Our First Ark - Photo Intense... Hope You Like It

[bigmike&nan]

Quote:
The structure is 8 ft long by 4 ft wide, the run is 2 feet tall. The Upstairs is 4 ft x 4ft and the walls are 16 inches high with the peeked part of the roof is roughly another 16 inches (roughly)... The top of the roof is proably 5 ft off the ground (I'm 6/3" so use that one photo of me as a reference). We have the 4 ft covered run and the 4 ft open run.

We PLAN on having two chickens and one Bantam Rooster - I have a feeling the wife (or I) will eventually "find" another chicken or two over time. But to me FIVE birds is all I want to see in this coop.

I did a LOT of reading here. I tried to learn from other people's experiences as posted here. If there is one "mistake" I see it is that people in their love for chickens got too many and had overcrowding, and with different chickens (breeds and personalities) they ended up with cranky birds... I think it's where the term "all cooped up" came from. We're hoping to avoid that issue yet still relish in the joy of having a lot of new friends.

Hope this was helpful

 

[MissPrissy]

Very nice job.

 

[Corey NC]

It is very nice, I just might have to buid me something like that.

I am curious will you have an roof that you'll be able to open? Also how do you plan to clean out the coop?

 

[JackieK318]

I love it! You'll have to post on the Coop Design page - this looks just like the expensive kits you see in the magazine! Great Job!

I do agree - people love chickens so much, they get too many for their space (run and coop). I am very careful to not got by the standards and give my bird much more space. Although I could have up to 35 chickens in my coop and run, I think 20 would be my max (even if that many). My three girls are happy in their mansion now, so I'm not sure if I'll have more than ten.

 

[bigmike&nan]

Quote:
Thanks to all of your for your encouragement. As it stands we PLAN on cleaning the coop out via the Service Door, partly by hosing and wiping it out. Remember we have vinyl flooring on the floors and all walls (up pretty high, can chickens poop THAT high ?? LOL), we PLAN to just flush it out the door down to the run area (clean coop out, move to new (dry) area).

ALSO I have been thinking over the whole roof thing. We planned on having it closed - but I think it would be smart (and easier to maintain) if one side would open - especially nice to get fresh air and sunshine in there to sweeten it up... YES ???

Michael

 

[littlelemon]

That is a great looking coop! Nice job!

 

[KrisRose]

Very nice!! I would hinge that roof for cleanout. Much easier to get to the nooks and crannies, even in a small coop

.

 

[bigmike&nan]

Quote:
Agreed - the more I think about it the more I like the idea of having one side come up and out (ala the Boughton Ark lift off roof section) so we can get in there from above AND also so on warm days we can air dry it out nicely...

 

[bigmike&nan]

Quote:
Agreed - the more I think about it the more I like the idea of having one side come up and out (ala the Boughton Ark lift off roof section) so we can get in there from above AND also so on warm days we can air dry it out nicely...

 

[jaku]

I really like your design. Does anyone build "tractors" like these that are permenantly mounted to the ground? I want a coop for my layers, and I want to mount it, but I like the design of the tractors a lot, especially for the overhead coop making a covered run underneath. Is there any reason not to make a permanentley mounted tractor?