Time For a New Coop...

[Reyvaughn]

We just moved. Lets give you the stats on the coops before and after...

Old Place:
1 6x8 shed/coop
1 30x12 shed, divided down to 22x12 for the layers 8x12 for a feed/brooding room
1 4x8 Cochin Condo
1 10x12 "stall pen" in the barn
1 6x12 dog kennel w/ dogloo

New place:
(* means it came with us)
1 6x12 dog kennel w/ dogloo *
1 4x8 Cochin Condo *
1 10x10 coop
1 10x8 metal shed
1 4x4 coop w/ 4x6 covered run
1 10x12 metal shed (unusable)
1 20x6 dog kennel w/ no housing (unusable)

I lost a lot of space with the move. I can't free range now, either because the neighbor refuses to keep his dogs on his property.

I couldn't get my mom's boyfriend to haul my 6x8 coop with his rollback (the way it got to the old place). I am so ticked about this. I could get my overcrowded sheds issue solved if I had this coop. Instead... Well, I have very choice words for this idiot. He cost me a $1000-1200 shed I now have to replace.

With the winter weather, I can't use the dog kennel with the dogloo because I refuse to ruin another tarp up here on this windy hill. Plus, I need to put my bantam Cochins back together as breeding sets because they are finally laying. I have no place to put my bachelor boys. I also have to many chickens in the 10x10 coop. I have to many in the 4x4 coop. I have my 6 BW/W Ameraucanas in the smaller metal shed but it has no windows, so I have to keep the door cracked for air and light for them. Yes - a window installation is on the agenda but I can't get my miter or table saw out yet.

So, I am going to build a little A-Frame coop for the bachelor bantam Cochins. When we moved ehre there was a broken, wooden swing frame (for a porch like swing) in the yard. We almost threw it out until my chicken brain kicked in. I kept it.

Today we took off the extra supports and fixed the legs that were no longer attached. I put on the chicken wire for the bottom run. I know, chicken wire is cheesy but it's what I have from past projects. I plan on shutting the coop up at night anyways. I put 2x2's around the bottom on 3 sides (the 4th will be a door) and 2 2x4's on the long ends for the floor supports to attach to.

I'll get pictures up tomorrow. Hopefully it will be usable as soon as tomorrow! This should be quite and easy build! I hope...


On top of this, the old tenants left two homemade pallet like things. It's basically a shed floor, so I am going to use them for coops, too! Both are 4x8. These should fix my space issue. Now, to come up with materials to build!

 

[Reyvaughn]

Here's what it looked like 2 days ago before the rain, ice, snow and wind. As you can see, it was a swing frame!


Here it is after today. I ran into a few issues, so I didn't get nearly as much done as I wanted to. My circular saw fried on me (I lent it out and it came back ruined). With the move, nothing is organized, so it takes some time to get things around and on their way. Plus, it was just over 20 degrees and it felt like 12 with the wind.
The floor is tongue and groove pine. The opening is where the ramp will be. Since my circular saw is fried, I need a new, inventive way to rip the last board for the floor. I guess I will have to use the jigsaw. I also need to cut the excess floor boards off, too. I did think about keeping them for shade. I dunno yet.


Everything is either left over from previous builds or re-purposed. The pine tongue and groove was from a house renovation.
Now, I need to figure out how to work this in to the mix as the front door of the run area...



It's the bottom of a futon. I am already using the back to keep the horses out of the hay.

 

[Kara515]

Hey Reyvaughn,

Very clever of you!!! I have got to work on my ability to see things as they COULD be and not as they ARE as you do!! What a great idea to use the frame of the porch swing that way! It looks very sturdy and sure saved you lots of time since you didn't have to start the structure from scratch! Way to go, it looks great!! Now, I think I will take a look around in the morning and see what I can "see"!! Thanks for the great tips!!

 

[Reyvaughn]

Thank you!
It isn't very big. It's about 5 1/2' long and about 2 1/2' wide, but I am not going to put more than 3-5 bantams in there. It's a small solution to one of my many problems!

 

[Reyvaughn]

It took me awhile to update this, but it's nearly done!

I still have to attach the ramp and build a door for the bottom run area. I needed it now, though, so I couldn't finish it.

I couldn't figure out how to do venting at the top without having to do 3x more work, so I just made the one side open. I am going to put a window in the door, too. That piece of plywood being used for the floor is actually the unfinished ramp slid into the hole for it.


Here's Millie and Mildred! They seem to like it. They haven't complained yet.


Here's the egg hatch/egg box. I want to put a top divider in there so it's a little darker and private for them.

Eventually the bachelors will be in here and the nest box will become the food/ water area. I figured I better have a nest box - I can put the broodies in there when needed.


ETA:
It's small - 2-2 1/2' by 5'. I don't plan on having more than 3 bantams in there at once.

I also managed to put the window in the metal shed I am forced to use for the Ameraucanas. There was no window or ventilation, so I had to keep the door cracked for them. I was not happy about that because of rodents and I have seen weasels around here. I need to make a frame for the outside to cover the screws sticking out the back, plus it'll look better. I can staple the plastic to the outside, too.

I don't like using the metal shed, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. It may not be warm, but it breaks the wind.