Our coop

[Gizzard of Oz]

 

[RJSorensen]

Hello Gizzard, a nice enough looking coop and run. I can see a few of your birds under there, are they Polish or what types do you keep. Welcome to BYC if you have not already been so.

Best to you and your birds,

RJ

 

[Gizzard of Oz]

Thanks- we have 3 brahma 3 Sussex- though I'd like to get a polish someday.

 

[KatherineNaomi]

Looks great! We're hoping to build something similar once the snow melts. What size is yours?

 

[Gizzard of Oz]

Thanks! I modeled it after a design I saw online called a coop deville. The benefit is that it is elevated (ergonomic to observe, work on and retrieve eggs) plus keeps the birds away from pests and predators. The run is partually covered now to keep the suspended feeder dry. The 7 foot height in the run allows me to walk in and rake or add water without knocking my head. The run is 14 feet long. Coop is nApproximately 4 feet wide by 5 deep - height tapers from about 4 feet in the front to 3 1/2 at the back- but it's 3 feet off the ground. Fun to build and tinker on.

 

[KatherineNaomi]

Thank you so much for the detailed reply. It was very helpful! Would you mind sharing how much it cost to build?

 

[Gizzard of Oz]

I'd love to say it cost substantially less than prefab coops- but truth be told with lumber, fasteners, roofing, hinges, galvanized welded wire, pea gravel, paint and other add ons- about $900 (200 over my original budget). You could do way better with salvaged materials- but I had a week off and hadn't scouted out available recycled options. The upside is it withstood a trip of st Bernard's who hopped the fence and tried to infiltrate the run. So it is secure.

 

[Gizzard of Oz]

There's the shell.

 

[KatherineNaomi]

Thanks. That sounds about right. I've been pricing things out and I admit I was clueless about the high cost of lumber. We've bumped up our budget to $1,000 and hoping we can build it for less if possible. We're definitely not getting into backyard hens to save money but it should be a fun family project.