My near future coop.

[PortageGirl]

Great plans, can't wait to see it taking shape either! Isn't it hilarious how they walk around checking out all the details? Mine were constantly looking over every step of our coop building. And what's with the fascination with sawdust? Crazy bird brains!

 

[Royd]

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I had a little fun, with the laser level, too, and you should see them chase a 50' tape, being rolled up.... Hilarious.

 

[Royd]

I found them on the side of the road, holding a sign, "Will work for chickenfeed." They were good, for the first day, but when the real digging started, I went looking for them.... They were laid up, under the mobile home, in the cool sand.

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Originally, I was planning on pouring the footers right on ground...After all, it's a chicken coop, but being picky, I just couldn't help myself, and had to do it right. It was a hard day, but the new pruning blade in the sawzall, did wonders.

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[gsim]

Love the tool inspector. Just like some of mine. Forget predators, including grizzly bears. You can call it San Clucktin.

The dirt floor may prove to feed moisture in to coop year round or after rains. Might do layer of 4 mil plastic on dirt, then throw down coarse sand, topped with 8" litter? Can always do later if proves to be a problem. Humidity is a no-no for chooks. I love those screens. Coons will wear themselves out trying to tear thru that! Consider continuous soffit vents and maybe a ridge vent or a turbine vent in addition to gable vents at each end. You can cover the turbine vent in wintertime. Ventilation is key to good health and will play a bigger part in that during wintertime. No drafts at flor or roost level in wintertime, lots of draftiness at all levels in warm weather. I included a ceiling fan to exhaust heat/fumes in hottest time of year. It sits just under the turbine vent. I also use an old box fan in the west window since it is shaded all day. I do not mess with using them unless it gets to 90 or more tho.

I did 8 x 16 coop on stilts with 3/4" OSB floor with linoleum glued down, before walls were framed. 4:1 slope pretty much dictated that, plus I did not have the materials on hand for what you did. All I started with in on-hand materials were 6" creosote poles and lots of salvaged 2x6 pr treated from a couple of decks. I do have some useful storage under coop on one end tho.

 

[BirdBrain]

You lost me on how you used the sawsall...were you cutting footing with it or scaring away the inspectors.

 

[Royd]

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I used it, to cut some major tree roots. It was a bit of a mental argument, with myself, because I love my trees, but if I didn't put the footer below the rootline, who knows what the building would look like, in ten years.

 

[Royd]

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Thanks... I like the name. How about Fort Bawks?

I live on the sloping crest of a gentle ridge, so, even during the heaviest rains water only runs through my yard. Also, there is a huge stand of bamboo, directly behind the coop;my favorite gardening tool, btw, which would help divert water away. I will keep an eye on it.
Since the chickens freerange, during the day, they'd only be in there,at night.

I am contemplating, using 5V tin, so I will have a natural ridge vent. I will put screen under it, to keep small varmints out. I'll be venting the soffits with drilled and screened blocking.

I am also going to raise everything up, one course of block, because I've decided to add an 8' leanto, on the left side of the building, Just post and beam, on that, but it will give me lots of covered storage, and the possibilty of a third coop, if needed.

 

[Chicken Chat]

Love the pictures of all your helpers. They are the nosiest little critters.

 

[Royd]

I finished setting the posts, this afternoon. I painted the bottom 2' with roofing tar, since it was below grade, and exposed to moisture. Notice the post on the far right. It is sitting on an old footer, of an addition, which I tore off the house. The elevation was perfect, so I'll just tie the new footer into it, with the rebar.

If any of you struggle to set a post plumb, here's a neat little handmade tool, which I may have stolen the idea from Norm Abrams, of "This Old House" or Roy Underhill, or might have come up with it, on my own. I can't remember.

If used with a stringline, a post can be set plumb, easily, with the bob being hung once.
This picture was set up, just for demonstration purposes, to show the details.

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Here's a closer detail, if anyone wants to make one.... It works great for walls, doorjambs, etc.

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[M To The Maxx]

Looking good.