was build a small Chicken coop and get me a dozen chickens for fresh eggs , ya right a year later and this if what I have so far back there and there is still about 100 x 200 ft more of wooden area I can build more coops and pens which will still be 100 to 150 ft away from the house .
The Coop - well to start it is a 12 x 12 x 8 high in the front and 7 ft high in the rear of the coop ( roof) , the coop which is divided into 3 parts ( for now ) plus there a few 2 x 3 and 3 x3 and 4x 5 cages mounted on one wall for baby chicks , selective breeding of Japanese Bantams , Quail , and sick bay cage if need .
As for my coop construction , the floor is about 8 to 12 off the ground sitting on concrete blocks , it is made and fram with pressure treated wood 2 x 8 with 7 of insulation . The floor is cover with ¾ ply wood plus I laid a one piece
vinyl flooring with a floor drain in the center of the floor for easy wash down .
The walls are build with metal 2 x 4 framing studs and ½ plywood outside , there 4 of insulation on all the walls and the interior walls have a one piece tile /mollile board also for easy wash down .
The walls to floor are caulk with silicon for a water tight seal .
The roof is metal stud fram 2 x 6 with double layer of ½ plywood on top and with a rubber roof , it is also insulated with 4 thick insulation. There is one large window 4 x 6 which can open , there is a 2 sided - 4 ft door double which has now 2 small doors or windows build in and covered with chicken wire so more ventilation can be added but also can be close up tight .
I have place a string of 8 temporary lights which hangs from the ceiling metal 2x 6 rafters studs which I ran 15 watts bulbs in each during the summer time but not all lights are lite and in the winter time Ill place 40 to 60 to 75 watt bulbs to help heat the coop up during the mid day and early morning to help keep or try to keep the coop warm or at lease not colder then 30*F at night which seems to work as of this past year winters but then again not all 8 lights are on at all times .
All the coop outside runs doors have both flip up metal doors (Metal doors - Bantams 12 x 12 and layers is 16 x16 ) plus slide down wooden doors inside which I can open and close with a cable system from the walk way of the center of the coop . this helps a lot as to before placing these inside slide up doors I would have to go into the out side runs and close all the metal doors my hand .
My egg layers living quarters are the largest part of the coop 7 x 7 49sq ft of sleeping quarters plus and out side run of 14 x 12 x 6 chain link fence ---------168sq. ft. .
The Bantams have there own living quarters which is about 4 x 5 -20sq ft. sleeping quarters plus and outside run of 5 x 12 x 6 chain link fence ------- 60 sq. ft.
I know the sleeping quarters are on the small side for now but I do plan on building a new coop just for the Bantams , plus I plan on adding on to the outside runs on the main coop designs for the layers plus there have the old spot from where the Bantams where which will increase both inside and out living quarters .
All the outside runs / pens are coved with deer netting on top so all are safe and sound from most flying predators, the bottom of all the chain link fence on the outside runs Place and buried 1ft. below ground and 1ft. above is chicken wire so this helps with the other digging predators.
Then there is a 3rd. spot in which I was going to get me a mini pygmy goat for me and my grandson , so I made a 5 x 7- 35sq.ft. sleeping quarters plus a outside run of 7 x 14 x 5 chain link fence --------98 sq. ft outside run but this dont have any top netting , but as of now this is where I place my 3 X-Rock Cornish Breeding Hens which are close to being a year old now and are laying close to 3-5 XX Jumbo eggs each a week .
I also build on one of the other walls from the ceiling down in the goat sleeping pen a 4ft high x 5 ft. long x 18 width wood and wire cage with 8 build in nesting boxing along the side of the cage , this will house my breeding pairs of finches and parakeets next spring ,plus I have to finish building my out side fly cage this winter which will be attach to the main coop right behind the main finch/parakeet cage inside which will be located right over where the outside goat pen is , the out side aviary.
Im also builded and have 4 other outside pens / runs right behind the main coop ,each one is 11 x 6 x 6 each with deer netting on top in which I raise my 20 Turkeys this year which I have now have been processing them , so these outside pens will be empty within the next few weeks .I only plan on keeping 2 pairs of turkeys -a pr of royal palm and a pr or red bourbons turkeys .
Im in the planning stages of designing a new coop just for my Bantams chickens this winter and will start to build it very soon ,
Im also will be building 2 new fence in pens for my 2 pairs of turkeys seeing the 11 x 6 pens now are a bit small , I thinking more like 20 x 20 pens would be good just trying to figure how to close the top up so they dont fly out and over in to the woods .
My turkeys are raise for meats along with my X- rocks hens , my egg layers are for just that Eggs even thought I have way too my egg layer for just me and the wife so some go to the in-laws and family and sell a few dozen to close friends and workers , my Bantams well I purchases these just for fun and pets why not sure I dont show my birds there just for pets and food .
I started this as a hobby and some say to add cheap, homegrown good food ( ya right ) more added work -n- chores around the house , but ya gotta love it --to do it.
M y wife says I start out with a small Plan or Idea and It always turns out Larger that life with me , WELL they said bigger is better right LOL . As you can see I have way too many chickens , way too many eggs daily and with a full size freezers only plus two refrigerators with freezers I have no more room for chickens or turkeys , think it time to down size or get me more friends and family .
Ok enough of that, here some pictures of my home , coop, runs, and chickens -n- turkeys
My Wife -n- I home
well a few pic.s of an unfinish painted coop
hope they come out out
I been posting for a few months now but never have I posted a thread about my coop and run design, or why I started to keep chickens .
First my wife and I just purchase this home 2 yrs ago back in late August of 2006 which had 3.25 acres of land and our new home is set back 400 ft from the road which we like a whole lot seeing we live in the city for most of both our lives , it is in the country and in a wooden area , it came with a 40ft x 18 ft barn /garage which is home for my Koi in temporary pools and the rest is still full of Junk Tools- lawn equipment 1958 tractor /backhoe- and etc etc. you get the picture . I started to clean some of the wooded area and cut some trees out back in the farest part of our property for my new Koi pond but seem the wife didnt like that part so my new plan was build a small Chicken coop and get me a dozen chickens for fresh eggs , ya right a year later and this if what I have so far back there and there is still about 100 x 200 ft more of wooden area I can build more coops and pens which will still be 100 to 150 ft away from the house .
The Coop - well to start it is a 12 x 12 x 8 high in the front and 7 ft high in the rear of the coop ( roof) , the coop which is divided into 3 parts ( for now ) plus there a few 2 x 3 and 3 x3 and 4x 5 cages mounted on one wall for baby chicks , selective breeding of Japanese Bantams , Quail , and sick bay cage if need .
As for my coop construction , the floor is about 8 to 12 off the ground sitting on concrete blocks , it is made and fram with pressure treated wood 2 x 8 with 7 of insulation . The floor is cover with ¾ ply wood plus I laid a one piece
vinyl flooring with a floor drain in the center of the floor for easy wash down .
The walls are build with metal 2 x 4 framing studs and ½ plywood outside , there 4 of insulation on all the walls and the interior walls have a one piece tile /mollile board also for easy wash down .
The walls to floor are caulk with silicon for a water tight seal .
The roof is metal stud fram 2 x 6 with double layer of ½ plywood on top and with a rubber roof , it is also insulated with 4 thick insulation. There is one large window 4 x 6 which can open , there is a 2 sided - 4 ft door double which has now 2 small doors or windows build in and covered with chicken wire so more ventilation can be added but also can be close up tight .
I have place a string of 8 temporary lights which hangs from the ceiling metal 2x 6 rafters studs which I ran 15 watts bulbs in each during the summer time but not all lights are lite and in the winter time Ill place 40 to 60 to 75 watt bulbs to help heat the coop up during the mid day and early morning to help keep or try to keep the coop warm or at lease not colder then 30*F at night which seems to work as of this past year winters but then again not all 8 lights are on at all times .
All the coop outside runs doors have both flip up metal doors (Metal doors - Bantams 12 x 12 and layers is 16 x16 ) plus slide down wooden doors inside which I can open and close with a cable system from the walk way of the center of the coop . this helps a lot as to before placing these inside slide up doors I would have to go into the out side runs and close all the metal doors my hand .
My egg layers living quarters are the largest part of the coop 7 x 7 49sq ft of sleeping quarters plus and out side run of 14 x 12 x 6 chain link fence ---------168sq. ft. .
The Bantams have there own living quarters which is about 4 x 5 -20sq ft. sleeping quarters plus and outside run of 5 x 12 x 6 chain link fence ------- 60 sq. ft.
I know the sleeping quarters are on the small side for now but I do plan on building a new coop just for the Bantams , plus I plan on adding on to the outside runs on the main coop designs for the layers plus there have the old spot from where the Bantams where which will increase both inside and out living quarters .
All the outside runs / pens are coved with deer netting on top so all are safe and sound from most flying predators, the bottom of all the chain link fence on the outside runs Place and buried 1ft. below ground and 1ft. above is chicken wire so this helps with the other digging predators.
Then there is a 3rd. spot in which I was going to get me a mini pygmy goat for me and my grandson , so I made a 5 x 7- 35sq.ft. sleeping quarters plus a outside run of 7 x 14 x 5 chain link fence --------98 sq. ft outside run but this dont have any top netting , but as of now this is where I place my 3 X-Rock Cornish Breeding Hens which are close to being a year old now and are laying close to 3-5 XX Jumbo eggs each a week .
I also build on one of the other walls from the ceiling down in the goat sleeping pen a 4ft high x 5 ft. long x 18 width wood and wire cage with 8 build in nesting boxing along the side of the cage , this will house my breeding pairs of finches and parakeets next spring ,plus I have to finish building my out side fly cage this winter which will be attach to the main coop right behind the main finch/parakeet cage inside which will be located right over where the outside goat pen is , the out side aviary.
Im also builded and have 4 other outside pens / runs right behind the main coop ,each one is 11 x 6 x 6 each with deer netting on top in which I raise my 20 Turkeys this year which I have now have been processing them , so these outside pens will be empty within the next few weeks .I only plan on keeping 2 pairs of turkeys -a pr of royal palm and a pr or red bourbons turkeys .
Im in the planning stages of designing a new coop just for my Bantams chickens this winter and will start to build it very soon ,
Im also will be building 2 new fence in pens for my 2 pairs of turkeys seeing the 11 x 6 pens now are a bit small , I thinking more like 20 x 20 pens would be good just trying to figure how to close the top up so they dont fly out and over in to the woods .
My turkeys are raise for meats along with my X- rocks hens , my egg layers are for just that Eggs even thought I have way too my egg layer for just me and the wife so some go to the in-laws and family and sell a few dozen to close friends and workers , my Bantams well I purchases these just for fun and pets why not sure I dont show my birds there just for pets and food .
I started this as a hobby and some say to add cheap, homegrown good food ( ya right ) more added work -n- chores around the house , but ya gotta love it --to do it.
M y wife says I start out with a small Plan or Idea and It always turns out Larger that life with me , WELL they said bigger is better right LOL . As you can see I have way too many chickens , way too many eggs daily and with a full size freezers only plus two refrigerators with freezers I have no more room for chickens or turkeys , think it time to down size or get me more friends and family .
Ok enough of that, here some pictures of my home , coop, runs, and chickens -n- turkeys
My Wife -n- I home
well a few pic.s of an unfinish painted coop
hope they come out out
