twfernandez
Chirping
Hello everyone! I've been keeping a running commentary on our build in progress - with pics - over in the "New Member Introduction" forum. I thought it best to move the coop Design & Construction thread over here! 
For anyone who may have been following along over in the New Member forum, sorry for the double posts!
Please feel free to post any questions, comments, and especially criticism where warranted - I've never built a chicken coop before, and I don't know much about raising chickens either, so the feedback would be most appreciated!
Coop build in progress:
First, had to cut/clear all of this to make room for the build. Still in the process of clearing - lots of poison ivy in the area - but making good progress.
The coop/run sits along the treeline near the middle of the property with the back of coop facing south.
Here we have all of the posts set, 4x4's sunk 24" and set in 18" of concrete. I don't have a plan drawn up, but I do have a plan.
The run is going to be 8' wide by 24' long, 6' tall, covered by a lean-to style roof.
The hen-house is on the east end of the run(where the two tallest posts are set,) and is going to be 10' wide by 4' long, for a coop that's a little L shaped, 28' long in total.
The hen-house will "face" west, into the run.
So far, I've spent about $90 on lumber, and $100 on hardware cloth, garden fabric and chicken-wire. I don't necessarily have a budget, but am looking to be as cost effective as possible.
This angle faces into the coop from just outside. I've trenched the exterior to 12", using standard chicken-wire for the trench.
Planning to lay down some weed-killer and Preen garden fabric along the interior of the run(to try and prevent that stubborn poison-ivy from popping up in the run) then top with sand/dirt.
Here I've placed the "underwire," in kind of a "U" shape, approximately 12" vertical and 8~10" horizontal because of the bend.
After laying the underwire, I sprayed aggressively with an herbicide all along the interior floor of the run, then covered with garden fabric. The objective is to prevent weeds and the poison ivy from returning in the future.
The herbicide will be "pet-safe" in 48 hours according to the label, and we won't have the girls in the run for at least another four to six weeks, so I don't think there is a long term concern for their health.
Not sure if it was evident from the photos, but the washers attaching the underwire to the frame boards are along the bottom of the boards once they are attached.
Here, I've attached and leveled the lower frame boards and filled the trenches back in. For what it's worth, it seems easier to hang the board level and fill in the dirt rather than fill in the dirt and then try to level the board.
I figure I have two to three more hours of work before the trenches are all filled back in - then it's time to level the top of all of the poles and start framing out the hen-house.
Weather permitting, I'll be working on the coop throughout the week; and the Girls will be here Saturday!
For anyone who may have been following along over in the New Member forum, sorry for the double posts!
Please feel free to post any questions, comments, and especially criticism where warranted - I've never built a chicken coop before, and I don't know much about raising chickens either, so the feedback would be most appreciated!
Coop build in progress:
First, had to cut/clear all of this to make room for the build. Still in the process of clearing - lots of poison ivy in the area - but making good progress.
The coop/run sits along the treeline near the middle of the property with the back of coop facing south.
Here we have all of the posts set, 4x4's sunk 24" and set in 18" of concrete. I don't have a plan drawn up, but I do have a plan.
The run is going to be 8' wide by 24' long, 6' tall, covered by a lean-to style roof.
The hen-house is on the east end of the run(where the two tallest posts are set,) and is going to be 10' wide by 4' long, for a coop that's a little L shaped, 28' long in total.
The hen-house will "face" west, into the run.
So far, I've spent about $90 on lumber, and $100 on hardware cloth, garden fabric and chicken-wire. I don't necessarily have a budget, but am looking to be as cost effective as possible.
This angle faces into the coop from just outside. I've trenched the exterior to 12", using standard chicken-wire for the trench.
Planning to lay down some weed-killer and Preen garden fabric along the interior of the run(to try and prevent that stubborn poison-ivy from popping up in the run) then top with sand/dirt.
Here I've placed the "underwire," in kind of a "U" shape, approximately 12" vertical and 8~10" horizontal because of the bend.
After laying the underwire, I sprayed aggressively with an herbicide all along the interior floor of the run, then covered with garden fabric. The objective is to prevent weeds and the poison ivy from returning in the future.
The herbicide will be "pet-safe" in 48 hours according to the label, and we won't have the girls in the run for at least another four to six weeks, so I don't think there is a long term concern for their health.
Not sure if it was evident from the photos, but the washers attaching the underwire to the frame boards are along the bottom of the boards once they are attached.
Here, I've attached and leveled the lower frame boards and filled the trenches back in. For what it's worth, it seems easier to hang the board level and fill in the dirt rather than fill in the dirt and then try to level the board.
I figure I have two to three more hours of work before the trenches are all filled back in - then it's time to level the top of all of the poles and start framing out the hen-house.
Weather permitting, I'll be working on the coop throughout the week; and the Girls will be here Saturday!
