Woods Fresh-Air coop build

[Ted Brown]

Couple questions for you:
1. Is your coop on skids, piers or how is it elevated?
2. What did you do underneath it? I mean, landscape fabric, mulch, plastic, gravel or just plain old yard underneath?

I have a 4" by 4" frame atop 4" by 4" posts into concrete patio blocks. Posts make adjustments for terrain height trivial. I put 6" galvanized drip edge between frame and coop to deter water and critters.

My ground is thin topsoil on porous gravel. I added course mulch and then blown in fall leaves; rinse and repeat. Each fall I fill the space, flock goes berserk with joy. Maintenance free, I never touch it.

 

[Beej7]

I have a 4" by 4" frame atop 4" by 4" posts into concrete patio blocks. Posts make adjustments for terrain height trivial. I put 6" galvanized drip edge between frame and coop to deter water and critters.

My ground is thin topsoil on porous gravel. I added course mulch and then blown in fall leaves; rinse and repeat. Each fall I fill the space, flock goes berserk with joy. Maintenance free, I never touch it.

That sounds pretty slick. Im liking the idea of it being elevated enough for them to easily hang out underneath and me easily see and reach underneath if need be. We’ve got plenty of woodchips, pine needles and leaves that I can use for bedding inside and underneath the coop for them. I suppose if it looks nasty and starts to stink underneath, I just add more bedding like deep litter inside a coop.

What kind of prep work did you do to the ground before building? Did you compact underneath the patio blocks or just level them and build?

 

[aart]

Run space isnt an issue as they are practically free range with the amount of space I give them.

Even in the feet deep snow?

 

[Ted Brown]

...

What kind of prep work did you do to the ground before building? Did you compact underneath the patio blocks or just level them and build?

Mine does not smell, no yuck factor. However you do need to manage night waste via drop boards.

Re height: 3"+ allows me to have a swing, trunk section. Chickens need stimulation so provide in their daytime spaces.

I am lucky flat terrain, I just leveled, tamped and placed the deck blocks. Surround with mine tailings to finish.

 

[Ted Brown]

...
I learned about deep litter shortly after finishing our current coop (which wont allow deep litter). I intend on deep litter for the new coop but am still wondering how to account for that with the design process. Also wondering what to put on the floor between the wood and the litter. Maybe linoleum?

The main design adjustment is to allow for 10" accumulation of bedding at all doors.

Blackjack 57 is the best product for covering a wood floor. Cheap, industructable, permanent.

 

[Beej7]

Even in the feet deep snow?

Well I will clarify…

We’ve got 8 chickens and about 3/4 acre we move them across throughout the year. Their current coop is mobile and so I use 4’ plastic snow fencing and fence off a large piece of yard for them for about a month. Once they noticeably damage it, I move them to fresh ground. For winter, I’ve been raising up the coop and creating a cave underneath for them with hay bales. Then I fence off a double sized area for them and they stay there from about November until April or May. So its almost free range, but while we have loads of snow, they pretty much hang out underneath/around the coop and in whatever areas I shovel and throw hay. So they have much more space than they use during mid winter. With that in mind, maybe the under-coop area would be good for them even though the new coop will be significantly bigger than their current one.

 

[gtaus]

I learned about deep litter shortly after finishing our current coop (which wont allow deep litter). I intend on deep litter for the new coop but am still wondering how to account for that with the design process. Also wondering what to put on the floor between the wood and the litter. Maybe linoleum?

I bought some cheap linoleum on sale. Works good for me covered with either wood chips, paper shreds, or leaves. I basically made a 12 inch deep well all along the coop walls to hold the deep bedding. In the back of the coop, I have a drop down panel so I can easily shovel or broom off the litter into a wheelbarrow or wagon.

I also make great use of free resources. Ive actually got a list titled “freesources” with all the free resources I’ve found in the area. Woodchips, shredded paper, pine needles and leaves are all unlimited and free!

Not only is free best, but I like to think it is my small way of being green by reusing stuff that would otherwise just go to a landfill. All my spent litter gets composted and used in my gardens.

Even in the feet deep snow?

My chickens don't go outside if there is snow on the ground. I built my coop almost twice the recommended 4 square feet per bird with the idea that my chickens would be living in the coop for about 6 months out of the year.

Blackjack 57 is the best product for covering a wood floor. Cheap, industructable, permanent.

I know lots of people swear by Blackjack 57. However, I have also heard that Blackjack 57 can freeze and crack in our cold (-40F) weather. So I went with cheap linoleum instead. As far as cost, the linoleum I bought on sale was about $25.00 and I think the Blackjack 57 would have cost me about $50.

while we have loads of snow, they pretty much hang out underneath/around the coop and in whatever areas I shovel and throw hay.

Yep, my chickens won't go outside in the snow unless I throw a layer of leaves on top of the snow for them. I usually do that this time of year when the days are warm but there is still snow on the ground. Unfortunately, we are in the middle of an April snow storm. It snowed yesterday, snowing today, and more snow in tomorrow's forecast. We expect to get about 5 inches of new snow. Oh well, at least April snow does not last very long.

 

[Beej7]

I bought some cheap linoleum on sale. Works good for me covered with either wood chips, paper shreds, or leaves. I basically made a 12 inch deep well all along the coop walls to hold the deep bedding. In the back of the coop, I have a drop down panel so I can easily shovel or broom off the litter into a wheelbarrow or wagon.



Not only is free best, but I like to think it is my small way of being green by reusing stuff that would otherwise just go to a landfill. All my spent litter gets composted and used in my gardens.



My chickens don't go outside if there is snow on the ground. I built my coop almost twice the recommended 4 square feet per bird with the idea that my chickens would be living in the coop for about 6 months out of the year.



I know lots of people swear by Blackjack 57. However, I have also heard that Blackjack 57 can freeze and crack in our cold (-40F) weather. So I went with cheap linoleum instead. As far as cost, the linoleum I bought on sale was about $25.00 and I think the Blackjack 57 would have cost me about $50.



Yep, my chickens won't go outside in the snow unless I throw a layer of leaves on top of the snow for them. I usually do that this time of year when the days are warm but there is still snow on the ground. Unfortunately, we are in the middle of an April snow storm. It snowed yesterday, snowing today, and more snow in tomorrow's forecast. We expect to get about 5 inches of new snow. Oh well, at least April snow does not last very long.

Sounds like linoleum it is!

Where do you live? Sounds like you’re farther north than me if you’re still getting that much snow. Most of the recent predicted snowstorms here turned into ice/rain these last couple weeks.

 

[Ted Brown]

"I know lots of people swear by Blackjack 57. However, I have also heard that Blackjack 57 can freeze and crack in our cold (-40F) weather. So I went with cheap linoleum instead. As far as cost, the linoleum I bought on sale was about $25.00 and I think the Blackjack 57 would have cost me about $50."

I get - 30C several times per winter. BJ57 does NOT freeze and crack and can be refreshed with another coat. I started with linoleum on my drop boards, my birds destroyed it within 2 months.

 

[gtaus]

Sounds like linoleum it is!

Linoleum worked for me. But I know there are people that swear by BJ57.

Where do you live? Sounds like you’re farther north than me if you’re still getting that much snow. Most of the recent predicted snowstorms here turned into ice/rain these last couple weeks.

I live in northern Minnesota. We got snow/slush yesterday, today, and more expected tomorrow. Should start melthing this weekend.

I get - 30C several times per winter. BJ57 does NOT freeze and crack and can be refreshed with another coat. I started with linoleum on my drop boards, my birds destroyed it within 2 months.

I have never used BJ57 and I don't mean to bad mouth the product. I had read reviews that BJ57 had cracked and needed to be repaired. As for my linoleum, I laid it down on the floor board and covered it with 3-4 inches of wood chips. The chickens have not destroyed my linoleum in 3 years, so I think I came off pretty good on that decision. And, I bought the absolute cheapest linoleum I could find. At that time, the linoleum for the coop was about half the cost of the BJ57 I would have needed.

I also considered just laying down sacrificial OSB board on top of the floor board and then replacing it later if needed. I'm glad I did not go with that option. When I built my chicken coop 3 years ago, a 4X8 OSB was about $7.00 per sheet. Last time I looked at Home Depot, that same OSB sheet was like $42.00! No such thing as cheap wood where I live. Probably not anywhere, anymore...