My "Pinterest" Project Shed Build

[Finnie]

Ah, so Murphy was at your place!

Absolutely!
BTDT with those small barrel locks...P.I.T.A!

You can build the nest bank and install it from 'other' side.
Have a great trip!

You're right about Murphy! I think he lives here full time.

I ordered 28 barrel bolts for this project. I've started to have the opinion that when I'm done, I will have one thing at least, that I'm really good at doing.

You're right about that, installing the nest from the other side. My plan was to build them in place, because that's how I built the nests on my smaller coop in 2014. The Garden Coop has a really great set of free instructions on their website that I used. Since mine wasn't an actual Garden Coop, I had to modify some of the dimensions. For this bank of six, I figured I would modify it even more, but basically build it the same way. I think that was my downfall, because deep inside I doubt my ability to make it work. Scrapping that idea and finding some other plans for building it separately and then fitting it in place might help me get over that hurdle.

Thank you, I think the trip will be a lot of fun. We are going to San Francisco to see our son, who works for Google. All but one of our adult children will be going, and our Colorado relatives will be meeting us there too. There will be 13 of us, and we always have a blast when we get together!

 

[Finnie]

Man, I am really sore this morning from being a contortionist all day yesterday. But time to get back at it. After I do some stretches. And check on my babies that I moved last night to see how they are faring.

 

[aart]

finding some other plans for building it separately and then fitting it in place might help me get over that hurdle.

I could probably make plan for you.
Give me the raw opening size(inside of the 2x4's) and a link to the plans below.
Right up my alley.

The Garden Coop has a really great set of free instructions on their website that I used.

Just noticed something....are those long 2 roosts going all the way across?
Spacing looks tight, might have some trouble there with pecking and/or poop missing board.

 

[Finnie]

I could probably make plan for you.
Give me the raw opening size(inside of the 2x4's) and a link to the plans below.
Right up my alley.

Thanks! That would be awesome! I will get measurements when I'm out there putting the pop door in.

Here is the link to the plans: http://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/2011/03/10/external-nest-box-plans/

I figured I would build the bank so that the sloped part went under the poop boards. It would be kind of backwards from the external box because the door(s) would be on the larger opening side, and the hens would enter from the smaller opening side. And it would be oriented so that the "external" part would actually be "inside". (Under the poop boards.) That way, it wouldn't protrude into the human/storage room. However, now that I've built the brooders so close to the nest area, I've only left about 23" of space. I may have to slide my bank part way (or all the way) into the human side to give the hens walking room in front of the boxes to get inside them.

Just noticed something....are those long 2 roosts going all the way across?
Spacing looks tight, might have some trouble there with pecking and/or poop missing board.

Hopefully it will be ok. I copied it from this person because I liked how they seemed to be happy with theirs:
Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

They said 30" wide poop tray with 2 2x4 roosts flat side up, spaced 6" apart. I wonder if they really meant 30" of poop tray FLOOR, plus extra for the side walls. (Would be 33" in that case.) I have had some poops landing on the side walls. Not too bad so far. But I could always take one roost out and move the other one to the center.

I got the hardware cloth attached to one window before breakfast this morning. Then I had to stop and feed my dogs because their breakfast time is 8:30. Gotta go do 5 more screens now and then tackle the pop door. Breakfast and BYC break is over.

 

[aart]

I've only left about 23" of space. I may have to slide my bank part way (or all the way) into the human side to give the hens walking room in front of the boxes to get inside them.

I was thinking nests would be in storage side(14" deep), upper nest perch(~8") would be on coop side.
What's the height of poop board? Stacked nest might be tight.
Nests under 'other side' roost/poop board too?
(I think you said you were duplicating other side of coop?)

Not too bad so far. But I could always take one roost out and move the other one to the center.

Time will tell...observe and adjust as necessary.

 

[DoeAndGander]

Beautiful build!! I’m not sure how I missed this one as I’ve looked this forum up and down multiple times for inspiration. Any reviews on your flooring yet?

 

[Finnie]

I'm bushed.

Pop door is in. Window screens are in place, and wouldn't you know, the first night I could let them sleep with fresh air coming in, and it was raining, so without even thinking about it, I closed them all just like I always do.

No pictures, because I finished up in the rain and forgot to go back out with a camera.

I was thinking nests would be in storage side(14" deep), upper nest perch(~8") would be on coop side.
What's the height of poop board? Stacked nest might be tight.
Nests under 'other side' roost/poop board too?
(I think you said you were duplicating other side of coop?)

Time will tell...observe and adjust as necessary.

Yeah, fitting in 2 nest levels might be tight. That was one reason I wanted to do them before the poop boards. Then I'd know how high I'd have to make the boards to fit over them. I believe the bottoms of the poop boards are at 32" from the floor.

The other side will be sort of duplicate to this side. But in place of the nest area, there will be an aisle way to the pop door. And I will probably leave off the poop board over that space.

Beautiful build!! I’m not sure how I missed this one as I’ve looked this forum up and down multiple times for inspiration. Any reviews on your flooring yet?

Thanks!

You probably missed it because it went for over a year without an update.

My review on the flooring: I don't believe the Henry Solarflex is as awesome as the Black Jack 57.

(At least not as awesome as people say the Black Jack is. I've not seen it in person yet.)

The Henry Solarflex went on much like any other paint, and didn't give me the feeling that I had given the wood very much protection. But, after cleaning out a year's accumulation of poop and bedding, its still very much intact on the floor. I would like to try the Black Jack someday so I can see how it compares.

 

[aart]

Window screens are in place, and wouldn't you know, the first night I could let them sleep with fresh air coming in, and it was raining

Murphy again....smh.

Yeah, fitting in 2 nest levels might be tight. That was one reason I wanted to do them before the poop boards. Then I'd know how high I'd have to make the boards to fit over them. I believe the bottoms of the poop boards are at 32" from the floor.

Two 16"H nest would fit, but access for the birds to jump to upper nest perch will be tight due to poop board 'ceiling' and brooder wall. Will think on it while you're away.
Have fun trip!

 

[Finnie]

Well I did it! I got the east roosts and poop boards ready for them to sleep on before I left!

My success of the day- learning from my past mistake and making the frame for the brooder door plumb and square, instead of adhering to the not-straight wall.

My kicking-myself-for-being-stupid mistake of the day: Thinking I had made my poop board 3" shorter than I had planned, not double checking the poop board itself, and redesigning the brooder base 3" shorter. Spent quite a bit of time making that change, and then when I put the poop board on, what do you know. I had designed it right in the first place! Huge waste of time I could ill afford, and now I'm stuck with a brooder that is 3" shorter than it could have been.

Oh well. At least my mistake didn't ruin anything. If I would have looked at the already made poop board instead of going by my notes (I was looking at the west side notes. That poop board is shorter.) I would have seen that I wrote the length of the east side one right on it!

I will have to forgive myself for that and try not to let it bother me for the rest of my life. . At least I have 3 more inches of space to access that pop door. Which by the way is the Ador1.

Now for some photos of the screens and random west side brooder shots.

I found a prop for the window. Testing it out for a while before I buy a boatload of other ones for the rest of them.

"Human" side screens:

Oh the thumbnail is inside the brooder. I so wish I had had time to paint the walls first. It's going to ruin all my shots of chicks until I crawl in there and paint it some day.


Ok. Now I'm going to forget all about chickens and things and enjoy my vacation.

 

[Finnie]

We've been back a couple of weeks now. Our daughter and her family came to visit us the first week. Then it just so happened that we went to visit them that same weekend, the day after they left here. They live 3 hours away, in Evansville, IN. We don't get to see them all that often, so it was nice to see them twice in a row.

She plays roller derby, and it was their first bout of the season, so we wanted to go to it. It was also her first bout with that team. Before, she used to skate with the team up here in Indy. (Naptown Roller Girls) She quit doing that while she was pregnant, and then they moved away. Now the baby is a year old and she was missing the social aspect of being on a team, so she joined up with the Evansville team. (Demolition City Roller Derby) Our other daughter and her family also made the trip down for that, and we all stayed over for a Father's Day brunch the next day.

The next week I finally managed to get the brooder built under the east side poop boards. And finally was able to move more chicks that were outgrowing their cardboard brooder.

These doors were easier to hang, and they work a lot better than the west side doors. And I must admit, it was nice to have 3 inches extra space when I was squeezing in there installing the side panel. Every cloud has its silver lining.

Anyway, I'm very pleased with how the east side turned out. Nailed it!

(Sorry, couldn't resist that. )

I think the Pinterest Shed Coop is all set for the time being, and I will turn my attention back to the rooster coop and electric fence project that I put on hold a month or two ago. I have literally been letting the grass grow under that one. Tomorrow needs to be mowing day.