Our NEW Coop Build Coming along;) (thanks to Carolina coop ideas)

[The Inspired Mom]

My husband is awesome! Just sayin’

I’ve wanted chickens for many years. Have magazines from 10 years ago when I first started dreaming of having our own chicks but with remodeling old home then buying this home & remodeling more over last 7 years we just haven’t had time and honestly space in our yard was a real concern. We don’t have much land but we are backed to state game land which is wonderful!!!! The last 2 mornings we saw a few deer around 6:30am just slowly gandering 30-50 feet from our back deck. Love it up here.

After many months of discussion we finally ordered baby chicks & they came within days of ordering. (Didn’t know if it would be hard to get since pandemic but they came quick We got our first batch a week & half ago and second batch 4 days ago. All are doing well...only had one chick die in the first batch so we have 19 chicks now.

Our family of 8 has been enjoying watching them grow. For mother’s day weekend my dear hubby started building the coop. He and our oldest 3 teens started that Saturday May 9,2020
Then on Sunday he kept working (normally we don’t work on Sundays because we would have church but since quarantine church is still shut down Praying this quarantine stuff ends SOON We miss friends & family but thankfully no one sick that we know so that’s huge praise This quarantine we wanted to have some good things come from it and we have 19 baby chicks & I planted 2 raised patio garden beds a couple weeks ago and I’m getting baby sprouts of my carrots & lettuce already! Woohoo!! I’m no gardener so this blesses my heart. Anyways...

Super EXCITED about our Chicken Coop!!!!!

We watched tons of chicken coop videos over last month and we really like Carolina Coop set up. We like many others that aren’t by them as well (I love the shed building ones with walk in storage) but for our budget and DIY and for layout we went with a Carolina coop style. We own a construction company so my husband doesn’t need a “plan” he’s just going by what we saw on the videos and what I want We did use some old scrap woods too to keep price down and we had a huge stack of pallets from 20 years ago that was kept inside. So that is what we are putting on outside. Not sure if I need to seal it yet but I’m loving the rustic cabin look so far!!!!

My husband has worked on it everyday after work and today is 2nd full weekend he’s been pushing to get it done so these baby chicks can have their brooder in the coop.

We know the run isn’t huge....yes we have 19 chicks (supposed to have 20) but we are planning to build a chicken fenced in area behind the coop that we can let chickens out a few hours a day to forage. (with supervision) that area we wont leave chickens in when we go to town etc.

The coop itself we are planning to do deep litter method and put concrete board down (bc it was free) and it is smooth to clean out the coop. We are using 1/2 inch hardware cloth throughout coop and run (we don’t know if we need to put it on floor of run under a few inches of dirt or not? So if anyone has tips on that we’d appreciate it)

I’ll try to upload pics of process so far.

I’m thinking of doing a video on our new chicken family journey to put on you tube but we will see.

 

[Boones Farm]

My husband is awesome! Just sayin’

I’ve wanted chickens for many years. Have magazines from 10 years ago when I first started dreaming of having our own chicks but with remodeling old home then buying this home & remodeling more over last 7 years we just haven’t had time and honestly space in our yard was a real concern. We don’t have much land but we are backed to state game land which is wonderful!!!! The last 2 mornings we saw a few deer around 6:30am just slowly gandering 30-50 feet from our back deck. Love it up here.

After many months of discussion we finally ordered baby chicks & they came within days of ordering. (Didn’t know if it would be hard to get since pandemic but they came quick We got our first batch a week & half ago and second batch 4 days ago. All are doing well...only had one chick die in the first batch so we have 19 chicks now.

Our family of 8 has been enjoying watching them grow. For mother’s day weekend my dear hubby started building the coop. He and our oldest 3 teens started that Saturday May 9,2020
Then on Sunday he kept working (normally we don’t work on Sundays because we would have church but since quarantine church is still shut down Praying this quarantine stuff ends SOON We miss friends & family but thankfully no one sick that we know so that’s huge praise This quarantine we wanted to have some good things come from it and we have 19 baby chicks & I planted 2 raised patio garden beds a couple weeks ago and I’m getting baby sprouts of my carrots & lettuce already! Woohoo!! I’m no gardener so this blesses my heart. Anyways...

Super EXCITED about our Chicken Coop!!!!!

We watched tons of chicken coop videos over last month and we really like Carolina Coop set up. We like many others that aren’t by them as well (I love the shed building ones with walk in storage) but for our budget and DIY and for layout we went with a Carolina coop style. We own a construction company so my husband doesn’t need a “plan” he’s just going by what we saw on the videos and what I want We did use some old scrap woods too to keep price down and we had a huge stack of pallets from 20 years ago that was kept inside. So that is what we are putting on outside. Not sure if I need to seal it yet but I’m loving the rustic cabin look so far!!!!

My husband has worked on it everyday after work and today is 2nd full weekend he’s been pushing to get it done so these baby chicks can have their brooder in the coop.

We know the run isn’t huge....yes we have 19 chicks (supposed to have 20) but we are planning to build a chicken fenced in area behind the coop that we can let chickens out a few hours a day to forage. (with supervision) that area we wont leave chickens in when we go to town etc.

The coop itself we are planning to do deep litter method and put concrete board down (bc it was free) and it is smooth to clean out the coop. We are using 1/2 inch hardware cloth throughout coop and run (we don’t know if we need to put it on floor of run under a few inches of dirt or not? So if anyone has tips on that we’d appreciate it)

I’ll try to upload pics of process so far.

I’m thinking of doing a video on our new chicken family journey to put on you tube but we will see.

What Size is the base size of the hen house?

 

[Boones Farm]

what size is the coop house?

 

[The Inspired Mom]

what size is the coop house?

6x6

 

[krbuerg]

How much did it cost?

 

[rosemarythyme]

The coop itself we are planning to do deep litter method and put concrete board down (bc it was free) and it is smooth to clean out the coop. We are using 1/2 inch hardware cloth throughout coop and run (we don’t know if we need to put it on floor of run under a few inches of dirt or not? So if anyone has tips on that we’d appreciate it)

I guess my first question is, are you keeping all 19? It's a lovely build and I know Carolina Coop numbers like to run tight in the coop but 36 sq ft for 19 birds sure is tight, not just in overall sq ft but you're looking at 19 sq ft in ventilation to reach minimum recommendation, plus at least 19 ft of roost.

Also to clarify, deep litter won't work in a set up like this as it favors a dirt floor and moisture (which requires even more ventilation) in order for composting to happen. Deep bedding is what I assume you're doing? If not, rethink the deep litter...

I'm not a fan of putting hardware cloth or any wire on the floor of the run. Costs you extra money, and there's a risk of chickens digging down to it and injuring their feet. A safer-for-feet and still effective way of excluding digging predators is to apron around the outer perimeter of the run and coop.

 

[The Inspired Mom]

How much did it cost?

Ummm. Need to recalculate but so far it’s close to what I thought it’d be and more than my husband had dreamed I think to get chickens, supplies & our coop we have $1,000 so far. These eggs better taste amazing!!! Lol. We still want to get a coop auto door & have windows to cut in for coop...so need to buy polycarbonate window supplies if we go that route & we need to make the water & feed containers.

 

[The Inspired Mom]

I guess my first question is, are you keeping all 19? It's a lovely build and I know Carolina Coop numbers like to run tight in the coop but 36 sq ft for 19 birds sure is tight, not just in overall sq ft but you're looking at 19 sq ft in ventilation to reach minimum recommendation, plus at least 19 ft of roost.

Also to clarify, deep litter won't work in a set up like this as it favors a dirt floor and moisture (which requires even more ventilation) in order for composting to happen. Deep bedding is what I assume you're doing? If not, rethink the deep litter...

I'm not a fan of putting hardware cloth or any wire on the floor of the run. Costs you extra money, and there's a risk of chickens digging down to it and injuring their feet. A safer-for-feet and still effective way of excluding digging predators is to apron around the outer perimeter of the run and coop.

I appreciate your input so much. How many birds are you thinking is good for a 6x6 hen house? We calculated tonight 1 square foot for each bird to roost will fit but it will be tight like you said. I think a 4 of my birds are cross Cornish meat birds?! Not for sure yet and they are adorable but I think of thinning the flock that way if need be or possibly selling some. We are a famili of 8 so friends of ours recommended 20 birds to be sure we had enough if we want to eat our own organic fed chicken eggs as much as possible. We go through 6-8 dozens eggs a week as it is. I do want our flock to be healthy & have room to flourish so open to suggestions. I already thought our run needs to be bigger too and we discussed how to extend it at some point.

I like your idea on the apron only too. Hubby & I talked about it again tonight and think we might go that route and pray nothing gets into them.

Thanks!

 

[The Inspired Mom]

Adding a few progress pictures here. Our nesting box the guys worked on today. I really like that the door drops down so that rain & snow don’t fall into the boxes. We still have coop chicken door to install, stairs for in coop & out of coop and windows to put in coop & roost bars & apron around coop yet. Anddd water & food system, my husband is pro contracter and I appreciate we aren’t using everything “new” to keep cost down. May sound crazy but I want lights on outside of coop too . I like ambiance. Oh and I’ll want some lights I sure coop. Man this is gonna be nicer than the kids tree house. Lol.

 

[The Inspired Mom]

I guess my first question is, are you keeping all 19? It's a lovely build and I know Carolina Coop numbers like to run tight in the coop but 36 sq ft for 19 birds sure is tight, not just in overall sq ft but you're looking at 19 sq ft in ventilation to reach minimum recommendation, plus at least 19 ft of roost.

Also to clarify, deep litter won't work in a set up like this as it favors a dirt floor and moisture (which requires even more ventilation) in order for composting to happen. Deep bedding is what I assume you're doing? If not, rethink the deep litter...

I'm not a fan of putting hardware cloth or any wire on the floor of the run. Costs you extra money, and there's a risk of chickens digging down to it and injuring their feet. A safer-for-feet and still effective way of excluding digging predators is to apron around the outer perimeter of the run and coop.

Are you referencing deep litter won’t work in the hen house area or the run?