Need a simple plan please

[BeckyLa]

My opinion, again.

I think reaching inside to gather eggs & clean will work just as well as actually getting inside to gather eggs & clean. And will save on the shoes, too.

 

[mdbucks]

I dont like the straw shed Idea, because I think you will spend almost as much in Bales of Straw as yo would in wood, and if you dont spend the time wraping the bales or at least covering them good you will have a lot of compost bales come springtime. Then you will still have to buy wood and make your coop.

 

[greginshasta]

Quote:
I couldn't agree more. Sounds like a real hassle.

 

[silkiechicken]

I would make a human sized quick shed simply because if it was mine... I'd have a full time flock in it at no time! I have a few low non human entry runs/coops and although good at first, are a pain to catch birds out of... luckily they are tractor style so I don't have to do any cleaning. I couldn't imagine making a straw bale shed either. At 8 bucks a bale with dimentions of like 4x 2 x 2... that's a lot of bucks.

 

[BeckyLa]

The quickest and simplest thing to do, I would think, would be to buy a, preferably, wooden storage shed. Do the quick conversions into a coop, namely a pop door, roosts, etc., and you're set. Save your spare wood for the coop you're building next year and when you move your birds into their new digs you'll have a shed for keeping feed and other chicken related items in.

 

[greginshasta]

Quote:
I've been doing extensive research on exactly that for a few weeks now. I can't see simply building or purchasing a shed that meets the 40 s.f. needs of 10 birds, thus I would be inclined to go larger - and section off a portion for garden and chicken supplies storage. As needed in the future, the coop section could be expanded.

Pricing out the lumber for a 10x12 would be $700. Just add labor... A local lumber yard has a shed kit that includes pre-cut trusses that form the walls and roof line. You stand the trusses in line, secured by 2x6 joists, and build out from there. $1100 + $150 delivery. Or I can buy an assembled shed for almost $2000.

Not sure what sheds cost in your area, but they are rather spendy around here, and I have hoped to avoid that cost this year.

Are these prices in line with what other folks see in your regions?

 

[BeckyLa]

Sorry. I was thinking of something more in the line of the 4x8 (or was it 6x8?) size we had been discussing. But, no, I confess, I had not done my homework and do not know what the cost would be. To some folks on here, the convenience is more important than the price but I don't know where you are on that.

I guess that brings this project full circle, back to making a frame and throwing up some plywood. Actually, I think the one you showed at the first would work fine, especially if your birds free range or have a big run to be in during the day.

 

[greginshasta]

Quote:
No need to appologize. The whole idea of the thread is to kick around ideas, but ya, I've been looking at the shed and while it's still a possibility - I'm looking at alternatives.

I don't know if I'm going to allow the birds to free range. We are on an unfenced acre in an area where a lot of dogs run free. Most of them are pretty mellow, such as our Golden Retriever who mothers the chickens, but I don't think it's worth the risk - especially with the husky next door that is an escape artist and loves to chase things like my cats.

Here is our run. It's got a temporary roof on it now, and we closed up the hardware cloth on the tractor since it has become chilly, but their playground is 8x12.
http://www.gbdg.net/g2/main.php?g2_itemId=213

 

[rufus]

Well, it really depends upon what you want. The chickens just take the shelter you give them. When my family first started keeping chickens, they were down on their luck, and they built with what they could get their hands on. They started out building the coops out of palm fronds. They were called palapas. They were dirt cheap. Of course, we didn't have to deal with the cold weather.

Looking at the straw bale chicken houses for cold weather places, I think I would lay down a foundation of old railroad ties and then build upon that. That would keep the straw walls up off of the ground and keep them from rotting.

As I laid down the bales, I would run baling wire across them to secure chicken wire to the sides. Then a coat or two of stucco over that. Straw bales will last a long time if you can keep them dry and rodent free.

Just my thoughts on the issue.

Rufus

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for. Are you short on time, money, or the skills to have it done in a reaonable time?

Do you know basic framing?

Take a look at my page here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2328

Everybody thinks this is some sort of grandiose project, but look past the windows, trim, and such and look at just how this was built. The coop in the link you provided seemed more complicated to me. On mine, the floor is built just like the wall section my son is framing up in the second picture. It is 8x8 and two uncut sheets of 3/4" plywood square it up and make the decking. The walls are framed and nailed into place. Two sheets of exterior sheathing on each wall only cut for heigth. The rafters take some planning and a little trig, but a lot of the speed squares they sell at the home improvement stores come with a little booklet that gives the math and layout technique. We framed this up in a weekend. It was shingled and the small windows added in an additional two days. The large window came a little later. I spent about $600 on lumber and nails for the basic structure. I found a square of shingle in the attic of our house from when it was built.

This may be more than you want to build right now, but the same framing techniques can be used on a smaller scale. If you want the deck up on legs secure 4x4 posts in the corners of the floor framing. Scale the lumber down appropriately. If you are not going to be walking on the deck just use 1/4" plywood. Shorter walls can be framed from 2x2's and 1/4" ply. A box with a peaked roof is pretty simple...