sn0wwhite's Wichita Coop for the Twin Cities

[sn0wwhite]

I'd hang on to the extra roofing...ya never know. But I'm a bit of a hoarder/salvager...built a lot of my coop with materials I had saved, some for years.
If you don't have storage, or just don't want to stash it, and you can return it, why not do so?

google image search 'chicken jpg'...or you could search 'chicken clip art'

I think I maybe will save the metal roofing. It's blue (of course) so it was a special order. I can use a little for the nest box lid and see what comes up for the rest. What's the best way to cut it?

Sn0wwhite, it looks great!!!

This is the lock we used on our coop and run doors.

Thank you! And I almost went with that latch, but the Home Depot guy convinced me otherwise based on my gap.

Great job ! We are planning our 1st flock here in Albuquerque for spring of 2014 and are basing ours, like you, on the WC. We'll be following the plan pretty closely, again, like you, changing the colors a bit. Loved reading (and will be going back to re-read) all your questions on process (+ great responses from all who offered). Although i'm an Architect Supervisor for the Fed. Gov't (and on furlough - weeding through BYC for research day/night) building a simple chicken coop has me apprehensive. I've designed and built custom homes and done a lot of commercial work, but still ....
Look forward to hearing about your final push to get all details completed. Thanks for sharing . Sam

Thanks, Sam! If you've done custom homes I'm sure you'll have no trouble at all. Being more of a data geek, thinks like automatically knowing the width of a 2x4 does not come easily for me. We often just held the next 2x4 in place and marked it with a pen and then cut it. Usually then we went back and shaved it 1-8 times to get it to actually fit. I'm really good at shaving the width of a blade off of a piece of wood with my miter saw.

I'm so excited though that it's almost done and I think the BIG stuff is done. I just have left to finish the roof, put up the roost in the house and in the run, put a poop board under the one in the house, rubberize the floor, put the nest box divider in, make the glass windows and put in the window in the front door, add ventilation... and by then it will probably be time to do the winter panels. It's a good thing that I really enjoy doing this!

I'm going to upload the morning pictures in my next post.

 

[sn0wwhite]

And... I decided to make my own design to etch on the window.

 

[Sam3 Abq]

Your windows should turn out nice - thought I remember you saying you have stained glass exp? cool. look forward to following your finish work - once again , great job!
Also, as of today (yes, this changes almost daily) here is where our future Spice-Chooks composition is:
1. Australorp
2. Rhode Island Red
3. Plymouth Rock
4. Easter Egger
5. Golden laced Wyandotte
6. Speckled Sussex
7. Wellsummer

Spice cabinet mix, yes ?

 

[Sam3 Abq]

Love it ! if you made the majority of that image "orange" it would contrast nicely to your blue (blue/orange being complementary) , just sayin.
Seeing the main house (?) blue too - it all looks like it was meant to be.

 

[aart]

I think I maybe will save the metal roofing. It's blue (of course) so it was a special order. I can use a little for the nest box lid and see what comes up for the rest. What's the best way to cut it?

.....

Probably just a pair of tin snips would be best for the small amount you'd be cutting...I might try to use a cut off disc on my 4" angle grinder....I've actually never cut metal roofing.

If you google it, a cheap skill saw blade installed backwards, or a metal cutting blade installed properly, is most often suggested.

 

[jbher]

I think I maybe will save the metal roofing. It's blue (of course) so it was a special order. I can use a little for the nest box lid and see what comes up for the rest. What's the best way to cut it?

My husband owns an architectural sheet metal company and they do large commercial buildings and install metal roofing and wall panels - he said the best way to cut it is with a tin snip and if it's too big for that then a skill saw with a metal cutting blade.

 

[jbher]

Oh just saw aart answered you too! Whoops!

 

[sn0wwhite]

Ha! Well it's nice to have the confirmation on the answer. I think I'll try the tin snips.

No work tonight, just went to Egg|Plant and bought a new feeder and waterer and discussed Minnesota winters and heating the coop. Their opinion is that we do need a heat lamp in January and February when we get to 10 degrees and below. He also has 4 hens in St Paul.

 

[jbher]

Ha! Well it's nice to have the confirmation on the answer. I think I'll try the tin snips.

No work tonight, just went to Egg|Plant and bought a new feeder and waterer and discussed Minnesota winters and heating the coop. Their opinion is that we do need a heat lamp in January and February when we get to 10 degrees and below. He also has 4 hens in St Paul.

Oh I would love to go to EggPlant some day! I haven't been there yet - and it's only 25min's away from me too. I have been reading a lot about heating or not heating the coop also and I plan to not heat (YIKES!). There was another member here that did a daily journal of this chickens through a super cold snap (like -30's) that lasted for a week or longer and he did not have a heated coop. His chickens did great and even continued to lay! So I will do extra stuff in the winter I think to keep the coop warmer but I think I will "plan" to avoid supplemental heat. I have also heard that sometimes even just a 40 watt light bulb can be enough?? How are you running electrical to your coop? My coop will be about 20ft away from the house... my brother in law suggested to dig a trench and run pvc pipe under ground to run the electrical to the coop. I may start that soon so I'm not dealing with it when the ground is half-frozen in the spring.

 

[sn0wwhite]

I love Egg|Plant. They are the first people that were recommended to me when I first considered chickens. They have endless patience for the urban chicken keeper and my silly questions.

I've read Hokum Coco and his posts and I strongly considered not doing any heat, but I think our MN winters are pretty harsh and dry. My dad's grandparents also had a chicken farm and he really thinks I should provide some heat so I keep going back and forth on it. Maybe I'll just prepare a heat light and if I never turn it on then I never do.