menchelke
Chirping
This is brief walk around of my recent coop. It started life as a hoop house green house, but I had the hoops on top of two foot tall walls. High winds caused it to fold over.
I have an acre, and no affordable way atm to fence in my whole acre, and make it coyote and dog proof, not to mention bobcats, and hawks, so we do full enclosed runs around here. The larger the better. I have a 16x12 that houses 4 hens and their Rooster.
So, after getting two unexpected Ayam Cemani Roosters (they had to spend some time with the other flock, and luckily there was no fighting, I had to put the greenhouse back together as a chicken coop. It still is finished (is anything ever?)
But, It's 3 x 52" x 16' cattle panels. All the wood is reclaimed, except the cedar. The cement board is left overs from tile projects, etc. So basics, I am redesigning how I would do this with hindsight experience, and tailor made for chickens.
But I digress:
12x7 ft base. Coop end with the roosts is 3ft wide, and 4 ft tall at the rear, and 5ft tall at the front. I used cement board, 3x5 and cut an angle to make backside 4 ft. That forms the sides, I elevate to get some cross vents from the southern to northern wind we get 24/7.
Roof is more cement board, with some old ply under it, and will eventually get some leftover white ceramic tiles on it to complete the roof of the coop.
Two perches 28 inch off the ground. I will be adding a small ladder up to it and the egg laying box. I will also be expanding the opening of the egg box if needed. It was originally built to be egg box for Silkies, but then the Ayams fell into my lap.
Enclosed the ends, with wood framing, built the door, used auto close hinges, put the shade cloth over the cattle panels, and then chicken wire over the shade cloth.
The end goal, is planting butterfly vines, and honeysuckle vines, to grow over the hoops, and weave in and out of the chicken wire, and create an organic, permanent shade.
You may notice no floor, etc. Where I life, it gets hot enough, that the chicken poop is all dried powder the next day. The coop never smells, the desert ground and the dry air suck all the moisture out of it. We barely get an inch of snow, and so cooling, is primary concern, and shelter from rain and wind. The full run is predator proof against coyote, and bobcat, and hawk.
Anyway, more work to do, as I said, work in progress.
I have an acre, and no affordable way atm to fence in my whole acre, and make it coyote and dog proof, not to mention bobcats, and hawks, so we do full enclosed runs around here. The larger the better. I have a 16x12 that houses 4 hens and their Rooster.
So, after getting two unexpected Ayam Cemani Roosters (they had to spend some time with the other flock, and luckily there was no fighting, I had to put the greenhouse back together as a chicken coop. It still is finished (is anything ever?)
But, It's 3 x 52" x 16' cattle panels. All the wood is reclaimed, except the cedar. The cement board is left overs from tile projects, etc. So basics, I am redesigning how I would do this with hindsight experience, and tailor made for chickens.
But I digress:
12x7 ft base. Coop end with the roosts is 3ft wide, and 4 ft tall at the rear, and 5ft tall at the front. I used cement board, 3x5 and cut an angle to make backside 4 ft. That forms the sides, I elevate to get some cross vents from the southern to northern wind we get 24/7.
Roof is more cement board, with some old ply under it, and will eventually get some leftover white ceramic tiles on it to complete the roof of the coop.
Two perches 28 inch off the ground. I will be adding a small ladder up to it and the egg laying box. I will also be expanding the opening of the egg box if needed. It was originally built to be egg box for Silkies, but then the Ayams fell into my lap.
Enclosed the ends, with wood framing, built the door, used auto close hinges, put the shade cloth over the cattle panels, and then chicken wire over the shade cloth.
The end goal, is planting butterfly vines, and honeysuckle vines, to grow over the hoops, and weave in and out of the chicken wire, and create an organic, permanent shade.
You may notice no floor, etc. Where I life, it gets hot enough, that the chicken poop is all dried powder the next day. The coop never smells, the desert ground and the dry air suck all the moisture out of it. We barely get an inch of snow, and so cooling, is primary concern, and shelter from rain and wind. The full run is predator proof against coyote, and bobcat, and hawk.
Anyway, more work to do, as I said, work in progress.