post your chicken coop pictures here!

[IvanTsary]

this is my first time building a chicken coop+run so I made a lot of mistakes with this chicken coop+run

Do you think you will have problems with water pooling on the roof when it rains? That was one of the biggest problems I tried to figure out since I didn't want the time and expense of framing out a proper roof right now.

 

[MeepBeep]

According to one farm forum source they drink 25 oz/day.

That is an average, the range can vary from about 15oz to 35oz (or even more or less) depending on weather, activity and type and amount of food they are eating...

 

[perchie.girl]

Do you think you will have problems with water pooling on the roof when it rains? That was one of the biggest problems I tried to figure out since I didn't want the time and expense of framing out a proper roof right now.

I had a couple of flat roofed aviaries at my last house with plywood covering the tops. funny thing is .... you can never get stuff completely level so the water will run off. I suspect you get more rain than I do or someone in Arizona does... of course Arizona has the monsoons in some areas. but I get about nine inches of rain per year where my coop is.

IT would be more of a concern if it snowed...alot. I get about 72 hours worth in the winter.

deb

 

[BruceAZ]

Do you think you will have problems with water pooling on the roof when it rains? That was one of the biggest problems I tried to figure out since I didn't want the time and expense of framing out a proper roof right now.

that's one of the mistakes i made when building this coop..

yes, there's water pooling on the roof when it rains, but not a lot though since I coated the roof with 3 layers of waterproof finish. Most of water will just run right off.

I use silicone II caulk (rain ready in 30 minutes) to cover up any small holes from the screws. You can use roofing nails but i like using screw instead since it will not split the wood frames. Due to my budget, i just use plywood (coated 3 layer of waterproof finish) for the roof, i can add singles later but for now i think it is fine..

This is Phoenix Arizona so we don't have a lot of rain here. I found some styrofoam insulation sheets lying around in the garage so i put them on roof as well to help reflect the sun rays and keep the coop/run cool a bit.



I'll check the weather each day and will cover the other half of the roof with removable covers (to protect the feeder from getting wet).

I'll use a hand truck to move this coop around the yard so the chickens will have new grass and dirt to go through. This is where i made another mistake of using 2x4 since when you put everything together it's pretty heavy to move even with a hand truck. I should've used 2x2 or 2x3 instead, but 2x4 provides me plenty of space for adding stuffs later if needed.

I got 2 perches in the coop and 1 on the outside. I use those wooden mops we have lying around for perches. They are around 1.5 in in diameter.

 

[IvanTsary]

I was worried about the girls not wanting to use the roosting bar last night (1st night in new coop). So I spied on them today using a game camera I won at Cabela's black Friday thing.




I think I got busted.



550 pictures in 8 hours... They like the roosting bar after all. Now to catch them checking out the nesting boxes in the run to finish putting my mind at ease.

P.S. These cameras are not good for selfies. They are guaranteed to make you look like an axe murderer even mid-morning when you are turning it on for the first time.

 

[paigeemarieee]

Here's my little coup they will be having more then plenty roaming around time.

 

[Rostercogbern]

did some more work today hope to get the tin on tomorrow and the wire and I should have them in by sunday

 

[gpeters3]

p


Mine are eating as much usual I just brought a 50 pound bag of feed about a week ago and they have it about gone already and they even have corn they can eat and they are free ranged

Since i got the chicks i buy 3, 40 pound bags at a time. I keep it in a 40 gal trash can with a lid on it.

They must be ok, i took Daniel in to give them some corn and they mobed us The only ones that dont seem interested in the corn are the buffs and the turtles (turkeys). Ive lost track of the breeds already but one of the red ones with some black on her beak is really brave. She is always the first to greet us and comes up with an attitude. I think she is one of the rr's. That is how the isa red that was taken by a predator was. She used to be my favorite.

I have 2 red breeds but dont recall what the other one is. I have 10 breeds now.

 

[gpeters3]

A flat roof only needs a few inches of slope if it is properly supported to avoid sag. An unsupported flat sheet of plywood would need more slope because it will sag and trap water. I had about 6 inches on my first coop over 8 feet and it wasnt enough. The plywood sagged a lot and i had some 2x4s supporting it. Im thinking 2-3 inches per foot might be enough if you support it with some kind of rafters.

A gable roof with a standard pitch of 4/12 is 4 inches per foot. At that pitch it would have to sag a LOT

 

[gpeters3]

You like variety too, i see. I have 2 of each for 5 breeds plus 4 turkeys and 4 other breeds for 9 breeds total. I like to look at them all running around in the run. They all seem to be getting along but i chamfered the corners in the coop and run to prevent trapping and pecking. The older hens sometimes are aggressive but no damage so far