Texas

[jockeyeba]

 

 
You could always drive the used one by the car wash and power wash it with soap and water before bringing it home. I am building my coop even though wood and I do not get along. For 300-400 they want for these small 4 hen coops, I can build a 20 chicken coop with the help of Home Depot or McCoys. I have a frame up in the yard, now I need to finish the laying boxes, sheath the building with T-111 and roof it with tin. I built mine for 12 to 14 birds. So far in materials I have about 150.00 in it.

I don't recommend to get the welded wire from Home Depot; they will fall apart prior to using. The wire sold at the Fencing store is much stronger, will cost a little more.

Are you talking like poultry netting/chicken wire or actual welded wire used for like fences and pens, because my Home Depot stocks Red Brand welded wire and fencing rolls which is pretty much the Premier stuff.
I did buy a roll of poultry netting from Tractor Supply simply because I was already there buying chick starter and water and food bowls, but I buy all my lumber from Home Depot or Lowes because they are usually the cheapest and if they are not, they will price match.

We use hardware cloth the only way to go imo made this coop using pallets for the inside frame

 

[KatD]

Dude, I'm in Magnolia and I did the same thing you did with leaving walls open but in my case I only left the ground level up to two feet open with hardwarecloth cover and only on the south west and east sides. the cold north wind side is solid. the chickens need a wind block and a ground barrier for draft in the cold . Your setup is awesome for summer but may be tack some blankets or stack some hay for the wind block as needed

 

[jockeyeba]

I thought chainlink would be good but if u know something better Im all ears! Also this coop is 9X9 and I was able to take a few pics today. Im not a fan of the color but I think it does help the coop to kinda blend in with the surroundings and not be such a eyesore.

I like your coop design! My coop is right on the ground (it was here when we bought the place). We have a dirt floor with pine shavings on top. It looks like there is some hardwire on the ground but it is in weird places. I am hoping others will chime in and give you some tips. Lisa

Burying medal flashing, that is bought by the roll, & tacking to the bottom edges would work, also hardware cloth.

 

[Belott]

Henless, what I would do and am planning to do in my coop build is to cover that five foot section with hardware cloth. As it is your west wall you will get direct sunlight through there.

To provide shade and allow breeze through cut and frame your OSB so you could install hinges to create flaps you could raise during the summer and lower during severe storms and winter. Just an option to think about.

David

 

[hungnguyen]

Quote:
The Red Brand welded wire is what I referred to. They fell apart even when we did nothing to it. I don't want them even when someone give me for free. I used Mc Coy long ago and their stuff is ok. I need to stop by Tractor Supply sometimes. I need to build a fence for my chicken quarter so discourage the predators. Caught a coon last night. And a skunk last week (must have came from Rosenberg)

 

[hungnguyen]

How is Melissa Rose lately? I hope the cold did not affect her and her chicken.

 

[bnjrob]

I have a question for my fellow Texans. DH and I are working on our coop, and I need ya'lls opinion please.

In this pic, you see our coop/run. Measurements are 10x20.

The 10ft short wall, facing North is covered in osb with a 2 ft vent at the ceiling. My roost will be along this 10ft section. I am planning on building an outdoor brooder/separation pen under this roost.

My nests are on the right. OSB will be below them and above them with a 2ft wide vent along the ceiling. That wall is about 6 1/2ft long with the coop door next to it.

To the left of the back wall, is a 5ft section of osb from ground to ceiling. My question is about this wall. Is that 5 ft span deep enough to offer wind protection for winter or should we enclose the next 5 ft span making a total of 10ft of osb? We have 3 choices here for that next 5 ft. We can put hardwire cloth and use a tarp for windy weather, enclose it totally with osb or put osb half way up (to the 2x4) and hardwire cloth to the ceiling and use a tarp for windy weather? I am considering putting another roost along that wall and hang food/water under it.



Here is a pic from the outside. Each section is 5 ft. The two sections to the right will be hardwire cloth, our question concerns the section next to the osb. Cover it totally with wire, osb or half way up with osb and wire to ceiling?




Thanks for any/all suggestions.

I would go ahead and put up another run of OSB on the sides. The wind whips around pretty squirrely in winter from north to northwest and sometimes even northeast and from the south. I think in the long run you will prefer to have that next wall portion solid for not only wind but sideways rain protection.

Then during the winter you can put up tarps or "clear" plastic drop cloths down at the bottom of the areas with wire on the sides for further wind protection for them while you still get good airflow up above where the plastic is.

 

[TexasLisa]

Henless, what I would do and am planning to do in my coop build is to cover that five foot section with hardware cloth. As it is your west wall you will get direct sunlight through there.

To provide shade and allow breeze through cut and frame your OSB so you could install hinges to create flaps you could raise during the summer and lower during severe storms and winter. Just an option to think about.

David

Ooh I was hoping someone would suggest the flaps. I have a flap on the west side of their coop. It comes in handy!

Caught a coon last night. And a skunk last week (must have came from Rosenberg)

Didn't I give you fair warning??? I told you I saw him headed your way!

Lisa

 

[ronniewayne]

I have a question for my fellow Texans. DH and I are working on our coop, and I need ya'lls opinion please.

In this pic, you see our coop/run. Measurements are 10x20.

The 10ft short wall, facing North is covered in osb with a 2 ft vent at the ceiling. My roost will be along this 10ft section. I am planning on building an outdoor brooder/separation pen under this roost.

My nests are on the right. OSB will be below them and above them with a 2ft wide vent along the ceiling. That wall is about 6 1/2ft long with the coop door next to it.

To the left of the back wall, is a 5ft section of osb from ground to ceiling. My question is about this wall. Is that 5 ft span deep enough to offer wind protection for winter or should we enclose the next 5 ft span making a total of 10ft of osb? We have 3 choices here for that next 5 ft. We can put hardwire cloth and use a tarp for windy weather, enclose it totally with osb or put osb half way up (to the 2x4) and hardwire cloth to the ceiling and use a tarp for windy weather? I am considering putting another roost along that wall and hang food/water under it.



Here is a pic from the outside. Each section is 5 ft. The two sections to the right will be hardwire cloth, our question concerns the section next to the osb. Cover it totally with wire, osb or half way up with osb and wire to ceiling?




Thanks for any/all suggestions.

looks really good. think commercial chicken houses they have the north end walled up and the east and west are plastic curtains that raise and lower on a winch. you don't need a winch but a tarp or clear plastic that could be rolled up on a pole and hung at different heights on heavy string or cord. in summer it could just stay up all the time in winter be lowered down for a wind break also if it is clear it will give the greenhouse heat effect. I like the idea of the top 4feet osb on hinges(with chicken wire underneath ) on the west side for summer shade also. I am not too far north of you and my south side is open all year this is the first year I ve had a little frostbite on the combs of my cocks .as someone posted it is the cold and humidity together that causes frostbite. I do believe that summer heat will give your chickens much greater discomfort than winter cold here. but your design is looking very good

 

[ClovisMan]

I have a question for my fellow Texans. DH and I are working on our coop, and I need ya'lls opinion please.

In this pic, you see our coop/run. Measurements are 10x20.

The 10ft short wall, facing North is covered in osb with a 2 ft vent at the ceiling. My roost will be along this 10ft section. I am planning on building an outdoor brooder/separation pen under this roost.

My nests are on the right. OSB will be below them and above them with a 2ft wide vent along the ceiling. That wall is about 6 1/2ft long with the coop door next to it.

To the left of the back wall, is a 5ft section of osb from ground to ceiling. My question is about this wall. Is that 5 ft span deep enough to offer wind protection for winter or should we enclose the next 5 ft span making a total of 10ft of osb? We have 3 choices here for that next 5 ft. We can put hardwire cloth and use a tarp for windy weather, enclose it totally with osb or put osb half way up (to the 2x4) and hardwire cloth to the ceiling and use a tarp for windy weather? I am considering putting another roost along that wall and hang food/water under it.



Here is a pic from the outside. Each section is 5 ft. The two sections to the right will be hardwire cloth, our question concerns the section next to the osb. Cover it totally with wire, osb or half way up with osb and wire to ceiling?




Thanks for any/all suggestions.

I don't have an answer for you, but I do have a question that is probably pretty stupid. Lots of people here refer to their "DH". What is that?