Wichita Cabin Coop - Build Journal

[Sam3 Abq]

Thanks! I'm thinking of building the WCC as well. I live in Az and shade is a huge concern. With the layout of my yard, the only place that makes since, the normal design would not provide the shade that I'm wanting. So like you I thought about mirroring the coop, to enhance the roofs shade production. Thanks for the help! I'll be following and asking questions as you go along! Good luck

WCC build going on for me too right now - not as far along as Undrcvrpullets , but if you're interested , come over and take a look.

 

[UndrcvrPullets]

Here is how far the door comes down on my head. Should have some more progress pictures tomorrow!

 

[UndrcvrPullets]

Wanted to take a moment to recognize a blogger who I've been following for years. Yesterday she had an MRI and it was determined she has a recurrence of cancer. Please keep her in your thoughts.
http://annieskitchengarden.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-12-2014-saying-goodbye-to-annies.html?m=1

 

[ckaffer85]

That door is not bad at all! Looking forward to more pics. I was wondering how the rafter boards go from 7 to 9. Were the last two toe nailed in?

 

[UndrcvrPullets]

That door is not bad at all! Looking forward to more pics. I was wondering how the rafter boards go from 7 to 9. Were the last two toe nailed in?

The transition is pretty easy. Unlike framing a house, it has the rafter boards floating on one side of the 7 ft back wall and depending upon where you are on the 6 ft section, it's either the same or sitting in a notch in the boards. For the eaves, they are toe screwed in using 3.5 inch screws.

 

[UndrcvrPullets]

Got the lids for the nest boxes made and put on today as well as the door for the hen house.

We had some left over bricks from the previous home owners and put in a brick path in front of the run.

 

[ckaffer85]

Looking good! I just started my build. Thanks again for the help. I'll keep checking in for updates.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/863148/surprise-az-wichita-cabin

 

[UndrcvrPullets]

Didn't spend too much time the last several nights. I got the window on to of the nest boxes framed then got the plexiglass installed another night and finally today I installed the assembly on the coop.

I also got the vinyl for the hen house cut and installed. It's padded so should be removable and cleanable.

 

[KingOfTheCoop]

Looks great! Good job!

 

[UndrcvrPullets]

Coop Build Day Last

There is still some touching up of paint to be done, but for the most part our coop is completed and the chicks are now on night #2 of living in their new home. We had to move them in to the hen house by hand and DW had to bait the chicks with some weeds to get them to walk out the door in to the run this morning.


I cut the largest hole that I could reasonably frame out from the front door of the coop. We decided to build it so that it could swing down instead of out to the side(s) and be attached to itself via another hook.


Moving to the side of the hen house, we used these 2" safety gate hooks here, on the nest boxes and front window. Figured they'd be decent child proof and raccoon proof..




Only complaint for the nest boxes is that they are at an ideal height for a 4yr old to obliterate their head on. We'll have to figure out something there, sorry son!




Moving to the inside of the hen house, we used two left over sticks for roosts and have them simply wedged in so that they're removable.


I covered the nest boxes since our girls are still too young. Inside the nest boxes, there is a removable slat for cleaning / keeping in some bedding.


We also constructed a PVC feeder, although DW and I believe we chose the wrong T-joint; Feed spills out too frequently. I also ran electricity out of the house and have it hooked to a timer to turn on a CFL just before dawn. Not real important yet, but I don't have to run electrical in the fall now.

I'll add a few extra photos when the paint is on. But I'm taking a break from building for the week.