What is your ideal coop interior layout? Help me plan the next step.

[greginshasta]

Quote:
Ya, that's what I was thinking about a few minutes ago. Have you done this? I'm thinking about the sort of hardware used for closet doors. Are there other hardware options that would make this easy, other than simply forming a slot in the wood framing as a track?

 

[greginshasta]

Someone in the chat helped me clarify that the feeder I have is an automatic dog feeder. It will mount on our side of the wall with a bungie cord and the birds will feed through a small hole in the wall. This might allow a 3rd nest box to be installed.

The nest boxes may end up located above the feeder.

In the chat we talked about how feeding birds could get bombed by hens using the perch in front of the nesting boxes, but there's only so much space on the wall so I guess they have to take their chances.

 

[Michaelene O'Flynn]

Fabulous work, Greg!

Question:
If the interior door doesn't have to be all the way snug into the floor, couldn't you use something like those rails our sliding closet doors use and have the door (literally) hang? You could probably fashion a bit of a guide, again, from the top to keep the door aligned?

 

[horsewishr]

oh! I have a suggestion. I have an interior dividing wall in my hen house, too. I think it would be great to have the nest boxes hang OUTSIDE the chicken area, with the chicken's access holes in the dividing wall. That way, you can block off the nests if the chickens are abusing them. AND you can collect eggs from "your" part of the coop, rather than going inside the chicken area to get them.

My boxes are similar, but hang on the exterior of the house. This is the view from inside the hens' quarters:

I haven't had to shut the doors on the nests, yet. But, control-freak that I am, it's nice to know I can.

 

[greginshasta]

that's interesting how you hinged the doors.

 

[HenHaven]

Greg, your coop is just amazing and so asthetically pleasing! I think it would be nice to have the nestboxes accessable from the "people side" of the coop.

The brooder feature is also nice to have. I would probably suggest something that can be put up and broken down as needed to free up space when you are not brooding chicks. It would be important to place it so at some point the main flock can see the babies and that will help with integration.

Also, the sliding door idea is great! Good luck--can't wait to see the pics!

 

[BirdBrain]

Quote:
No, I just saw it in someone's coop lately....don't remember who...maybe Cynthia's?

I like the idea of having to nest boxes extend out from the the coop area. Waiting for pictures now...

 

[BirdBrain]

It is 7:42 your time. Tap, tap, tap....where are the pictures.

 

[greginshasta]

Quote:
Giggle


I have a really pretty picture of Mt. Shasta's new crown of snow from early this morning! Want that?

But we had a crystal clear day and that was spent installing trim on the exterior, setting concrete for the final pier-blocks we are installing, and running hardware cloth around the perimiter of the run. No photos of completed work today.

Remaining exterior tasks:
- trim rear gable
- trim east window
- trim exterior door
- cut/install freeze blocks on west wall

Interior tasks:
- sheath roof
- sheath rear gable end
- build interior stuff (probably tomorrow if phones allow)

Maybe some photos tomorrow, but the other thing I did today was to start clearing the debris field of lumber and supplies, and the area between here and the coop looks like a mine field at the moment.

Hey - I know, let's have a contest! You guys all propose names for the new coop and the selected entry wins my unrestricted adoration and a home cooked dinner from Sunny when ever you turn up for said dinner!

 

[BirdBrain]

Okay, I'll accept your "poor" excuses for no pictures.

It is just that you have gotten us SO spoiled with the progress of your magnum opus that we have come to expect better...

and yes, I would like to see more snow on Mt. Shasta. We used to live in Alaska and boy do I miss the snow in winter.