Open Air Coop In Central Mississippi

[trumpeting_angel]

Great progress in between raindrops and gale-force winds!

 

[jthornton]

Looking real good!

JT

 

[JagZilla]

05-08-2019 UPDATE

We're still dodging downpours and tornadoes in the South, but, I've managed to finish building the exterior of the coop in the past 2 weeks. I still need to build roosts inside, hang the nest boxes, and finish the run, but, I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, and I don't think its a train.

My son-in-law gave me a hand with the cross braces for the roof a couple weeks ago.

And I had a couple other "helpers" the day I hung the tin.

I managed to get the door built Monday night, and I hung it yesterday.

Here are the milk crate nest boxes donated by my wife's coworker. I still need to mount them on the wall, at a height that won't put a kink in my back every morning.

Storms are rolling in again this afternoon, and are expected to stick around through the coming weekend. Although my run is nowhere near finished, I mocked it up in place, in order to see how much rain will blow into the coop, and from which direction. This will help me get it rain-proofed before I move the pullets in.The 2x2s are just placed under the tarp to help shed the rain for this storm. I'll build something better next week. My wife would kill me if I left the tarp looking anything like you see in the photos below. The back wall of the coop (North-facing) is open about a foot at the top, but, between the roof overhang and the fence behind it, I don't think there will be much of a problem there. The front, will have the covered run shielding the huge open area, and the East side wall is shielded by my shed/pool house. My biggest concern is the large opening on the West side wall. I may end up making a hinged window out of clear corrugated plastic, that I can lower in bad weather.

Here's a shot of a few of the youngest members of the flock, anxious to get into their new home, and out of the oversized dog crate. I'm not completely sure the RIR is a pullet. She's starting to look a bit like a cockerel.

 

[jthornton]

Looking good, nice overhang on the roof. If the milk crates are for nest boxes put the roof up high enough so the mature hens can stand up. They stand up when they lay the egg. Also you will need a 4" or so lip on the front to retain what ever you put in there.

JT

 

[JagZilla]

Looking good, nice overhang on the roof. If the milk crates are for nest boxes put the roof up high enough so the mature hens can stand up. They stand up when they lay the egg. Also you will need a 4" or so lip on the front to retain what ever you put in there.

JT

Thanks for those tips, JT, and, for the advice you've given me since my 1st post. I definitely appreciate it. I'm really wishing I had put a 12x12 roof on it, instead of just a 10x10. I have a feeling that when the first wave of rain gets here, sometime in the next 2-3 hours, much of it will blow into the coop through that big trapezoidal opening at the top of the west side wall. I'm pretty sure I'll be putting a hinged window on it, before I move the girls in next week.

 

[jthornton]

It would be very easy to screw some boards to the cross boards and extend the roof out to the sides if needed. You could even slope it down some to stop the horizontal rains.

Don't forget to block off the openings on the front wall above the sill plate.

JT

 

[aart]

I have a feeling that when the first wave of rain gets here, sometime in the next 2-3 hours, much of it will blow into the coop through that big trapezoidal opening at the top of the west side wall.

..and off the tarp(which I assume is temporary) right into the coop. Building around the rains can be frustrating.

It would be very easy to screw some boards to the cross boards and extend the roof out to the sides if needed. You could even slope it down some to stop the horizontal rains.

Don't forget to block off the openings on the front wall above the sill plate.

JT

Ditto on the rafter extensions.
@jthornton sill plate is on bottom of wall, correct?

 

[jthornton]

Well it's early in the morning but the sill plate is actually the bottom one in the window opening and the top plate is on top and the sole plate is the one on the bottom...

JT

 

[aart]

Well it's early in the morning

Yes, it is, Doh! ...thanks.

 

[JagZilla]

I wanted to be in the coop when the storm hit, so I went out there around 10PM last night, and shot a couple videos on my phone.

Here is part-1:

Here is part-2: