Official Coop Thread

[FranciscoR]

I think I officially figured out the rest of my coop/run design. I am pretty excited about it. I am going to do a barn-style roof. Instead of making the run from coop to shed, I am going to make it smaller. Imagine a rectangular box about 4x8 right next to the coop. I will then build a slanted roof from the right (low side) to the coop top right corner (bottom right corner of roof). I thought it would look very cool to have the run roof follow the same slope of coop roof. When combined with the space under the coop itself, the 6 chickens (regulations won't allow more), will have 64sqft tor roam.

 

[FranciscoR]

It is funny how school, work, family life, and just life in general gets in the way of chickening!...lol Anyhow, it's been almost a month since my last update. I have gone through quite of bit of design transformation. The end result is what will be a slant-roof coop. It is still 4x8, but instead of 8ft walls, it is going to be 7ft in front, and 5.5ft in back. This still allows me to walk freely inside. I have started the process of "slanting the sides." Since It started as a standard 8ft, 4-wall structure...yeah, that was fun...lol The pictures speak for themselves. I have completed the roost, nesting box (don't "need" more), and the door to get at the eggs.

The door I am personally proud of. I saw another coop where instead of the outside nesting boxes, they kept it inside, but built a door. I also used wood from my old garden fence. The weathered look is pretty attractive, and links the old to the new. It is slow going, but it is turning out pretty nicely. It's starting to look like a real coop.

 

[FranciscoR]

Well, today was super productive! I didn't like having only 1 nesting box, so I added a second. I also finished the roof.

 

[FranciscoR]

In the age-old manners of "using what you got," here are some updates. I used leftover 4ft sections of 2x4, and 2ft sections of 2x4 to build a shelf. It'll be nice having some storage space in there. I built a front and back barrier out of spare wood. I am hoping the tall front paneling dissaudes curiosity...lol

I also built an automatic gravity feeder out of random pvc piping, and the housing of an old shed light. It's not fancy, but it is (or seems to be), rather effective.

Final update is simply that I put a "tab" on the nesting door. It still needs a lock of course. But even now, it stays shut.

 

[TalkALittle]

Great use of on-hand materials. A storage shelf will be handy. I wonder though if your birds will want to use it as a roost when they get bigger.

 

[collie1470]

We're thinking of building a split coop with 2 runs. One side and run for the girls and a roo, one side for the capons. We figured it'd be easier than doing two totally seperate ones, and it'll be nice to be able to watch all of the birds at once. Each half of the coop would have a people sized door (it'll be built similar to a split shed). Now just to figure it out lol.

 

[FranciscoR]

Great use of on-hand materials. A storage shelf will be handy. I wonder though if your birds will want to use it as a roost when they get bigger.

That occurs to me too. I will probably make the front part taller (or at least a taller attachment). They'll definitely roost there otherwise.

 

[FranciscoR]

We're thinking of building a split coop with 2 runs. One side and run for the girls and a roo, one side for the capons. We figured it'd be easier than doing two totally seperate ones, and it'll be nice to be able to watch all of the birds at once. Each half of the coop would have a people sized door (it'll be built similar to a split shed). Now just to figure it out lol.

My original plans (as well as many others), would work well. I started out with huge plans. Then I found out I could only have 6 chickens (city ordinance). Then I started building a smaller version, and didn't like it. That's what is so great about building your own coop...making it your own, without a timetable.

 

[collie1470]

And it can be built to fit the property, rather than having to settle for the closest prefab

We're rural types, fortunately for my love of chickens, eggs, and chicken meat.

 

[collie1470]

One of the reasons I'm glad my fiance really doesn't like living around many people haha