Tiki coop

[zephyr1389]

Hello, i was wondering if you could provide plans on making this? its beautiful and were doing a tropical theme for our backyard and am looking for something just like this. thanks so much !

 

[Tikichicken]

Since I built this out of scrap lumber, there really isn't a plan. I've also made changes, like adding a guillotine door to release them into the run(which is now larger)and it now has a plywood bottom. Basically, the four corners and the roof framing are tree stakes. You'll need to build box frames of 2x4's for the bottom and top and another for the middle. Attach them to the tree stakes using long deck screws. You'll have to cut the middle one to fit the door frame(made of 2x2)and add a vertical 2x4 to support the hinges. The box and nests were made of 3/4 plywood. I also added more wood to the roof to make it solid(scrap cedar fence boards worked well). The 1/2 inch hardware cloth was stapled (with a pneumatic gun) to the inside of the frame. The photo above shows more of the structure before adding the bamboo. My only warning is to make sure the box is big enough. I only have two hens and that's all that will fit in this coop. It measures about 3 feet by 6 feet (plus a foot of nest box) by 5 feet high at the peak. I spent a lot of time on byc.com checking out different designs before I started. There are a lot of really cool coops here. For lumber, I work in construction, so most of this stuff was being thrown away. The rest I got at Home Depot. You can also look for pallets and some fence companies give away old fencing they have replaced. The thatch can be found at local tiki stores or ebay. I went cheap with a grass skirt from a party store and it made it about a year before needing to be replaced. Bamboo poles came from a guy trimming his yard(cheaper than the tiki store) Big Lots provided the bamboo mats tacked to the plywood. All the bamboo is tacked on to the structure and is just for looks. Hope this helps. Use your imagination and have fun with it.

 

[AngryRooster]

Nice!

 

[LuvMeChickens]

I'm curious about the thatch too... how do you make it/where do you purchase it? I bet it is a good insulator but I'd also be worried about animals getting in it... at the very least, mice.

I really like your fun tiki theme!

 

[Tikichicken]

Mice do get in, and get eaten. It really freaked me out the first time they ate one. I purchased the thatch at a local tiki store http://www.tropicaltikis.com/. I have also seen some on ebay. The roof is plywood and cedar fence planks covered with roofing paper & then covered with the thatch. I would suggest making it a bit larger unless you have bantams.

 

[bjp70437]

interesting coop

 

[Tikichicken]

Well folks, the old tiki coop is being retired. The new one still has some detail work & decorating to be done. Here is a video of the build: https://youtu.be/rvac_5Ar1lE