Our New Coop

[mikem2424]

We built our first coop out of scrap wood from building a shed and picked up 5 hens today. Kids go crazy over them just cant wait for the ladies to get settled.

 

[BrianT]

Wurd!!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Your coop is beautiful!

Good job- now I am going to give you some pointers if you are interested: GRAPHIC

1. Weasels and rats- they can get through your fencing. They kill chickens happily.

You might want to go over your fencing there with hardware cloth where the chickens are going to sleep if they will be closed up for the night. If your chickens can access the underside of the coop at night, your hardware cloth will need to be buried or aproned out. You can do a search on here for "hardware cloth apron."

Hardware cloth is the only predator-proof fencing there is, and it is important at night when chickens are drowsy. They won't fight back. Also, with the fencing that you have used, racoons will grab the chickens and pull them through the fencing piece by piece.

2. Do you live where it is really warm? Or cold?

If you get some really cold weather, the exposed side on the right will make them cold. They need lots of ventilation, but above their heads, not directly on them. This could be solved with another piece of plywood (also on the front where the wood is allowing a draft to hit them on the roost).

 

[BWKatz]

Nice design . Ditto on other suggestions. Hope u plan on painting the OSB... will make it last much longer and easier to clean.

BTW

 

[S&N Livestock]

nice home for your chickens bet they love it

 

[bburn]

I just love seeing other peoples coops! Thanks for posting. All advice given above is good. Mine is wear gloves when installing the hardware cloth!! I am still healing.....

 

[Cargo]

Looks awesome!

Definitely paint it quick. OSB will puff up and fall apart fast is left exposed to the elements. Also plan on 2 coats or it will not seal right because it is so rough.

 

[mikem2424]

Just an update i burred the wire 1 1/2 foot deep but it was to week. We have 2 labs and one is still a young pup. Well she pulled the wire enough to get under while one of my black star hens was in the run. Needless to say we lost 1 of our hens and lesson learned. Pup got a beating and has been in her pin alot lately. We capped of the run and right now we are just pulling the hens out and letting them go play in our 40x110 fenced garden under supervision of course. They love it though and they like finshing off our fresh blacked peas that we never picked. Oh yeah and we got it painted