New rollout nest design Picture heavy-edited 1/21

[Opa]

ChristysChicken, reading about how my plans solved your egg eating problem sure is a great way for me to start my day. I'm glad they worked for you.

 

[jtbass2756]

I need help with an idea ! My grands are now up so that our backyard playground is rarely being used. THEREFORE....I've been eyeballing it for a future home for some pullets next spring. I'll have to use recycled material and have to do a large amount of the work myself...and ...to make matters worse, I have some handicaps. However, I'm trying to figure out a simple design to make this work. I have a 4x10 ft. coop that I took my time with and had the help of my BIL...its my little Ft. Knox. It has the 1/4" hardware wire buried 12" down, pavers along the perimeter. It was a donated coop and came with chicken wire. I didn't take it off but did wrap the hardware wire everywhere except for the 3 walled coop. I have only put 4 ladies in there so they wouldn't be too crowded.......Now my problem with designing this new coop is that I can't carry the food from the other coop to this area, so I need a storage closet (just big enough for 2 smaller metal containers), ... I need a door big enough to go into the run, ...access to the egg door....and all of it like another little Ft.Knox..like the other one. I can't stand the thought of going out there and having to pick up the pieces of my girls... We have big dogs in this area, coyotes/wolves...hawks, racoons/possoms...snakes... I'm going to upload a couple of picts of this playground I'm "eyeballing".. I don't know whether to try to use the top part of the play area or even if I need to use it at all. could make it just using the 2 A-frame sections....also thought about using only one of the A-frame sections and the bottom of the playareas.Hope someone out there understands my rambling.

 

[Opa]

As I look at the playset I can easily envision an attractive coop for minimal cost. Shingles can be laid over the existing roof. The sides can be enclosed with T111 sheathing. The upper play house becoming the coop and the lower level could be used for storage. The swing set could become an enclosed run. Add a treated 2x4 to the legs at the bottom, a second 2x4 at 3'. Hardware cloth covering this area and chicken wire from there to the top. Frame at door in the end and you would be ready for birds.

 

[jtbass2756]

As I look at the playset I can easily envision an attractive coop for minimal cost. Shingles can be laid over the existing roof. The sides can be enclosed with T111 sheathing. The upper play house becoming the coop and the lower level could be used for storage. The swing set could become an enclosed run. Add a treated 2x4 to the legs at the bottom, a second 2x4 at 3'. Hardware cloth covering this area and chicken wire from there to the top. Frame at door in the end and you would be ready for birds.

Thank you so much for the image in my mind!! I understand what you are saying....except for the T111 sheathing.. what is it and where would I look for it? I know a building contractor within a mile of my house.. he might could help me with some recyclables. I have an old door, and i can get pallets...
He is the on who provides my sand for the run. Its good course sand and I can go get all I want. So nice. I'm going to sketch this out and then go to him...he usually volunteers any stuff that I need. I'm getting excited now that I can "see" your idea. Thanks

 

[Opa]

T111 is a 5/8x4x8 sheet of grooved plywood often used as siding

 

[jtbass2756]

T111 is a 5/8x4x8 sheet of grooved plywood often used as siding

Ok, I know what you are talking about.. I need to get some paint so that I can also paint all the materials before I get them up...If possible. Things just keep rolling thru my head. I actually haven't been to bed. Sleep just wasn't to be mine.

The fire I went to be with...if I had ever gone to sleep, it would NOT have been burning with such gusto!! LOLOL I fed/watered my girls good yesterday but at some point, I have to treat them and gather the eggs!..not to mention, more firewood!

 

[Nisei]

Hello Opa,

Just joined BYC as we're gearing up to get a few chickens this spring. I was curious about your 6-nest design though I'm going to email you for the two hole nest box design. I see throughout the thread you refer folks back to the start of the thread for pictures & plans. I see a material list on that, but no plans. As appears happened in Aug. 2012, the links to images, etc. are gone. Is it possible to get that material back up?

 

[RoseMarie1]

I need help with an idea ! My grands are now up so that our backyard playground is rarely being used. THEREFORE....I've been eyeballing it for a future home for some pullets next spring. I'll have to use recycled material and have to do a large amount of the work myself...and ...to make matters worse, I have some handicaps. However, I'm trying to figure out a simple design to make this work. I have a 4x10 ft. coop that I took my time with and had the help of my BIL...its my little Ft. Knox. It has the 1/4" hardware wire buried 12" down, pavers along the perimeter. It was a donated coop and came with chicken wire. I didn't take it off but did wrap the hardware wire everywhere except for the 3 walled coop. I have only put 4 ladies in there so they wouldn't be too crowded.......Now my problem with designing this new coop is that I can't carry the food from the other coop to this area, so I need a storage closet (just big enough for 2 smaller metal containers), ... I need a door big enough to go into the run, ...access to the egg door....and all of it like another little Ft.Knox..like the other one. I can't stand the thought of going out there and having to pick up the pieces of my girls... We have big dogs in this area, coyotes/wolves...hawks, racoons/possoms...snakes... I'm going to upload a couple of picts of this playground I'm "eyeballing".. I don't know whether to try to use the top part of the play area or even if I need to use it at all. could make it just using the 2 A-frame sections....also thought about using only one of the A-frame sections and the bottom of the playareas.Hope someone out there understands my rambling.

I was thinking.....close in the bottom with hardware cloth and put a ladder thing up to the next layer and let them have nesting boxes up there. Looks like it's still short enough you could reach in to get the eggs if you did external boxes on one side and the roosting area on the other side. Although the roosting area would need to be up higher than the nest or they'd want to roost in the nesting areas. Then wire the A frame part for the run.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Wow - has it really been two years since I got the plans from you Opa! I'm embarrassed to admit that while I wanted to make the nest box - just didn't make it a priority until now. I'm tired of hunting down eggs and finding them partially eaten all over the run.

I'm still working on it - I have the back and stops drying because I just finished painting them this morning. I ordered the nest box pads from Cutlers and they should arrive shortly.

I have two questions -

1. how do you use the bumper? Is the foam on anything or just sitting at the back of the ramp?

2. based on this being 37 1/2" square and heavy because it's out of 3/4" plywood how should I attach it to the exterior of my coop? I thought I would overhang it maybe 8" in the interior and the remainder of the 24" would hang outside with an exterior door attached.

Here are the pics of the coop exterior and interior - you might be able to see the black marker outline on the outside where I plan to cut my hole for it to fit.





Here are the in progress pics of the nest box.

 

[Opa]

Sorry it has taken so long for me to reply. In my coop I have the box partially inside to allow the weight to be carried by the wall. The foam bumpers just sit at the back to cushion eggs yet are easily removed for cleaning.