post your chicken coop pictures here!

[jwinders12]

Well it took me a lot longer and and a lot more money than I originally thought it would but my small coop is finally finished (for the most part, still have some outside trim pieces to put up) but I thought it turned out alright.

 

[bruceha2000]

I need ideas for my coop! When I first got chickens, I thought that I was just going to get 10 or 11 hens. So I build a little coop. Well, that didn't happen! At first I had 10 hens, but now I have 20 hens and 2 roosters! They out grew their little coop. So now I need ideas for a large coop that will fit about 30 hens because I will not stop at 22 hens.

If you won't stop at 22, are you SURE you will stop at 30?

In any case, as Ken said, I would go with something that is a building (*) that is EASY maintenance. The more chickens you have, I think the more space per bird you really need so they don't go nuts on each other when they are confined. 2 sq ft is NOT 2 ft sq and a large fowl will occupy a square foot just standing around. Think of a checker board with every other square occupied. Not a lot of space to "hang out". Less space is OK if they are NEVER confined to the coop other than when sleeping at night.

Well ventilated with lots of windows and just high enough off the ground to be sure you won't have water problems. You can put your location in your profile so we know if there is need to plan for some amount of snow as well. That would require a bit more elevation. With that many birds you want to be able to walk into the "coop" and rake around the deep litter ('cause I am SURE you don't want to scrape 30 chickens worth of poop off a board every morning). With that in mind, put a removable 1x6 in front of the people door, you need the board to keep the litter in but if you want to change the litter, it can be raked out rather than having to be lifted out.

Plan the roosts (2x4 on the flat or 3" round fence rails) along the back wall. You need minimum 1' per bird. If you run 2 parallel (18" apart so they can't peck at each other with the one closest to the wall no closer than 12" so they don't run their heads or tails into the wall) and at the same height, you shouldn't have a "you can't come up here with us" pecking order problem, everyone can roost high. It also gives you a place to put the wire "broody buster" box up off the ground. Make the roosts easy to remove because if you don't you just KNOW there will be a time when you wish you had

Nipple waterers in a PVC pipe along an inside wall with a 5 gallon source container on the outside of the wall. EASY to fill and no carrying water into the coop. I have an old 4' galvanized feed trough (came with the barn) under mine to catch drips. 3 birds per nipple is the suggestion, put a screw cap or drain cock on the end in case you ever need to clean the pipe. To that end, enclose the 5 gallon container in a wood box (ventilated if you live where it is hot) to keep ALL sun off of it. You shouldn't have any algae problems if it never sees the light of day and won't likely have any need to clean the pipe or the water source. Also, put a shutoff between the water source and the pipe in case any of the nipples fail. Still don't know why but I had 3 of 5 draining out the night before Thanksgiving 2 years ago.

You can find many plans for feeders here on BYC. The easiest to fill are PVC tubes with the vertical part outside the coop. But if you have a coop big enough to walk in to, filling any feeder isn't a problem. Like Sylvester, you might want to check into treadle feeders. I know I am feeding more wild animals than chickens in the summer when the girls spend most of their day foraging or hanging out under the deck or a bush. There are always several wild birds in the coop when I go down during the day not to mention chipmunks, the groundhog (last year, don't know if we will have one again this year) so I'm leaning toward treadles as well, soon as I get time to make one or two. The kind Sylvester got look really nice but are out of my price range. Plus, there are plans all over the place and I have the woodworking tools and WAY more than enough old wood to make my own for free other than hardware.

* never really thought of "coop" and "building" as distinctly different but yeah, I can see that.

How high should my fence be for my run if I am using chain link and I don't want to clip wings?

How big will the run be? You might need to cover it with avian netting. Most chickens can clear 4' with ease, 6' will likely be a barrier for some heavy breeds. Some chickens can clear 8'.

Just finished mine. I'll put it on wheels to make it easier to move. I have doors on the side and back for easy access and cleaning.

Looks kinda heavy. Use big pneumatic wheels. You might need to find the balance point and mount an axle about that point so you don't need to lift much weight. Your profile doesn't list your location. If you are in a hot area, it might be worth making some sort of hinged or easily removable screen for the front so you can leave the access doors open in good weather.

Decided to start on a coop this weekend

8x6, but I may shrink it down to 5 1/2x6 inside so I can have some storage for feed, I'm also making the nest boxes accessible from the outside for ease. My daughter is two and absolutely loves the other animals around the homestead so I think chickens will be a good teaching tool for her

50# of feed fits nicely in a 10 gallon can and they are a lot smaller than I would have guessed. I got some at Aubuchon that have a bail handle that locks the lid down. Not "no animal can open it" lock down but it keeps out the mice ... as long as "someone" remembers to put the lid on EVERY time it is opened.

Since there is that thing called "Chicken math" perhaps you might consider making external nest boxes to gain space inside. You can frame them up and put plywood on the sides, bottom and top (hinged to open for collection but make sure there isn't any way for rain to get inside) and screw the framing of the open back to the outside of the coop. Cut access holes in the coop wall from the inside. Maybe an "accessory shed" (attached to the back, out of sight) to store the feed and other "stuff"?? I'd just hate to lose the inside space for the chickens, especially if they will have to spend "non roosting" time in it. The more room the better!

I just finished framing in my 10x6x6 coop this week and put in a long day building the nest boxes, fencing in the raised area of the coop and putting in roost bars. I'm hoping to get all the wire on, cedar siding hung, and feeders and waterers installed next weekend.

Chicken feet aren't really designed to grip while sleeping like songbird feet are. I suggest you change those roosts to 2x4 on the flat unless you have bantams.

 

[bruceha2000]

Well it took me a lot longer and and a lot more money than I originally thought it would but my small coop is finally finished (for the most part, still have some outside trim pieces to put up) but I thought it turned out alright.

Isn't that ALWAYS how it goes?? Looks like you did a nice job.

 

[TJordan]

We'll we have about a week to build the new coop or my mamma hen will be mad...

She's sitting one a few eggs here and I think she would like privacy. Babies due any day this week if I'm guessing right... Found the nest so not positive on age of eggs but my first time candling skills place them at around 14-17 days right now.

Found a leak today thanks to all the T-storms last night so I rushed to TSC for a tarp and fresh bedding. Grabbed the waterer and feeder as well sense the babies will need it. Now I need to find mine or go buy some starter feed. Wish me luck. Just hope the littles don't come on Saturday. I'll be at a football game e

 

[jwinders12]

Yeah no kidding! I thought people selling them on craigslist was a rip off until about halfway through building ours. But mine is one of a kind thats for sure!

 

[WthrLady]

Agree, and good glory, the man hours I've put in. Insanity.

Last step on mine. I started putting on the corrugated PVC roof on the run. I don't like it. And there is no way it will hold up to our winds or snow. Going to go get thin ply wood and just paint it.
Roof is only for shade and rain deflection for light to moderate rain with no wind. So thin is fine.

 

[kristenm1975]

Thank you bruceha2000, that's a good thought! Much easier to do now than once the siding is up!

 

[jwinders12]

Agree, and good glory, the man hours I've put in. Insanity.

Last step on mine. I started putting on the corrugated PVC roof on the run. I don't like it. And there is no way it will hold up to our winds or snow. Going to go get thin ply wood and just paint it.
Roof is only for shade and rain deflection for light to moderate rain with no wind. So thin is fine.

Why not use a tin roof instead? It will hold up much longer and not that expensive. But just a thought.

 

[TJordan]

Agree, and good glory, the man hours I've put in. Insanity.

Last step on mine. I started putting on the corrugated PVC roof on the run. I don't like it. And there is no way it will hold up to our winds or snow. Going to go get thin ply wood and just paint it.
Roof is only for shade and rain deflection for light to moderate rain with no wind. So thin is fine.

How big a run? And if your using plywood for rain and snow make sure it's angled so it will drain off vs building up. My grandma said they used sheet metal at an angle when she was a kid because they would have snow pile up on the wood and collapse it after time. We are leaving ours open with a little netting over it but added rain hides. We used an old truck bed lining on a few poles for rain cover. The coop is on a stand allowing the birds access under it and we will be adding a few lean toos with roosting bars under them. Plenty of hiding areas from air raids but might string some shinny CDs on wire over run because hawks and eagles are afraid of the metal and movement.

And you want to talk hours?

Hubby has been 'planning' this new coop for 9 months. Between the rain, people getting sick and general work we've yet to finish.

This was done going on 3 weeks ago and that's still what we have done. Well unless you include my husband hitting it with the lawn mower and now we have a cracked frame leg. Makes for a good weather hide for our dog lol.. We have to get moving.

 

[jwinders12]

I just

almost there! Still to do: Vertical trim on the run posts. the top of the run already has hardware cloth, but the trim needs done around the top edge and the corrugated roof goes on. Then I need to install the branch in the run. Lastly, I need to hang the oyster and grit dispensers inside. I also have another 5 gallon feeder to build.

I just realized this was your coop that looks great! It blows mine out of the water! How many years have you been working on it?? Haha