The $97 henhouse experiment! (NEW--Pictures!)

[iopele]

I did sketch it out, but I don't have a scanner... I'll try to get a photo of it after lunch. I'm starving! It's been a long time since I've done this much physical labor and I forgot how hungry it makes you, LOL.

 

[MayberrySaint]

If that is OSB plywood on the floor, you will have a problem with it rotting in about 12-24 months. You may want to cover it with linoleum or replace it with 3/4" plywood.

 

[missusduray]

I like the coop! I am rounding up throw aways from several construction sites so that I can cut costs on a Coop that I plan on building. Hopefully I can build something great that doesnt cost a fortune. You have given me some great ideas. I think that you also have a great attitude about things when they dont go as planned. Keep the pictures comming. I like to see how it is going for you.
Kristyne
Edited to add: I agree that you will need to either cover the floor or replace it with plywood. It sure would suck to have the floor rot out on a nice coop. The fiberboard has a way of doing that if it isnt fully sealed. Remember to paint all of it! Inside and out, it will make it water resistant and easier to clean.

 

[iopele]

Quote:
I don't know what OSB means (told y'all I was so very not a carpenter, lol), but the plywood I'm using is supposed to be outdoor rated and sealed and is 3/4" thick. It's got a sort of waxy smooth feel to it and is very smooth when you run your hand over it--no catches or splinters. I do know that it wasn't the cheapest kind--it was about midrange in price, if that helps. I'm also going to paint it with a weatherproof paint all around every surface and edge just to make sure water won't get in and rot it--I've seen that happen too many times, especially since I grew up in mobile homes. I don't know what kind of crap they used, but if you ever had a leak, the floor practically melted! I told the Home Depot people that I wanted it as water-resistant as possible. Putting down linoleum is a bit too ambitious for me.

I couldn't get a picture of the plans. It photographed too light to really see anything on the paper.

I'll try again when my father comes over later. He's the photography expert in the family!

I think the real challenge is yet to come though... Picking out colors of paint.

Barg, you got that right! The boys want to pick out paint colors and right now they want bright orange. I don't THINK so! My little chickies would go blind from the glare!

I'm going to paint it something very light to reflect as much heat as possible, possibly a nice, light sage green or a very pale grey/blue to match my house. Speaking of paint, is it okay to use all kinds of paints around chickens? Any paint no-nos that anyone knows about?

Thanks to everyone for the feedback! This has been lots of fun, and I have to say, that surprised me, LOL!

 

[barg]

Barg, you got that right! The boys want to pick out paint colors and right now they want bright orange. I don't THINK so!

LOL I have some left over orange paint from painting MY Son's Room , I could let ya have that but unfortunatly it's interior paint

 

[Dawn419]

Looking good, Lady!!! Wanna come build my coop extension? I'll run the power tools all you have to do is supervisor!

A link for OSB...http://www.osbguide.com/osb.html.

Hubby is a carpenter and I've been around construction my whole life so we call it SOB board here...cuz its a son of a "bleep" if it ever gets wet. It'll melt quicker than a candle if it gets wet. If it's sealed or you seal it, it should be okay.

We lined our playhouse coop floor with linoleum flooring for easier cleaning. Hubby also ran it up the sides of the walls with the left-overs for 6 inches. I just have to caulk the open seams now that I have caulk to do that with.

 

[iopele]

Well, let's hope I didn't get the SOB stuff, then, because it rained last night!

I've got pics from last night's stopping point to post... if I can find the camera... I know I've seen it inside the house SOMEWHERE, but where???

At least I didn't leave it out in the rain! So as soon as I find the camera, more pics will get posted. I promise.

Barring more rain, we should finish the outside structure today! Putting up the roosts inside shouldn't take too long (uh oh, famous last words, right?) and then we'll be ready to paint. I feel all empowered out there with my hammer and saw and all those lovely, shiny nails... I sorta like building stuff, I've discovered. I am woman, hear me construct!

Now all I need are some guys to walk by so I can wolf-whistle at them, ha!

 

[iopele]

Found the camera!

That's last night's stopping point. We're off to Home Depot now for a board to patch the error-hole in the floor and get paint and brushes, then we're going to attempt (oh please oh please

) to finish this up today (apart from painting it, of course). These chickies need to get out of the house!!

 

[iopele]

The weather never did clear up so we didn't get anything done on the house today. I did, however, buy paint and rollers--a pretty, pale sage green for the outside, and a peachy/tan color for the inside. (The inside color's different because the guy mixed the paint wrong and had it for 50% off, and I didn't figure the chickies would be too picky about the inside not matching the outside!)

Tomorrow I'll work on it some in the morning, and then we're off to my brother and his fiancee's wedding shower in the afternoon. Sunday and Monday I'll be out of town, so it looks like this won't get done until the middle of next week. Oh well.

In the meantime, my father brought over his "intermediate brooder"--it's really like a small-size chicken tractor with an open floor--and we moved the babies outside into it. There's a heat lamp in the enclosed end and lots of room for them to play and scratch in the grass. They were in chickie heaven out there, playing in the tall grass! I think they even scratched up some worms...

 

[thndrdancr]

Sorry about the rain holding you up.
I am having the same problem. Its rained off and on for the last two days, darnit! I got most of the waterproofing done today on the pen wood, before the rain came. Spring rains! I really love them, but, when your trying to get something done, blecht!
I know what you mean bout getting them OUT of the house, me an hubby went to a few garage sales this mornin, and when I came home, Fussy had decided she was way past due for her momma to take her outside, so she jumped out of the box. Then of course, Red followed suit.
My Mom was very ticked off with them by the time I got home, they went in the living room (which they KNOW is a no-no) and they almost followed her out of the house to get the mail.
She told me she thot bout letting them out with her, but then decided she didnt want anyone seeing an 81 year old lady with her skirt tails up, chasing chickens down the road, trying to shoo them back in the house! She told me "My folks would NEVER have chickens in the house at THIS age (the ten weeks, eeks!) She does really enjoy them most of the time, yesterday I caught her talking to them, telling them about her day, and feeding them one at a time out of her hands, but today she was really to cook them up for dinner.

My hubby chuckled bout that all day, said he would LOVED to have seen that, could just imagine coming home and seein Mom down the road doing this!
Good luck on the coop!
Jill