The shed is here.... OMG NOW WHAT!

[Crazy Mitch]

Thanks for your thread. . . .I have learned and laughed alot!
Your coop is really cool. . . I hope mine will turn out 1/2 as good as yours.
Mitch

 

[canesisters]

Thank you. I'm sure that with a little planing and (most importantly) not taking it all TOO seriously, you coop will be GREAT!

 

[Pozees]

Reading about your journey from want to coop has been an absolute pleasure. I work for two landfills and quite understand the restrictions on salvaging - frustrating, but you have to have a job. I have recently re-entered chicken world, have two small coops with a total of 8 young pullets, and am in the process of deciding how both can snug up to a 10x10 chain link run (given to me years ago) so they have access to a larger run area safe from predators, which will mean some sort of cover and smaller opening wrap (probably HC). My salvation for protection thus far has been polywire electric fence strung on step-in posts and a charger, which allows me to sleep at night, and by winter I plan to buy or build a larger structure which will house all 8 girls.

I hope you continue your thread, reading has been educational and entertaining!

 

[canesisters]

Well, it happened.

I had, as usual, stopped by the coop to drop off a goodie (scrambled eggs, green peas & corn) and open up the door to the run. Then on to the barn to feed the cats and horses. Then hop in the car and off to work. I was JUST opening the car door when I heard this awful creak. At first I though it was my car door, but then I realized that it had come from the coop. I was just standing there, a little confused when it happened. 'crrrrrreEEAAAAAAA.....k' What in the world!?!?!?!?! Just then I caught sight of Hurra (FBCM pullet) standing at the coop door. (s)he stood up tall, stuck out her neck, flapped a little and did it again, "crrreEEAAAAAA....k!" (just like that, with a little cough/croak at the end). I nearly fell down in the driveway. Well that settles it. She is definitely a he....
<sigh> I guess on the up side - at least no one was getting eaten or mauled.

 

[canesisters]

The roost is finally up!

I've still got to find a couple of trays of some sort to go on the shelf. And they need (I want) a proper ladder or some other way for them to get up there. I was actually considering the idea of 'pilings' - like you see around docks and such.

Here's the roost. I've just got some DE scattered on it right now for... 'splatter control'.
That's a huge hunk of bark against the far side. It runs between the cinder block steps to the pop door and the roost.
They've been using it to get up and down but it's not gonna take their weight for very much longer. LOL





Here's what I was thinking for 'steps'. Not this big but you get the idea. Just a bunch of 4x4 sections - different lengths/heights - attached to a platform at the bottom or maybe to the front of the shelf for stability. It would service as an easy way for them to get up and down but would only take up a small amount of floor space.

 

[amenfarm]

Have you tried Sweet PDZ stall freshener for your horses? Well, it works great on a deep board under your roosts--I read about it underoop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*. Thank goodness I found it my first day before my hubby put up the roost--the smell was just terrible! Now, if I have to I can go days, and did when I was sick for a week, and it still will not smell. We stole it from my donkey's stall and it works wonderful for cat boxes as well. If you use a angled board between the underneath of the roost boards and the wall you can save a lot of room. There are several pics of that on the thread, also you can use some scrapes to hold the shelf up when you toenail it in to the wall or even better use a wooden strip attached to the wall and set the shelf on to that and the angled supports--when you go to do a deep coop cleaning you can remove it easily for cleaning. I'm impressed with the job your doing--while I'll use my husband tools--usually unless it's tightening something--it's better if I just assist. Edited to add: you just use a litter box scooper to clean the sweetPDZ, add more PDZ when it becomes harder to scoop,and it absorbs moisture. The PH does not change so you can use it for compost too.

 

[Loghousemom]

This is absolutely awesome! I am (attempting) to be a handy woman on my own coop as well.

Luckily for me, the most of it was already completed and I really just have some pretty-ing up to do and I think I would also like to do some insulating in preparation for winter. I also think I would like to do windows like you've got. I am not thrilled with the way the ones I have open up.... But they are some salvaged slider type with screens, I want to replace the screens with something like hardware cloth for better ventilation too.

Can hardly wait to see it all finished and painted! (I never thought about painting the inside of mine.)

 

[canesisters]

Go for it Loghousemom! You can probably pick up windows at one of the Habitat re-store - or - keep an eye out for someone having windows replaced and ask if you can haul away a few of the old ones.
It's a challenge but very rewarding to learn to do these 'construction' things.

 

[harleyguy927]

I work for a building supply store and we always have windows that we ordered in wrong or had a small scratch or something that we sell off dirt cheep to get rid of them. You should check with a local building supply company and see what they have.

 

[canesisters]

8/20/12
Just wanted to report on the flooring.

They've been in the coop for a while now. The 'crush&run' is holding up great. I haven't had to add any more stone. They've dug out a few holes to dust in but I just use my foot to scrape them level again. The drainage is great. We've had LOTS of rain lately - and it started out in a less than ideally dry location and I haven't had a bit of trouble with water. I even dropped a waterer in the coop once (one of the small 1qt ones) and the water instantly soaked in and disappeared. I've added a wheelbarrow of sawdust/shavings 3 or 4 times now over the top of the rocks/stone dust. I don't know where it keeps going but every couple of weeks I notice that the floor is more stone dust than shavings so I toss more on. There is still ZERO smell in there. It's so 'odor neutral' in there that I can smell the feeder (pleasant grainy smell). The large window and the screen door have helped a lot, I'm sure. Will have to see how it fares in the winter when it's a bit less open.

So far - VERY pleased with the crush & run flooring.