what do you think of this little coop?

[AlabamaSweetpea]

Well here are 4 models of the coops I build and they only cost about $150 for materials but it is a lot of detail to put into it. Hope this gives you some ideas.

those are really nice .. about 4x4? Do you build those on site, delivered fully assembled or pick-up?

 

[ferliemom]

Where do you live?!?! ha ha.
Those are awesome. How many hens can live in a place like that? (assuming they have a nice sized run to stretch their legs?)

 

[teach1rusl]

Thanks, Everyone.
See, I'm learning a lot from you.

Please tell me more about using an old dog house. I'm sure we can easily find one of those, but can they really house 4 chickens? How do you keep them safe at night? Can't raccoons pull their feet and wings through the wire of a dog run (that the house would be sitting in)?

I'll take a pic of one of my temporary set-ups - a dog house set inside a 6 ft. dog run with wired roof for you and post this evening. But you would need to add 2-3 ft of either 1" chicken wire or hardware cloth along the lower "wall" of the dog run to prevent reach-ins... And I added a door to my dog house that I can shut at night....

 

[teach1rusl]

I bought this doghouse off CL for $50. It was rickety, but I shored it up and added a hinged door, plus framed in the door way to make it smaller. I also built a platform for the house to sit on so I didn't kill my back getting into it...(I'm no spring chicken). If you cut out windows (jig saw), be sure to put hardware cloth over them. I was lucky in that this cute dog house had little window openings already. I laid 2x4s and scrap metal posts we had laying around across the top of the dog run to help support the wire I ran across the top to predator proof things. I also added 1" chicken wire along the lower 24inches of chain link fence to prevent reach-ins. This is temporary until we get our serama coop built. The stones hold down a wire skirt to prevent dig unders...

 

[Hawgon]

I bought this doghouse off CL for $50.  It was rickety, but I shored it up and added a hinged door, plus framed in the door way to make it smaller. I also built a platform for the house to sit on so I didn't kill my back getting into it...(I'm no spring chicken). If you cut out windows (jig saw), be sure to put hardware cloth over them.  I was lucky in that this cute dog house had little window openings already.  I laid 2x4s and scrap metal posts we had laying around across the top of the dog run to help support the wire I ran across the top to predator proof things.  I also added 1" chicken wire along the lower 24inches of chain link fence to prevent reach-ins.  This is temporary until we get our serama coop built. The stones hold down a wire skirt to prevent dig unders...


[IMG]http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/1/1d/900x900px-LL-1db05cf0_March292012049.jpeg[/IMG]

What are your plans for a Serama coop? I have 10 eggs in the incubator now and no firm plans on a coop and/or a tractor. Several ideas but nothing for sure.

 

[teach1rusl]

What are your plans for a Serama coop? I have 10 eggs in the incubator now and no firm plans on a coop and/or a tractor. Several ideas but nothing for sure.

We're building a walk-in coop for the seramas. Since our weather sometimes dips into the single digits and teens over the winter months, I need something for them to stay in pretty much all winter, unless we luck out and have more super mild winters like this past winter. So it'll be well insulated, with double paned windows (all bought off of CL). I know a lot of people who bring their seramas inside over the winter (in areas that get ice/snow), and I don't want to have to deal with that...especially since I'm up to 11 of the little squirts...lol. I'll probably use one of those radiator looking heaters on low to keep the temp above 40 degrees. The windows will help warm things up a lot inside during the day (because my main coop warms up to 45 or so with no heat added thanks to free solar heat)...