Oooh look what I found! Think this will work?

[silkiechicken]

Hmm 4x4 coop seems kind of expensive there and small, but if you are going for aesthetics, that is what you pay for.

 

[countryboy]

country cottage play house at toys-r-us is $250. if you are looking for something like this.
we bought one similar to this for our kids and you will have to buy metal angle pieces to screw the corners together or the wind will rip it apart.the 90 degree pieces are available at lowes and home depot.

 

[SeaChick]

Cute! It didn't look like it had anything in the windows, though, you will have to add hardware cloth and/or plexiglass. let us knwo what you do.

 

[mudhen]

Just wanted to throw in that I have a 4x4 coop with four laying boxes that houses 7 hens! It is actually like an outhouse-looking shed and works really well!
I've got the grit and shell feeders on the opposite wall fromt the nests, feed in one corner by the door, water in the other, a heat lamp and a nightlight, and they roost over the nest boxes with a removable poop board under them to keep the boxes and water clean.
Works great! (The PVC pipe frame-work was my solution to having to hold up the wire mesh roof over the run)

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Very cute! It would work for a small flock with ammendments. How many chickens do you need to house? What kind of breeds do you plan to house? Do the windows slide open for ventaltion? The average sq Ft per bird is 4', less for bantams.

You may want to consider a larger space b/c chickens are addictive. Most people plan to start small and want to add more by the next spring.

When planning my coop, I wanted one that I could walk into so I could go and hang out with them. I thought it would be easier to clean also.

I don't know what area you live in, but we ended up insulating our coop and that made the inside smaller.
Just a few things to think about.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

Mudhen,

What a clever idea for your coop! Very charming.

Did you build this yourself, or remodel a shed?
And do you have any photos of inside the coop?

Really a cute idea!

 

[skatcatla]

yeah, I only have 4 chickens and climate is so mild here that warmth isn't much of a factor. Right now I have them crammed into a 28" by 44" Chick-n-hutch with an attached 8 foot run, and they actually seem ok, so a 4 x 4 would be twice as big for them.

Space is an issue for me as my yard is not big, and to meet city requirements for where a coop can be located, there's really only one place in my yard where I can put it.

Believe it or not, $399 is uber cheap for lumber here. The little chick-n-hutch alone was $160, and we probably spent another $100 on just the lumber and hardware cloth for the frame! I need to go down to Lowes and actually look at this kit though.

Countryboy, I hadn't even considered Toy-R-Us, thanks for the tip! I'll check them out too.

 

[adeters2]

After reading this thread, I decided to do a little digging into this unit. I have pics I will post for you. It has 2x2 framing, as seen in this pic.

The walls are of 1/8 " treated wood siding factory primed.
Lap board siding for the roof...

4 foot by 4 foor and 6 foot at the peak. It is a really nice playhouse. And it IS available at my store and the price lists at 399.00.
It really would be nice for 4 chickens. With the add on of a few nesting boxes....you might have something there... here is the last pic I took tonight at work...

And thanks for all the kind words about Lowes. It's good to know our stores are doing good.

Dont forget to shop your local Lowes this coming Friday for wonderful deals... Super Friday Sales!!!
Ok.....comercials over......lol

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
Are you going to go for it? It's very cute! Sounds like it would perfect for you, since you have a small flock and mild climate. Just add some vents, cross ventilation, roost and nest boxes and you'll be set. Did anyone find out if the windows slide open? You could probable fix it so they could and put some galvanized hardware wire over them. I don't think it's that expensive, considering the price of lumber. What kind of breeds do you have? keep us posted on what you decide.

 

[skatcatla]

adeters, THANK YOU! that is so kind of you to take photos for me! I think the one in your photo is a different playhouse though..I think that one is called the My Very Own playhouse:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=263210-12341-263210&lpage=none

I was eyeing that one too, but as far as I can tell, that model is not available anywhere in So. California. The one I was looking at is called the Bellamy:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=276546-62478-276546

Any info on that model? Is it good quality lumber?