UrbanMike's No Idea What I'm Doing Coop & Run

[urbanMike]

Howdy. Just documenting my coop build. This is a work in progress. I'm making this up as I go. And I have no idea what I'm doing. Also, somehow I don't know how to use my speed square as well as I think I do....

My wife and I purchased six Buff Orpington chicks for our family of 5. They've already brought us so much joy. And it's been fun to watch them grow. They just hit 3 weeks old this Friday.

The Coop I'm building is 52 inches by 60 inches. It was supposed to be 4 by 5 feet, but I measured wrong, soo....... whoops. I'm reusing some old scrap lumber and a bunch of new. I had dozens of old posts and an old desk that became the base of the coop. They should have about 21.62ft² in the coop. So about 3 sq ft per chicken. Hopefully, these big ladies have enough room.

The chicken run for our coop is planned to be 8 feet wide by 16 feet long. If my math is correct, that should give us 128 ft² of room for our six hens.

Did I mention I have no idea what I'm doing?

Hopefully, the ladies will have plenty of room. We also built a small chicken tractor to let them out and drag them around the yard. Well I mean drag the tractor around. Not my chickens.

 

[Chelsearae087]

Well it looks awesome!
*disclaimer: I also have no idea what I'm doing.

 

[Rachela]

It’s looking wonderful

 

[Mtnboomer]

I like that you elevated it, but highly recommend using hardware cloth or wekded wire fencing in place of the chicken wire. Poultry fencing keeps chickens in and nothing out. Predators will tear right through it.

Also consider a predator apron to prevent diggers from getting in.

Assuming you will eventually be putting solid walls on it, your karge overhangs will allow for great ventilation opportunities. Well done! An easy and excellent solution to this common issue.

 

[urbanMike]

I let them enjoy a little more time outside while I worked on the coop after work a bit yesterday.

Finished framing in the front section and the nest boxes and started adding hardware cloth to all my window areas.

So I have a 8-inch front window/vent at the front of the coop facing the house. And at the rear there is a 4 inch vent/window. Both of these will have shutters added last to close up in the winter.

The sides will also be open, the triangle portion. I just miscalculated how much hardware cloth I needed for those sections. I figure this will allow a nice cross breeze across the top in the summer months.

In the rear I will have an access door and plan on using the deep litter method, so will be adding a lip around the sides on the inside.

For the perches, we've been cutting back some trees on the property and I'm saving some large round branches for them.

I hope to have the coop done this week. So the girls can move into it at the start of week 5. And that will give me a week to finish the chicken run itself.

 

[ColoradoPip]

The, "I don't know what I'm doing but doing it anyway club"...I am not only a member but I'm the president! Welcome to the club!!

Speed squares are the absolute best thing evar!! However, you are so right, youtube makes it look so easy and I'm not such a dumb person, but still the angles alluded me and I would end up cutting, then recutting, then sizing it up and recutting a few more times

My legs would be so tired from taking sooooo many steps from the saw to the coop.

 

[DobieLover]

I let them enjoy a little more time outside while I worked on the coop after work a bit yesterday.

Finished framing in the front section and the nest boxes and started adding hardware cloth to all my window areas.

So I have a 8-inch front window/vent at the front of the coop facing the house. And at the rear there is a 4 inch vent/window. Both of these will have shutters added last to close up in the winter.

The sides will also be open, the triangle portion. I just miscalculated how much hardware cloth I needed for those sections. I figure this will allow a nice cross breeze across the top in the summer months.

In the rear I will have an access door and plan on using the deep litter method, so will be adding a lip around the sides on the inside.

For the perches, we've been cutting back some trees on the property and I'm saving some large round branches for them.

I hope to have the coop done this week. So the girls can move into it at the start of week 5. And that will give me a week to finish the chicken run itself.

You may want baffles for the vents but you don't want them closed. Ever.

If you install fly rafters on the sides, you could leave the side vents open too. With no overhang on them, rain can get in.

DLM may not work out so hot in that arrangement. How will you kick off the composting that drives it?

For someone who claims he doesn't know what he's doing, you're doing a pretty good job!

 

[2Old2Crow]

The, "I don't know what I'm doing but doing it anyway club"...I am not only a member but I'm the president! Welcome to the club!!

Was there a Coo? I have long been the president of that club. When did I get dethroned?

 

[crowber]

If those are regular staples holding your hardware cloth on, think about reinforcing that with screws/washers. Looks good so far!

 

[Arielle2]

Looking good. Getting the design right is hard. Ive built many coops, and each has its problems.

Adequate ventilation is most important. And protecting birds from drafts is another. Envision how the air moves when its summer, and in winter.

One of the best designs is the Woods design. Look at it , for venting elements.

Nice looking coop !