Should I build my first Coop?

[U_Stormcrow]

I have a few of that sort of thing in my setup as part of the "clutter".

Honestly, I have a few of the "?spindles?" they wind up electrical wire on. I know some people use them as tables. My goats use them to jump up on, and sometimes the chickens will ring them as well. Pretty stable if you want to set them in a triangle and run boards between as roosting bars in the run for nice weather as well. NOT attractive. Practical. Heavy enough they don't move in all but the most extreme weather. Easy enough to roll to new locations when desired.

 

[3KillerBs]

Honestly, I have a few of the "?spindles?" they wind up electrical wire on. I know some people use them as tables. My goats use them to jump up on, and sometimes the chickens will ring them as well. Pretty stable if you want to set them in a triangle and run boards between as roosting bars in the run for nice weather as well. NOT attractive. Practical. Heavy enough they don't move in all but the most extreme weather. Easy enough to roll to new locations when desired.

We have a table like that.

The chickens' favorite piece of run furniture is a pallet on blocks.

I'm keeping my eyes open for some additional matched pallets to use in A-frames and to make 3-sided shelters with some of my random scraps of metal roofing.

Not pretty, but the chickens love that stuff.

 

[AGeese]

A-frames are popular around me as shelters for individual chickens, or dogs, or goats, or whatever wants to hide in one during inclement weather on properties with no runs, "houses", or other secure shelters for their animals whatsoever. Usually nailed together from a pair of wooden pallets. They serve a purpose, yes - but its a rather different style of management than most of us practice with our flocks.

I understand the concerns. I never intended to state my application is the template standard for all. Just a suggestion for anyone looking for a quick simple setup, but perhaps not long term. That said there are folks using well built A-frames successfully, and granted they've spent more time considering these things when they built them.

One thing I noticed after my shell was up, was a significant lack of draft even with one side completely open. While that keeps the wind off the girls it also means I have to compensate for the humidity.

That said I've been rolling around options for dealing with humidity this summer because we get a lot. One of those is a solar vent, but I realize someone just starting with limited funds in the wallet isn't going to pop for bells and whistles.

They may also live in a much dier climate that I, maybe they're planning a secured open run, maybe they free range and so the birds aren't creating a lot of their own humidity during the day being cooped up, what have you. Mine are learning to free range now.

All in all, if you go with an A-frame make sure to take note of what others have pointed out here.