Our new coop with a DECK!!!

[kla37]

Here is our coop, it still needs some trim paint but it's basically done. The chickens love it! it's all completely enclosed in 1/2" hardware mesh, except for the bottom, that is in 1/4" mesh. We put padlocks on the coop entrance and the run entrance since I remember raccoons practically monkey like with their hands.

Lots of room inside where my youngest likes to hang out...

Because of the wooded environment we are in, I'm a little leary of letting them out....

For my 8 girls, I have 3 large nest boxes inside. The doors on the side above the deck completely open, which makes cleaning really easy. We're happy with it!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

That is a wonderful coop! What a great job you have done. Did you make it yourself or buy it?

 

[AmySue]

Love it!

And love the deck. Awesome!

 

[Kansaseq]

So, is the deck for you, or are you going to put out little lounge chairs for the girls???

Beautiful coop!

 

[kla37]

We did most of it ourselves, but have a friend who did some of the more dangerous work. I love the vents that we put in. They are on both ends of the coop portion, and with the chicken entrance to the coop always open and the ridge vent on the roof, there is always a flow of air. When it's super hot, they go up into the coop because it's actually cooler up there!

 

[kla37]

We added the deck so we wouldn't need a stepstool to get into the coop for cleaning. I am going to put a couple chairs on it for us! See all the woods? I'm a little apprehensive about letting my chickens out just yet. I want to wait until they are fully grown and get into a good laying habit before they start roaming the backyard.

 

[elmo]

Lovely! Very nice design.

I was just wondering about digging predators. I don't see a wire apron, so I was wondering whether you trenched and buried wire around the perimeter?

 

[oesdog]

Lovely coop and pen - we didn;t use a wire apron - we used quick dry cement all the way round and put the wooden frame directly onto it so that nothing can burrow under no matter how hard they try!!!!!! Just a thought. - We don;t have the preditors you do in the states but we do have issues with wild cats and Foxes here.

I am showing DH your coop and ttelling him I want one!!!!!!! -

Oesdog

 

[Swampwood]

Looks Great!!

I would add some skylights

 

[kla37]

Quote:
We have the support posts in concrete, and the wood base you see is about 2 feet down with a french drain all around the outside. The wood base is completely wrapped and lined in 1/4" hardware cloth and then we filled in the base with topsoil and I put mulch down on top of that, and the kids put buckets of dried leaves for the chickens to play in every week or so. They completely shred it in a matter of hours. I rake the mulch out once a month and spread it in the gardens and mix it in and then put down fresh shredded mulch. When we were done, a friend of ours did kind of the same thing but just used with a small doghouse she put on posts and added a run.

Skylights wouldn't do much since it's completely shaded, and the vents on 3 sides let in a lot of light. We are going to add a couple hanging flower baskets next spring!