Scramblin' Rose Coop Build

[Spudsnsalsa]

Feeling kind of presumptuous to start a coop build thread given my novice status and the early stage of the build but figured I learned so much from watching others that I figured I might as well throw this out there.

Background information:

I live in rural Co. Kerry, Ireland {in the Windy Rose Cottage, thus the coop name} but am an American ex-pat so terms may well be a mix of measurement systems. I have never owned chickens and everything I know has been gleaned from my Irish farm boy husband and this site. I have thick skin so feel free to critique. The build is going to be unevenly paced given the vagaries of Irish weather and the physical limitations of the two old people doing the work so please be patient

The plan is for 4-6 chickens but given chicken math we are building a 6ft X 8ft walk in coop-shed surrounded on two sides by an L-shaped run who's final dimensions are TBD. The site is on a hill and the ground is very rocky so we started by cutting into the hill and making as level as possible site.

Used treated 4in X 4in lumbar for the foundation leveled on blocks. In this angle the run will be on the left-hand and backside. The railroad tie retaining wall will be extended {across the wall closest in the picture} once the build is completed.

Added 2 X 4 floor joists then filled in the base with some of the rock dug up when leveling the site in the hopes of discouraging diggers that make it past the hard wire mesh apron. To further discourage Misters Fox and Mink we will be piling even more of the larger rocks around the outside of the base.

3/4 in plywood deck laid with the plan to convince the old school farmboy I married that the next step is to lay a solid linoleum floor now and then start the framing. A girl can try, right? So there we are as of today! The walls will be old doors I've been collecting and roofing material is still TBD with corrugated metal the likely choice.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Looking good so far!

My hat is off to you! Well done getting that rock dug out and finding a good use for it.
That is a lot of rock.

 

[aart]

Looks like a decent start.
Got plans drawn out, might save you some rebuilding/field design?
There's few great reads linked in my signature that might help.
(please let me know if you can't see or access the links)

 

[jthornton]

Looks like your off to a good start. The green things holding the wire on look like the plastic roofing nails and would not stop anything from ripping the welded wire fencing off. But then they hit solid rock... but if your worried just use screws and fender(large) washers.

Is it 6 meters by 8 meters or 6' x 8'? Gotta plan carefully the layout.

Large overhangs with ventilation up high will be good to have.

JT

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

Looks like your off to a good start. The green things holding the wire on look like the plastic roofing nails and would not stop anything from ripping the welded wire fencing off. But then they hit solid rock... but if your worried just use screws and fender(large) washers.

Is it 6 meters by 8 meters or 6' x 8'? Gotta plan carefully the layout.

Large overhangs with ventilation up high will be good to have.

JT

They are the plastic rings on roofing nails but planning to go back and add washers/screws when we get our order delivered for the run construction.
6 x 8 meters would be almost as big as my cottage LOL!! It is 6ft by 8ft and yes we are planning on large gable end vents as well as using hardwire mesh as fascia to give ventilation along the eaves.

 

[Kiki]

I want to join the ride.

Good start.

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

Looks like a decent start.
Got plans drawn out, might save you some rebuilding/field design?
There's few great reads linked in my signature that might help.
(please let me know if you can't see or access the links)

Been reading and following your advice to others for a while now and love how helpful you are to us newbies, thanks!
Have a whole folder of sketches and measurements we are working from but also trying to be a bit flexible as obtaining supplies here in rural Ireland is still a challenge for me. Have three walls framed out but no pictures yet. Hubby is 72 and I am 60 and we only have a power drill and jig saw so everything being done with hand tools.

Rain in the forecast for the next couple of days so will likely be early next week when I have updated pictures.

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

So been kind of crazy here. When the weather was great we landed with unexpected visitors from the States and used to sun to show them the sights. Got 3 of the four walls framed before the rains moved in ....

There it sits awaiting the return of the sun!! Meanwhile a friend was looking to rehome a pine wardrobe for free so I raised my hand real quick and now am working on an idea I've had for a while.

Just a standard two door wardrobe. This side will face into my 'work room' and hopefully will make it easier for chicken sitters to collect the eggs because....

The side that will face into their space will have a 'hospital wing' below a communal roll away nest box. [Hubby sill not wrapping his brain about the different needs for broodies versus broody breaking so just started calling it the hospital wing so he knew what part of the wardrobe I was referencing LOL]Still have plenty to do like build door frames for the hospital wing both front and back plus build the vertical partition to separate the nest box from the egg collection side....then there is the caulking and painting too! But at least creeping closer to getting my first girls

 

[martins show birds]

hey that's a good idea. i might use it myself.

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

Snails pace progress on the coop over here in rainy County Kerry

Progress on the wardrobe into coop cabinet project however !!

Painting almost complete with just a few touch ups and some accent colors left. Will be inside my heavily fortified coop so only went with a single hook and eye latch for now. Can always go back and add more security if needed.

Decided to go with fixed hardwire on this side of the 'hospital' due to space constraints but at least I can open from my workroom side and check on any patients that may be in residence.

On the hens side [back of the wardrobe] the hospital doors open out wide enough to pull out the wire rack bottom for cleaning and has hook and eye latch as well as the toggle latches. The "black hole" above the hospital is the opening to the communal roll away nest box which is yet to get the curtains I have planned. I also plan to add an access ladder and landing pad outside the front but will be waiting to get it out into the coop to coordinate with the ladder to the roosts and poop shelf. Painted the nest box black on the inside in the hopes of enticing them with a dark and private space to lay!

The shelf is 3 inches higher on the hen's side creating the slope for the eggs to roll back to the collection spot. Starting out with artificial grass like pads that are removable so I can hose off as necessary.

Ran some trials and eggs roll nicely down the incline! Used a rubber refrigerator shelf liner product cut into strips as a visual block in the hopes that out of sight means out of mind!

Used pipe insulation tube cut in half and rubber shelf liner to pad the back wall and pleased with the results. Now to just get the coop to this state so I can end my days of store bought eggs!