post your chicken coop pictures here!

[iwiw60]

@jessbe Where on earth did you dig up that old post???? That post from Angela Penny was dated back in 1-26-2012 !!

She hasn't been active on the BYC forum in over 2 years.......just sayin' ....

 

[pauleysgrl]

Here is our solution to all the predators here in Tucson, Arizona. We put the coop inside a kennel and covered it with a tarp. And if you look closely, you will notice a baby monitor sitting on the chair so I can hear any trouble at night, lol. We are fortunate enough to have our coop right outside our laundry room door. Thus far, we have seen lots of racoons, coyotes and a bobcat on our property, so we were really worried about our chickens getting killed. So far, this is working and the only trouble we have had at night was 3 javelina trying to get into the compost bin. I love waking up to the sounds of our little flock in the morning, although my husband might beg to differ!

 

[jessbe]

@jessbe
 Where on earth did you dig up that old post???? That post from Angela Penny was dated back in 1-26-2012 !!  

She hasn't been active on the BYC forum in over 2 years.......just sayin' ....

I was just browsing the thread and I seen that lol

 

[iwiw60]

 

[jessbe]

First you need location, location, location, I actually planned to build in a different more level spot but neighbor relations ruled the day and I moved to here because of my neighbor was not a fan. I plan to change that by being a good chicken neighbor. Wife and general foreman had two request about the chicken coop. 1. it can't be an eyesore 2. please try to match the style of the barn I'll do my best... First I set cement tubes for foundation then built and leveled 2x6 PT lumber It really is level and plumb I notched 6x6 posts and rested the frame in the notch I set the joist on a board on the far side clamped on the frame to assist as I was building alone Once all the Joists were set I began adding the 3/4 plywood upside down but I also used Joist hangers I went back and forth on standard stick walls or past and beam, in the end I built standard walls with nailers for the shiplap siding With help from a friend we built two Rafters and put them up... It looked good so i used those as a template and my kids built the rest of the rafters with a jig they made on the flor of the coop. They did that on their own, good thinking! Rachel and Jon Rafters R Us Thanks to Rob I got the rafters up. I tried alone but this really is not a solo job. We built a post and beam barn three years ago and used the leftover lumber for the roof saved some money and made a nicer roof than just plywood. Roof matched the pitch of the barn which was 12/12 so roof jacks required Roof board run wild until ready to shingle nice look of ceiling and barn in background I keep hearing ventilation is important so I installed a whirlybird vent by Lomanco on the back side of the coop. Next I had to get the kids to stain the shiplap siding. While I waited I ran electricity from the barn. 20 Amps on 10/2 about 140 ft just for lights and automatic chicken door. I used conduit and direct burial wire. Cheapest single hung window I could find. $98 each at home depot. 4 foot Hardware cloth buried down and flared out all around the coop. Finally the shiplap is ready to put up and it looks great. My Shiplap Stainers... Sikkens SRD Natural. Renee the General Foreman Touching up some end cuts. Wild roof boards trimmed ready for roof and trim. Slate colored architectural shingles from HDepot. Slightly blurry picture in the coop after the roof is on and the lights are installed. Automatic Chicken door, Once the run is built it will allow me to sleep in some... And thats important... Built a door between the man area and the chicken's area cover it with chicken wire. Inside the coop I used white fiber glass bathroom panels which are super tough and easy to clean and disinfect when necessary. I am planning on using the deep litter method so I put some on the walls as well. Two Roost levels both above nesting box height... First night the smallest chicken was the only roost dweller. I slanted the Nesting boxes slightly so the eggs roll back out of the way. If the box traffic is heavy hopefully we spare some eggs breaking. The tilt is adjustable as needed. the board on top is simply to discourage roosting. Large dowel perch in front to make it easier to go in. The workers getting ready to spread the inaugural litter of wood shavings. The chicken Fountain installed to run manually. later when the run is built I will hook it up outside with a continuos feed of fresh water. First look and the birds are happy. All ten of them. Lol I know they are spoiled. The final size of the coop is 10x12 with 10x4 area for me and the food etc. and 10x 7+ for the chickens. Louver Vents on both end as well as the whirlybird vent. I was going to build step but in the end found a large rock that was a perfect step up. I just need to build the run out the back but I have time because the spaciousness of the coop. I am looking forward to the deep litter composting and the of course the eggs. Not a cheap coop but well under what I would pay to have it built by someone or even ordering one much smaller online. great project, I had a ball. Not a builder so it took me a lot of head scratching to get it right. REMEMBER. lol MEASURE TWICE... CUT ONCE! with the 45 Angles this is very important lol Thanks for this site and all the ideas which made my coop a reality.

I absolutely love your coop!

 

[callgood]

I have always had wild possums around the place I have lived and have never lost a chicken to one. I have lost chickens to coons and weasels but never to a possum.

Funny how predators act differently in different parts of the world. I have never had a problem with coon or weasels, only possums. They only caused problems with chicks though, never adults. But they were devasting when they did get in, lost several each time. That is what motivated me to build another coop and grow out pen that was predator proof.

 

[famousgrouse]

Here is mine.. Ready for new Tenants...

 

[Sylvester017]

Thank you so much for the information. We are building a coop out of recycled wood and there is going to be uneven coverage....to say the least but i'd like to seal the wood where it stands so that it doesn't continue to age... Was part of an old shed for years and years....probably around 50 yrs old.

Still going to use a scrap of armstrong vinyl on the floor that will go up the wall a bit.

Bending linoleum up the wall a bit makes it eventually crack and you'll lose the intent of its use. My sister had linoleum on her floors going up the wall a bit and nailed to the wall with metal strips like they always did in 1950's house building and it cracks. She had to re-tile her kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom floors. I don't know that today's linoleums are any better now but something to think about.

 

[Sylvester017]

Here is mine.. Ready for new Tenants...

LOVE the tilt-up windows in your coop. You don't have to go inside the coop every day to open and close them - just do it from the outside. Now why can't the Amish and other coop builders figure that one out?! Only about 5% of coop manufacturers use windows that open out. You also have the egg collection door opening from the wall of the coop instead of an egg box sticking outside the coop - Eggs-cellent - but I bet an awning or a flat shelf over the door will be helpful still during rainy weather or to set an egg collection basket on, etc ! Now if you keep your egg boxes level with the floor without a board across the front bottom of the nestboxes the nesting material will be scratched out and the eggs will roll into the rest of the coop to get broken. Or you can put a couple dish tubs or some plastic container that fits in each box with nesting straw inside to keep the eggs contained. Absolutely wonderful coop that I wouldn't mind owning!

 

[Sylvester017]

Thank you SO much Sylvester017 for your post!! I recently purchased some DE with great reservations and I'll be takiing it back to the feed store today. I have OMRI Poultry Protector spray on my "list" to purchase which I'll do today. Thanks again!

I found out about the health issues with powdery products around chickens after I ordered my expensive 10-lb bag of pure White food grade DE and it sat unopened for 3 months and just gave it away when someone wanted it. I feel like I saved my chickens from a health risk in the nick of time but unfortunately not my pocketbook! I also found that my two feed stores don't carry the White high grade DE but the unfiltered/unrefined Yellowy or Grayish clay-filled DE - but it's moot since no DE is good for chickens.

I research a lot and get educated opinions before trying something new on chickens. Some people don't have the personality or "time" to research before they accept every snake oil suggestion on the internet for their chickens. This is why I love these BYC threads. I follow many of these threads as there is so much good chickeneer feedback who post research articles by experts on many issues.