post your chicken coop pictures here!

[vehve]

Quote: But is the screen letting in light into the nests if it's open all the time?

 

[TJordan]

Thanks, I'll tweak my plans because I don't want my beauties to be in that small coop for more than a week, 2 at the very most... Lucky we fenced off a major chunk of our yard so they can range around without getting near the main road... Seaming as how I've never built a coop before last week (hence the small one) I think it's a good solid plan... Now biggest thing, how to get something this size up on a stand or should I figure out a way to just predator proof the floor and build it Ike that... Any ideas? We are going to have to pick up the 4.5'x4.5' ourselves and lift it on the 3.5' stand.... Big job with just my husband and me...

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks so much... And yeah, my husband said make it at least 5.5 so I could stand... I noticed he said 'me' not 'we' lol... For him it would be 6' lol... And now suddenly he starts talking about making it 10'x 10' , building two and adding more for meat birds... Incubating another 40 next year AND even adding a miniature cow!!! HAS HE LOST HIS MIND?! Help!!!! The farming bug has nipped my husband in the butt but we only own about an acre of land... With a house on it... I keep noticing he says I will be the one carding for and slaughtering these animals when the time comes... I guess he wants me to be a stay at home mom and farmer lol... I can work with that but he needs to start adding a WE not just a ME into these plans lol... The only good thing about this plan is that before I got injured last year I worked as a meat cutter at our local store... I know how to cut them up, the killing them part will be new... Any ideas on how to SLOW MY HUSBAND DOWN TO EARTH, at least until we get our court case settled and get some cash lol...

It sounds like he has a lot of plans. Make sure that every time he mentions the butchering that you say "Great, you can kill them and pluck the feathers and I'll be doing the butchering and cutting up. And maybe later, we can get a whizbang." Keep throwing in about how it's a partnership. Shared chores.

 

[jtbass2756]

But is the screen letting in light into the nests if it's open all the time?

It is on the south side of the coop so it does get light but not a direct light...and it has 2 layers of hardware over it..one under the window frame on the outside and then one on the inside. My coop is made out of old recycled 1x10" boards. They are not tight which does help with ventilation and believe it or not...lets some lighting in. I don't think its too light but I've got some heavy material that I'm going to staple in place as curtains. Will not be too much of a problem. Actually have saved some feed bags that would work and they would at least add some color !

That may be the project for the day. Got a stapler...got to find my box of staples..LOL... I'm also going to put the latches on the people door. Been using cement blocks to keep it potected..but they are really heavy for me.

 

[iwiw60]

It sounds like he has a lot of plans. Make sure that every time he mentions the butchering that you say "Great, you can kill them and pluck the feathers and I'll be doing the butchering and cutting up. And maybe later, we can get a whizbang." Keep throwing in about how it's a partnership. Shared chores.

 

[TJordan]

Great idea on that... Any ideas other than trying to lift the coop to get it on the stand? I guess we could build the legs and try to careful flip it once done or reinforce the floor heavily so we can stand on it while on the stand to build around .... Not sure yet on that...

 

[jtbass2756]

Ok, today is finished.....as far as the coop is concerned. IT'S HOT OUT THERE !!! LOL.......worked on painting the artwork/ got the latches on the people door so I don't have to use the cement blocks/ 2 latches on the egg door in the back although I put hardware across it yesterday/ and stapled the canvas curtains up (really plain jane curtains) and painted the slanted wood over the egg boxes.

Don't have picts of that yet. I'm really going to have to do the run pretty soon! Keep doing the little things and putting off the biggy.... Just going to have to put on my gloves and start pulling that wire!!!! Not going to be a fun thing to take on my myself...

...however, I'm going to bulldoze my way thru it pretty soon. Yuk!

 

[Chestnut]

Got my coop in useable shape. This is a conversion. The original building is a 100+ year old, old growth chestnut, smokehouse moved to this location from the old family homestead. The windows are from the old farmhouse as well. Took a lot of cleaning to get it ready. Lots of old curing salts. Pressure washed the interior. Still had the brass meat hooks inside. It's roughly 8'x8'. The run is 12'x9' with 1/2" hardware cloth. I also have a 10 slot nesting box we salvaged out of the old family chicken coop. Coop still needs another coat of paint and the wife wants to put some colored trim around the windows. Guillotine uses two pulleys and I used 550 paracord with 1/2" pvc for a handle. It's to the right of the door. You pull it down and hook it on screw to leave it open. Wire in-ground around the outside of the run covered with gravel. I think I'm going to put wire on the ground in back of the coop as well. Already have things sniffing and digging back there but there's a raised concrete curb on the inside so they'd have to pull the boards away. Also has LED solar light inside for after dark inspection. Solar panel and egg access door are around back.

 

[iwiw60]

Nice! I absolutely love that old shed building...has character!

 

[jtbass2756]

Got my coop in useable shape. This is a conversion. The original building is a 100+ year old, old growth chestnut, smokehouse moved to this location from the old family homestead. The windows are from the old farmhouse as well. Took a lot of cleaning to get it ready. Lots of old curing salts. Pressure washed the interior. Still had the brass meat hooks inside. It's roughly 8'x8'. The run is 12'x9' with 1/2" hardware cloth. I also have a 10 slot nesting box we salvaged out of the old family chicken coop. Coop still needs another coat of paint and the wife wants to put some colored trim around the windows. Guillotine uses two pulleys and I used 550 paracord with 1/2" pvc for a handle. It's to the right of the door. You pull it down and hook it on screw to leave it open. Wire in-ground around the outside of the run covered with gravel. I think I'm going to put wire on the ground in back of the coop as well. Already have things sniffing and digging back there but there's a raised concrete curb on the inside so they'd have to pull the boards away. Also has LED solar light inside for after dark inspection. Solar panel and egg access door are around back.

Loving your building and how you are reusing this building.....how cool but a lot of work... I think its great!!