The Swampy Coop Build Thread

[RevRico]

So I started a thread asking some questions over the weekend, and got a lot of good answers and more things to think about. But now that my wood is all here so when the weather cooperates construction can begin, I thought I should make a proper build thread. My question asking and preproblem thread is here https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/building-a-better-run-from-scratch.1293478/

After spending some time messing around with tinkercad, this is the basic design I'm going with. It's not entirely to scale, but good enough for people to understand and me to follow along as I build.

Dimensions:
Floor: 72 inches by 48 inches, 12 inches above the ground.
Side walls: 48x48 inches
Back wall 48 x 72

The nesting box is probably going to go on the other side. The Wall that is missing in the picture will be North Facing. I'll be starting will a pull up door, and eventually getting an automatic. The sidewall that doesn't wind up with the nesting box will be hinged so I can work in the coop without having to go through the run and bother the chickens too much.

The back wall will go the whole way up to the roof, with the roof overhanging a few inches to help keep water out. The side walls won't go the whole way to the ceiling so that I can use hardware cloth in the gaps for ventilation. This will provide roughly 2 square feet of ventilation on each side. In addition to that, the front wall not currently pictured will have an 8 inch window across the top that will be open in the spring and summer and closed in the winter, bringing my total to 7 square feet of window space during the warm part of the year.

I'm still thinking about a solar powered roof vent fan as well because more is better in my humid homestead.

I will be attaching a rectangular run to this, pictures to come. The run will be six feet wide, attached directly to the coop, and 20 feet long, giving me a nice 120 square feet of run space.

So with Tinkercad it's rough, but I've done very similar before for greenshouses.
That's a 2x6 base, and I'll be using 1 inch PVC and fittings to make the hoops.
1/4" hardware cloth will be under the whole thing for snake and mouse protection. With thanks to @aart and some articles here, I'll be using as many woodchips as I can get my hands on, hoping to fill up the 2x6s entirely with them. The bottom 4 feet around the entire thing will be 1/4" hardware cloth, the rest will be 1/2". I'm also going to cover the top from the hard verticle (left side of this picture) to as far over as it will go with 6mil plastic just to start with.

Why 6 mil? a 10x25 foot roll is $10. I can't find the corrugated plastic or fiberglass roof panels for less than $25 each, but I have seen asphalt ones for $10. That stuff is expensive and the asphalt ones are heavy, so plastic and hardware cloth will have to do.

I'll make a man door for the run out of some 2x4 scraps so I can get in and have access to everything that I can't reach with the hinged coop door.

I haven't bought my chicks yet. I'm waiting because SWPA weather is crazy. 65 one day then 4 inches of snow the next, then 2 days below zero, then 70 again. Once I get the coop itself built, I'll be buying my chicks and brooding them indoors for their first month before moving them out to the coop. This has the benefit of letting me paint and protect the inside and outside of the coop without worrying about offgassing or curious chicks getting in the way.

For brooding inside, I've got my old XL dog crate, the wire kind. I'll put cardboard around the bottom foot so they can't get out, I have a ceramic infrared heat lamp from my reptile days that can be safely set on top of it, and it's easy to clean. I have ordered the mason jar style chick feeders and waterers, but I'm building a horizontal nipple bucket and spill-proof bucket feeder for when they're big enough to use them.

The weather isn't looking super cooperative this week, but I am going to layer up and try to get some work done while my daughter is at school or at her moms.

One more thing at the end of this novel. I'm using pressure treated 4x4s for the corner posts. My goal is to keep them entirely outside of the coop, and even caulk the corners inside so that they can't get directly to them. They may be accessible from inside the run though. I've read a few places I can just paint them to make them safe. How true is this? I need to wait for the big one to dry before I can do anything, it actually had ice on it when I bought it today, but I have it inside my wind tunnel drying out right now and it should be good before I need to mount it.

I welcome all tips and advice. Please, if you don't know why I'm doing something the way I am, ask. Maybe you know a better way or maybe I'm trying something weird that could help you down the line.

My goal right now is buying chicks by St. Patty's day, and moving them into the coop by Cinco de Mayo.

 

[Shadowfire]

Sounds cool, good luck!

 

[aart]

It's not entirely to scale, but good enough for people to understand and me to follow along as I build.

As an old drafter, 'close' with scale doesn't really count...
......it's not like hand grenades .
Sorry. Maybe try Sketchup?

I always have to say, go bigger if you can, a coop you can walk into will be much better for you the keeper and the birds....especially in your winters.

Large roof overhangs, all around, to protect ventilation and windows(top hinged are best).
Rafters on top of walls top plate make for great eave/soffit ventilation.

12" above ground, to avoid your wet ground, is good...but...you'll need to apron off that area to keep pests, and chickens, from getting under. If you want the birds to utilize taht space, make it taller because you may need to get under there to retrieve eggs and/or birds.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110498/wire-around-coop#post_17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

Fan for humidity.....you can't make it 'drier' inside the coop that it is outside.
Might help for dissipating heat in summer tho, I have one in the east window(most shaded area) to blow cooler air into coop in late afternoon to battle the scorching totally exposed(but shade clothed) west side.

but I have it inside my wind tunnel drying out right now

You have a wind tunnel?!? Do tell.
Once the PT is totally dry, it won't harm the birds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How are you attaching the roosts if the side door opens up for cleaning? Or did I get that wrong? You can drop a hanger from above or a support from the floor.

Is your run tall enough for you to comfortably walk in there? It should be.

Will you be feeding and/or watering inside or out? Will they poop in the food and water from the roosts?

You might look at the cost difference in making that coop 4x8 instead of 4x6. Most building materials come in 4' and 8' dimensions so you can save some cutting and waste. Your roof will be bigger so you might lose some benefit from that. Also cut-offs are often beneficial for making nests or other things. It's not always an easy calculation but sometimes you can get that extra 33% of room at a fairly insignificant cost.

Worry more about your comfort and convenience than the chickens'. They will adjust and benefit from your being comfortable when taking care of them.

To emphasize a couple of things Aart said. If you are going to give them access underneath (great shade and maybe a dry place to feed them) raise it higher. You will want to put bedding under there in your swamp in addition to just being able to access it. If you don't give them access fence it off. That space becomes a great place for Mommy Mouse or other critters to raise a family.

And give a reasonable amount of overhang all around.

 

[RevRico]

I have an 18X25 carport, it doubles as a wind tunnel this time of year because I haven't been able to get an extra set of hands to help me put the ends up. I built "walls" from old billboards that will be able to be pulled up, but way too long and awkward for one person to hang.

I've drawn out what I needed to on graph paper, just haven't bothered running it through autocad. tinkercad is a good enough "prototype" we'll call it, much easier to visualize than I can explain it at least. Half a lifetime ago I built office buildings and rebuilt hotels. I'm a little rusty, but I know how to get what I want.

The base will be blocked off at the front by the run, the birds shouldn't be able to access under the coop unless they're free ranging, and there are much better hiding spots for them available then. I'll probably throw some wire around it anyway just to be sure though.

I'm beginning to run into a budget cap. I've already spent a bit more than I would have liked to, still haven't gotten birds yet, and have an easy $200 more to spend before it's "done". Making the coop 4x6 instead of 4x8 lets me make covers for the top vents without needing another sheet. Cutting a 4x4x10 and 4x4x12 in half for corner posts saves me buying 2 more at the cost of a little height. This was supposed to be "spend $300 on a prebuilt coop and get some birds". I've now spent more on lumber and hardware cloth alone, plus chick stuff, fittings for feeders, paint, and I still need to find a heat pad to make that mama hen warmer thing.

Smaller size will also help keep numbers down. I tend to go a little overboard with these things.

Also the roosts may be rotated 90 degrees, or I may add an insert that so that I can detach it when I open the side. Or hang them from the ceiling or mount them on the floor.

I just need it to get over 30F so I can actually work.

 

[aart]

I've drawn out what I needed to on graph paper, just haven't bothered running it through autocad. tinkercad is a good enough "prototype" we'll call it,

If you can use Autocad(got Inventor too?)...I would think tinkercad would drive you nuts.
It would me.

 

[RevRico]

If you can use Autocad(got Inventor too?)...I would think tinkercad would drive you nuts.
It would me.

I can do 2d stuff all day, but going into 3d with autocad just messes me up. I even took classes in high school and college. When I got my 3d printer I took another crash course and found tinker easier for modeling.

I'm just not very good with taking the picture out of my head and putting it on to paper or a screen.

 

[Cryss]

The bottom 4 feet around the entire thing will be 1/4" hardware cloth, the rest will be 1/2". I'm also going to cover the top from the hard verticle (left side of this picture) to as far over as it will go with 6mil plastic just to start with.

You may want to rethink the 1/4 inch hardware cloth and go with all 1/2 inch hardware cloth. 1/4 inch sounds good but is made with thinner guage and weaker wire. Raccoons n such could rip it, determined critters they are. That being said, raccoons, rats, snakes, mice...many many critters are excellent climbers and will have no problem getting in through the plastic if it isn't protected with the same 1/2 inch hardware cloth. Other than that I think you've got a winner!

 

[RevRico]

the floor is cut, as are all the walls.

The corner support posts are ready too.
I need paint now.

I notched the corners of the floor to keep outside dimensions 4x6.

Apparently but my truck is jealous I'm working on something else, so I'm on hold until I get a new battery cable installed

 

[RevRico]

So I kinda slipped a step. Since all the wood is cut and paint is now purchased, but there's snow coming tonight, I couldn't work on the coop today.

So I bought my chicks.

2 Rhode Island red pullets, 2 barred rock pulleys, and 2 each straight run light Brahma and starlight green egger.

We're on our way home now, I'll post pics when I get everything ready. Didn't know I was doing this today so I need to setup the brooder before they can move in.