Starting my new coop! Input welcome!

[aart]

Nice!!

How tall is run?
Any plans for managing snow load on run roof?
Are you going to cover edges of HC?...can't quite tell how it's attached.

 

[Husker Hens]

Thanks guys! The 4X4's are treated so it's only the 2x4 and the 2X2 under the gate that's untreated touching the ground. I'm sure they won't last forever but I figured they aren't really structural and I can always replace them down the road if they break down to the point a raccoon could get through. I'm planning on throwing some paint on everything next spring and we're too dry for termites (I think).
It's 7' to the top of the 4X4's so the Hardware cloth would be 7' 1.5". I wanted to be able to walk comfortably and I'm 6'6". I have not planned on how to manage snow load, I guess in my mind I imagined it falling through since hardware cloth is more hole than substance, but I've since learned it definitely piles up up there. If you have any tips or ideas I'm all ears! I fastened the hardware cloth with washers and screws. I tried to place them close enough together that it'll be secure without covering the edges, but in the end I'm going to find enough discount lumber to place another 2X2 over each one that's there to really bump up the security! I think it'll look better too.

You can see the screws/washers a little better there but still not great.

 

[aart]

More screws and washers closer together and not just holding outside wire strand.
Or 1x3 'furring' sticks with screws going thru second hole from edge of HC.
But...might not be a problem, depending on what kinds of stresses HC is exposed to.

More hole than wire....yeah, wish it were true. Well, it is true, but......
I have 14ga 2x4 welded wire and most snow goes thru just fine, but if wet snow or freezing rains starts to stick all bets are off. I go under and bang it off with a shovel, sometimes multiple times a day depending on type of snow.

Not sure how well that would work with your setup, mines kinda floppy.
First time it happened it darn near collapsed...next time I was more prepared.
This was first time this winter...before and after clearing.
I have a DIY roof rake for the small shed roof in foreground, not sure you could reach yours even tall as you are.

 

[Kirbzilla]

Looks great! Built a similar size coop!

 

[Husker Hens]

Was working on the inside of the coop this weekend. Other than transferring my nesting boxes to the new coop, I think it's ready for chickens if we had to. Just need to finish the run to make it usable, and make doors to make it practical.

 

[aart]

Was working on the inside of the coop this weekend. Other than transferring my nesting boxes to the new coop, I think it's ready for chickens if we had to. Just need to finish the run to make it usable, and make doors to make it practical.

Is that the pop door under the roosts?
If so, might not want it there, unless you plan to scoop night poops up every morning they will be walking thru the poop every time they come in to use the nests.

Those roosts...couple things I might be seeing that could be a problem.
Looks like they might be too close to the wall?
You want that top roost at least 12" from wall, it might be but I can't tell for sure.

The roosts themselves are ripped from a sheet of OSB and look to be about 2" wide?
You might want to swap those out for 2x4's wide side up, more stable and allows them to cover their feet at night in winter.
At least sand the heck out of them and maybe even put a couple coats of paint on them,
lots of potential for splinters and sharp edges that could cut feet the way they are now.
and painting them(or using 2x4's) will make the much easier to clean.

Man, that's a nice building and run!

 

[McKinneyMike]

Was working on the inside of the coop this weekend. Other than transferring my nesting boxes to the new coop, I think it's ready for chickens if we had to. Just need to finish the run to make it usable, and make doors to make it practical.


I would have started the top roost farther from the wall (at least 12"). The roosts themselves look like OSB. Is that right? That is not a great material IMO as it can easily splinter into your chickens feet and it will absorb moisture, swell and fail faster than a solid material. The roosts look a little narrow also. Some do use 2x2's as roosts, but most people prefer to use 2x4's with the wide side up for their roosts as a rule. Love your set up!

 

[Husker Hens]

That is not the pop door under the roosts. That's what I'm calling the clean out door and my plan is to sweep everything out that door twice a year or so. There are two pop doors (or rather holes for pop doors as I haven't built the doors yet) on the north side (roosts are on west).

I'll check the spacing on the top roost and see what its at, but if it's too close to wall can't they just use the second one? Haha, I know, "what's the point in making three then", but I only have 5 chickens right now and that's like 24 liner feet of roost, but I appreciate the input as I do plan on replacing it down the road. Here was my logic on the size. The coop I currently am using (you can see it here:https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959329/coop-appraisal-what-do-you-think-this-is-worth) has like 1.5" dowels for the roosting bars. They aren't perfectly round, but they're close. I read a bunch of people's posts that said they shouldn't be round because a chicken can't lock their feet around it at night. So I decided rectangular, then I read a post where people were going back an forth and which side of the 2X4 to put up and there was no consensus, so think I made those OSB strips 2.5" wide because it's between the 1.5" and 3.5" of a 2X4. I knew the OSB wasn't going to last forever but it was free and my plan was to wait till I saw some 2X3's in the discount bin at home depot and slowly replace them, but again. I didn't consider it cutting their feet so I may need to rethink it sooner. I'd still like to replace them with 2X3's though, but if you really think 2X's are better, that's a pretty easy fix.

Thanks though guys, I appreciate the help. Aart, when you say building, are you talking bout the metal building behind the coop in some of the older pics? That's my bigger project right now and what I have referred to as the "human coop". It's also why it's taking me so long to finish the chicken coop. That's going to be our home for a few years, well part of it anyway. We put a 800sqft living space in there and the plan is to build an actual house next to it at some time down the road, depending on when my wife goes broody

.

 

[aart]

Ahhh...clean out door, great!

Lots of different ways to do roosts.
I prefer single level roosts with poop boards with sand/PDZ for manure management and floor space maximization.
After observing birds having trouble navigating on a 2x2 nest perch, I switched it out to 2x4 like my roosts,
and I feel the larger flat area really does facilitate keeping feet warm in winter.
To some of my birds do roost on the 2x2 edge of poop boards or even right on the poop boards....so <shrugs>who knows?

By 'building' I meant the coop.

 

[Husker Hens]

Got some work done on the run over the weekend. Took Aart's advice and went ahead and covered the HC edges now instead of waiting. Makes it look better (Yes, I still need a couple 2X6's on the backside) but definitely makes it more secure!






Slowly but surly, it's coming along! I'm thinking about leaving some bacon or something in the run to see if anything can break in BEFORE I put the girls in there. Like a low risk test.