What's another $110, anyway?

[Panhandler80]

That is one beautiful coop!! Can't wait to see how it turns out when complete!




But I do have questions. Are the 4x4 posts set in the ground w/ cement? Wondering how it will do in hurricane force winds or with flooding.

How do you plan on keeping it cool when the weather becomes much hotter and more humid? I'm used to seeing more open air type coops in your climate, so was surprised to see one that has such solid walls... Just questions that you probably already have answers to.

Coop plenty cool. I don't remember The exaxt measurement, but I think it's like 30 square feet of Windows.

4x4 just three feet deep into dirt and tamped. Kinda wish I'd gone 6x6 now, but I can always sister if need be.

No concrete. Pretty Sandy soil and drains well. I feel like poured concrete keeps moisture around the wood. A tapered concrete bullet shape would be interesting.

Hurricane? Quite honestly, I don't give a damn. If it makes it, great, if not... It's a chicken coop. Having rode out a Cat 5 on water front two years ago and seen unquantifiable losses, Ive got a scary sense of what really matters and what doesn't.

 

[Panhandler80]

Well, I'll be heading to lowes first thing tomorrow morning (hoping to avoid coming in contact with anybody) to pick up another $429 worth of lumber for my run... and will be dropping $600 or so on hardware cloth..

This is getting out of control! ;-)

 

[paintedChix]

We found that ordering HC through Amazon was much less expensive. Went with 100' rolls which none of our box stores had around us.

 

[2hotchicks]

I swear this SHOULD be last lumber trip for this damn coop. Just finishing trimming her out today, putting my metal on top of underlayment, and hopefully getting my self locking door constructed.

View attachment 2051308

How do you construct a self-closing door? I'm designing my new coop.

 

[2hotchicks]

Well, I'll be heading to lowes first thing tomorrow morning (hoping to avoid coming in contact with anybody) to pick up another $429 worth of lumber for my run... and will be dropping $600 or so on hardware cloth..

This is getting out of control! ;-)

And you think every trip to Lowe's will be your last, but you'll find yourself there again & again shelling out more & more $ so your chickens will have a nice home. Sounds reasonable to me!

 

[2hotchicks]

We found that ordering HC through Amazon was much less expensive. Went with 100' rolls which none of our box stores had around us.

I want the black HWC, makes it easier to see the chickens, but it's so expensive

 

[Manhen]

By flow mean fresh air coming from somewhere and you don't even notice it.

Wait until you have chickens in it for a month.... (D

 

[Panhandler80]

 

[Panhandler80]

How do you construct a self-closing door? I'm designing my new coop.

Self LOCKING door... something like this.

My goal will be to have option to open door while standing at nesting boxes. Trying to minimize frequency of having to go into the run. Water will be off metal roof into barrel that pressurizes cups. Top of barrel will have drain tube that will pipe excess water down the hill and away from ccop.

Thinking my feed will be out of large (like 7 or 10 gallon buckets with locking lid) like this...

May try to rig a chute to feed from outside, or may just walk in to do it. Not yet sure.