We moved into our house almost a year ago and around 6 months in we discussed getting a few chickens and started trying to figure out where to put a coop/run. We only have about 1/4 acre property and being in the southwest most of the landscaping is rock instead of grass and we have a large pool on one half our yard so we were limited to where we could keep the chickens.
After a while of debating I suggested using the large resin shed that was installed by the people before us. We have plenty of other storage so we didn't really use it and it would save space not having to add another item to the yard.
We cut holes in the doors and made tight fitting frames covered in hardware cloth for ventilation. We cut out a hole in the bottom of one wall and made another wood frame for a door to the run. The run door has a plywood door that slides down into it to close it up at night. We also cut down one of the plastic shelves that was in the shed to use as a ramp into the coop. It was slippery so I painted the ramp with primer and dumped sand on it then painted it with outdoor paint to seal the sand so it's now textured to prevent the chickens from sliding down it.
I made a roost by making a rectangle of 2x4s and adding some vertical beams to attach 2 different height roost bars. We then lined the bottom with a tarp making it easy to clean. I will probably be adding a middle height bar to the roost because I think the height different between the 2 is a bit much though they seem to make it to the high one every night. We use sand in the coop and run and I love it. It scoops just like cat litter.
The nest boxes are made from scrap wood, typical wood boxes with a slanted lid that opens. Added curtains for privacy. I bolted down the lowest shelf in the shed and then bolted the nest boxes to the shelf and the wall of the shed. I'm hoping they aren't too high, the girls aren't laying yet so we'll see if they figure them out.
We made the run using 2x4s and galvanized wire mesh. The mesh is doubled up on the bottom half of the run and has a 2 ft skirt which the grass grew over. We are not carpenters and made it up as we went along so it's far from perfect but once the mesh got nailed on with U nails it became very sturdy. I was paranoid about coyotes and stuff in the beginning even though we have a 5-6ft block wall that surrounds our entire backyard I made sure we made it as predator proof as possible within our budget. It's about 8x8 and 6ft tall at the peak so we can get in to clean it really well.
I added a small roost to the corner of the run as well as a PVC feeder. The girls use a dish bucket for water. I change it twice a day or when my BSL decides to take a bath and dirties it up.
After about a month of them being confined to the run all day I decided to get over my predator fears and let them free range during the day since I'm home. So now I hook the run door open so it can't blow closed and they are able to go in and out as they please. I planted a little black oil sunflower garden next to their run so when the flowers make seeds I can just cut them off and throw them to the girls.
It's not the fanciest coop but it's easy to clean, spacious and functional. I'm sure I'll be adding stuff to it as time goes on as well as improving on it as I can.
After a while of debating I suggested using the large resin shed that was installed by the people before us. We have plenty of other storage so we didn't really use it and it would save space not having to add another item to the yard.
We cut holes in the doors and made tight fitting frames covered in hardware cloth for ventilation. We cut out a hole in the bottom of one wall and made another wood frame for a door to the run. The run door has a plywood door that slides down into it to close it up at night. We also cut down one of the plastic shelves that was in the shed to use as a ramp into the coop. It was slippery so I painted the ramp with primer and dumped sand on it then painted it with outdoor paint to seal the sand so it's now textured to prevent the chickens from sliding down it.
I made a roost by making a rectangle of 2x4s and adding some vertical beams to attach 2 different height roost bars. We then lined the bottom with a tarp making it easy to clean. I will probably be adding a middle height bar to the roost because I think the height different between the 2 is a bit much though they seem to make it to the high one every night. We use sand in the coop and run and I love it. It scoops just like cat litter.
The nest boxes are made from scrap wood, typical wood boxes with a slanted lid that opens. Added curtains for privacy. I bolted down the lowest shelf in the shed and then bolted the nest boxes to the shelf and the wall of the shed. I'm hoping they aren't too high, the girls aren't laying yet so we'll see if they figure them out.
We made the run using 2x4s and galvanized wire mesh. The mesh is doubled up on the bottom half of the run and has a 2 ft skirt which the grass grew over. We are not carpenters and made it up as we went along so it's far from perfect but once the mesh got nailed on with U nails it became very sturdy. I was paranoid about coyotes and stuff in the beginning even though we have a 5-6ft block wall that surrounds our entire backyard I made sure we made it as predator proof as possible within our budget. It's about 8x8 and 6ft tall at the peak so we can get in to clean it really well.
I added a small roost to the corner of the run as well as a PVC feeder. The girls use a dish bucket for water. I change it twice a day or when my BSL decides to take a bath and dirties it up.
After about a month of them being confined to the run all day I decided to get over my predator fears and let them free range during the day since I'm home. So now I hook the run door open so it can't blow closed and they are able to go in and out as they please. I planted a little black oil sunflower garden next to their run so when the flowers make seeds I can just cut them off and throw them to the girls.
It's not the fanciest coop but it's easy to clean, spacious and functional. I'm sure I'll be adding stuff to it as time goes on as well as improving on it as I can.
