TSC Coop/run modification/design thoughts?

[Dayrel]

Two questions for those of you going to a single nesting box:

I thought about that too for my three hens, but doesn't that create a clean-up problem for that converted space? The slide-out tray will make cleaning out that section easy. Do you expect to be cleaning out the converted space from the fold-down door area?

Do you have any plans to use that new section other than as increased floor space?

 

[donaltman3]

Very cool, like the new color! I have been wondering if you would take the slat protruding past the coop nest box out. I think I am going to do this same thing. What are you going to do about food and water? I think mine will be in the lower part only. I want to add a space inside the coop for a heat bulb for the winter, figure its best to plan now before I get it all the roof on.

 

[L2fly]

Two questions for those of you going to a single nesting box: 

I thought about that too for my three hens, but doesn't that create a clean-up problem for that converted space?  The slide-out tray will make cleaning out that section easy.  Do you expect to be cleaning out the converted space from the fold-down door area?

Do you have any plans to use that new section other than as increased floor space?

I originally was going to use that area for food & water, but now am thinking I'm going to put the main food & water outside under the coop, and maybe a smaller waterer in that area during the hot summer months.

I changed the roost to a diagonal but it's not corner to corner, more like corner to wall. So it's mostly still over the tray. I expect I'll have to clean that non-tray area a little, but I'm hoping a quick scrap from the back into a garbage can will do the trick!

 

[L2fly]

Very cool, like the new color! I have been wondering if you would take the slat protruding past the coop nest box out. I think I am going to do this same thing. What are you going to do about food and water? I think mine will be in the lower part only. I want to add a space inside the coop for a heat bulb for the winter, figure its best to plan now before I get it all the roof on.

I'm thinking I'll use the space for a small waterer during the summer (we get 100+ for a few weeks here) with the main food & water outside. Are you adding a pop door? I was going to then changed my mind, i'm thinking of adding a flap, like a dog door, but not lock them in at night. It doesn't get that cold here & there aren't a lot of predators that could bust into that run...

I removed only the top half of that dividing part where the other boxes were. I was going to remove it all, but then you end up with an empty channel I thought would be hard to clean. So I figure they can just step over the little lip, no biggie!

 

[Dayrel]

Just found what looks like an incredibly simple mechanism for a locking coop door. You can use this with either a manual or electronic door system.

 

[L2fly]

Put it all together today! Plus added hinges to the ladder for easier cleaning/adjusting slant for young birds, and added third 'lock' to each door. Now I'm just waiting for the motion lights to get here from amazon (one for each side), and have to decide what I want to do for a door flap (I feel like the run is as secure as the coop, and I'd like to let them have 24 hr run access) and figure out what to add to the front for shade (it's under a tree that provides shade for all but 2 hours of hot late afternoon sun, so I'll have to cover the very front with something for shade during that time).

Hoping for a move-in date in 2 weeks, Temps permitting!

 

[donaltman3]

Dayrel.....I haven't done it yet... but I would think clean out would be easy because while it doesn't have a tray the outside egg hatch door still lets down.. seems like either a cheap baking pan might fit there or you could just pop the door open and rake it out.

 

[donaltman3]

L2Fly... I plan on putting my feeders in the lower section in the run area.. but using a mini feeder and waterer in the winter during hard freezes so I can shut the pop door area and they stay warm without having to leave the coop. Just my idea... we are on the same page.

 

[donaltman3]

This is my coop.. all backwards and inside out.
Wasn't too much work.. involved flipping some stuff around and moving the hardware cloth to the other side on two panels. I drilled a few of the dowel pin holes all the way through so the dowels would still work.

Notice my door is on the other side of how it came and also opens in the opposite direction now. Just how I wanted it. so my egg hatch could be on the outside instead of up against the fence corner. Works great.. still not totally finished but really close.

 

[biophiliac]

Very cool, like the new color! I have been wondering if you would take the slat protruding past the coop nest box out. I think I am going to do this same thing. What are you going to do about food and water? I think mine will be in the lower part only. I want to add a space inside the coop for a heat bulb for the winter, figure its best to plan now before I get it all the roof on.

Nice job on your coop!

Just going to ask you to think twice before you put a heat bulb in your coop. Dangerous and problematic for your birds and un-necessary. Here in Wisconsin with much harsher winters and even in Canada they do great without supplemental heat. They come equipped with their own puffy down coat! Heat is more difficult for them to cope with.