Octagonal coop build :D

[vimes1984]

Right, this is my first large carpentry project and really the only carpentry project I've taken on so far
I've been teaching myself carpentry and when my Wife asked for a new coop I jumped at the chance!
Photos to follow below, please be gentle this is my first coop and first carpentry project!
this took a couple of months of weekend and evening work...
If I had to do this again i would NOT make it an octagon....

Questions and critique welcome!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I really like it. The last building I built was planned to be an octagon but during initial development, I realized that was too much work so I made it a hexagon. And it is split down the middle with a roofed breezeway between the two halves with access to all the nests, roosts, feeders and water system from in the breezeway. One half has 3 units for pairs and trios, each with one nest and an auto feeder that lasts a week. The other half is separated into two units. Each of which has two nests and is designed for 5 hens and a rooster. The idea was to separate the surrounding land into paddocks so each unit would have access to two paddocks to allow rotating pastures. That's what spawned the idea of an octagon.

 

[Pekin747]

Om so jealous when people have such nice cops and can make them themselves its absolutely stunning
Is the polytunnel urs its huge

 

[Compost King]

what are the advantages to an octagon shape? less material cost per square ft? or is it more? Its obviously more appealing to the eye but I was wondering if there are any practical advantages to the shape.

 

[mesalina87]

Right, this is my first large carpentry project and really the only carpentry project I've taken on so far
I've been teaching myself carpentry and when my Wife asked for a new coop I jumped at the chance!
Photos to follow below, please be gentle this is my first coop and first carpentry project!
this took a couple of months of weekend and evening work...
If I had to do this again i would NOT make it an octagon....

Questions and critique welcome!

Love the coop

 

[BreanneRN]

It looks nice! My only concern would be ventilation, which I am not seeing much of... Does it have any windows or vents except for the door? If it does need some, it is an easy fix, a hole and some hardware cloth... It doesn't say where you are located, so I don't know if summer heat is a problem where you are... But ventilation is probably the most common thing that novice coop builders leave out. Oh, and access points in order to clean it from time to time...

 

[vimes1984]

Om so jealous when people have such nice cops and can make them themselves its absolutely stunning
Is the polytunnel urs its huge

yeah the tunnel is our we have two that came with the house, but a cow walked through the other one last year... I need to re clad it...

 

[vimes1984]

what are the advantages to an octagon shape? less material cost per square ft? or is it more? Its obviously more appealing to the eye but I was wondering if there are any practical advantages to the shape.

absolutly no practical usage at all..... it was a PITA to figure out the angles and I fancied challenging myself.
My wife said she wanted a mushroom shaped coop this was the closest I could do

 

[vimes1984]

It looks nice! My only concern would be ventilation, which I am not seeing much of... Does it have any windows or vents except for the door? If it does need some, it is an easy fix, a hole and some hardware cloth... It doesn't say where you are located, so I don't know if summer heat is a problem where you are... But ventilation is probably the most common thing that novice coop builders leave out. Oh, and access points in order to clean it from time to time...

the heat in the summer is NOT a problem here I live in the north of Ireland.
Two of the walls are actually doors that open up completly for easy cleaning
regarding the ventilation the whole part beneath the roof had holes in it to ventilate the whole thing
I did a lot of reading prior to building.
Picture of one of the big doors opened attached

 

[vimes1984]

also it's not quite finished the roof felt needs to be stuck down and the trim needs to be put on and painting finished