Progress thread, coop design and building

[LightedPrism]

I havent seen anyone reply to your question about coons and doorknobs. When i worked at a wildlife center for a fee years we had to padlock their run areas or they would open doors and help themselves to everything. Its a good rule if a 5 year old can open it, a coon can.

love your design! Cant wait to see more! And Right?? With all the information available on here is Crazy!

 

[Rodrad]

Thank you very much. I think I will have a keyed lock knob, with a key possibly hanging little away from the lock. Possibly suspended on the gable, on a carabiner. May be the smart coons could use a key, if nearby, and try to unlock the door.

Thank you for liking my coop design. It is really a very small, but hopefully well built and practical. I am using a lot of various scrap lumber, plywood and plain pine planks (for the siding). For the roof I initially thought to use a metal roofing. Since we have nearby several large hickory trees the noise they make hitting it would scare the chickens quite a lot, I think, so I will go with shingles.

You are right, with all those information I modified the design already few times!

BTW, what type of bedding system you have?

 

[LightedPrism]

I try not to underestimate coons lol. i havent heard of coons using keys, (yet) to open things. But they are so bloody smart I wouldn’t put it past them in the near future.

currently my babies are in the brooder so its daily changes but I’ll most likely be doing the deep litter method. In my area there are a ton of predators so an enclosed run will have access for them 24/7.

im just a little bit behind you in the design phase, so i havent 100% decided.

 

[Rodrad]

I try not to underestimate coons lol. i havent heard of coons using keys, (yet) to open things. But they are so bloody smart I wouldn’t put it past them in the near future.

currently my babies are in the brooder so its daily changes but I’ll most likely be doing the deep litter method. In my area there are a ton of predators so an enclosed run will have access for them 24/7.

im just a little bit behind you in the design phase, so i havent 100% decided.

Yes, they are smart. But the key will be quite away from the lock, so hopefully they will not connect that it can go in the lock.

Talking about the coop design, I have not yet reported but I will omit double decking on my floor (with insulation in between). I am sure that in your area you don’t need it also.
I also plan a fairly large run, but it will be with top open. Hopefully hawks may not get chickens (it is partially wooded area, several lilac bushes, plus we plan to have one rooster and they often check the sky or watch for the predators shadow on the ground and alert chicken to take cover). In the afternoon, when we put our German sheperd dog in kennel we plan to have them free range.

Talking about litter management there are two terms, which occasionally get mixed up. Based on members input, we plan to go with deep bedding which is different than deep litter.

 

[Rodrad]

For my coop design I have a question. On the 5x8’ size floor, supported with joists every 16” what size plywood I should use? I am thinking to use 5/8” (and cover it with vinyl).

 

[aart]

For my coop design I have a question. On the 5x8’ size floor, supported with joists every 16” what size plywood I should use? I am thinking to use 5/8” (and cover it with vinyl).

5' or 8' span on joists?
What sized joists?
@DobieLover

 

[Rodrad]

The joists are on 5’ span (7 joists total). At this time, I plan to use 2x4 joists attached to 8’ long 2x6 headers. I plan just to have one person inside for cleaning - about 170 lbs.

 

[DouglasB]

5/8 plywood would be fine.

 

[DouglasB]

if your legs that you plan to put in a hole are pressure treated rated for ground contact, burying them would be fine. We build decks like that all the time. I have put yellow locust post in the groung that i cut on my property that were as good as the day i put then in after 30 years. Ground contact treated will last that long and then some.

 

[Rodrad]

if your legs that you plan to put in a hole are pressure treated rated for ground contact, burying them would be fine. We build decks like that all the time. I have put yellow locust post in the groung that i cut on my property that were as good as the day i put then in after 30 years. Ground contact treated will last that long and then some.

Thank you, I appreciate your input on the floor decking size as well on the posts. The frost line here is 30”, so I plan to make hole about 36-40” deep. Some people suggest to put several inches of pebble size gravel in the bottom (for better drainage) and after fill with dirt. Some suggest to put first a concrete “plug”, like 6-8” thick on the bottom and after it is cured set the post in the hole and fill with dirt.