When we moved out of town to the country, my wife said we should get something for out new country lifestyle. Great idea I thought, ATV, snow machine maybe....nope, "We should get chickens"!
Ummm, OK, neat idea, but we are going to need a coop!
A friend suggested a great site for chicken lovers, BACKYARD CHICKENS. I was very pleased at the amount of info on here and all the different coop ideas. After doing some reading and over thinking too much, I drew out some design ideas and got started.
Our 11 new family members went from cute little balls of fluff to raptor looking animals that wanted out!
Found a good size spot, just had to clear some brush and level it out. (with my helper)
Base is 4 inches of gravel and 4x4 posts. 10x12, with the run going to about the same
Frame came along quickly with the help of my best friend ever, my nail gun
Opening for the nests
Poop chute for easy cleaning
Vents, on both sides.
with doors and primer
corrugated roof which will drain into a water collection system
Inside has been insulated and painted white for that clean look...until the kids thought that a little color would be nice.
I'm using the deep litter method. Currently about 5-6 inches of pine shavings which I mix up every few days
Roosts are sitting above a product called Stall Dry. It's used in horse stalls to help keep moisture down. Looks and feels like kitty litter. The girls roost and do 'their thing' and I just use a scoop and it cleans up in minutes. AND no smell!
Moved the girls in a couple weeks later but they stayed inside while I worked on the run
Had some chain link fence around so I used it in the run and then buried it. Built the frame with PVC pipe and wrapped it in more chain link fence. Deer fencing was put over top to keep the birds away.
Girls getting ready to head out for the first time. I built a work/storage area which can be decreased in size down the road if we get more chickens
So why did the chicken(s) cross the road...? To get to
THE OTHER SIDE Hotel and Day Spa
not bad for my first 'bird house'. *Many thanks to my friend Roland.
Ummm, OK, neat idea, but we are going to need a coop!
A friend suggested a great site for chicken lovers, BACKYARD CHICKENS. I was very pleased at the amount of info on here and all the different coop ideas. After doing some reading and over thinking too much, I drew out some design ideas and got started.
Our 11 new family members went from cute little balls of fluff to raptor looking animals that wanted out!
Found a good size spot, just had to clear some brush and level it out. (with my helper)
Base is 4 inches of gravel and 4x4 posts. 10x12, with the run going to about the same
Frame came along quickly with the help of my best friend ever, my nail gun
Opening for the nests
Poop chute for easy cleaning
Vents, on both sides.
with doors and primer
corrugated roof which will drain into a water collection system
Inside has been insulated and painted white for that clean look...until the kids thought that a little color would be nice.
I'm using the deep litter method. Currently about 5-6 inches of pine shavings which I mix up every few days
Roosts are sitting above a product called Stall Dry. It's used in horse stalls to help keep moisture down. Looks and feels like kitty litter. The girls roost and do 'their thing' and I just use a scoop and it cleans up in minutes. AND no smell!
Moved the girls in a couple weeks later but they stayed inside while I worked on the run
Had some chain link fence around so I used it in the run and then buried it. Built the frame with PVC pipe and wrapped it in more chain link fence. Deer fencing was put over top to keep the birds away.
Girls getting ready to head out for the first time. I built a work/storage area which can be decreased in size down the road if we get more chickens
So why did the chicken(s) cross the road...? To get to
THE OTHER SIDE Hotel and Day Spa
not bad for my first 'bird house'. *Many thanks to my friend Roland.
