Show me your DIY Chicken Coops/Runs/Etc. (Please!)

[CasaCasarrubiasChickens]

We are beginning construction of a better/larger/more quality coop for our flock and would love to see what you fine folks have built so we may pull ideas from your builds, if we may! Show off your work, please! Tell me why you built it the way you did, if it’s predator proof, what material was used and how much, and how much it cost you if you don’t mind! Thank you all in advance!

 

[CasaCasarrubiasChickens]

Also, please include photos of the inside and any cool little features you find useful if you’d like!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Not remotely predator proof - its actually my goat shed - it cost about $2,000 during the pandemic. But some of my chickens use it, and some of my ducks use it, and of course my goats use it.

Pros - Its big, it went up fast, its got tons of ventilation, I can expand it easily, it supports a deep litter system, so cleaning is rare.

CONS - its not remotely predator proof - that would add another couple $Hundreds$ in hardware cloth and framing. I did bad math, the overhangs are almost non existent, I should have shrunk the building 8-12" to have more overhang, the layout isn't great for roosting bars (I have three - room for roughly 24 birds) due to the way I located the goat shelf, and no dedicated nest boxes (could add, easily haven't bothered).

 

[DobieLover]

I too converted a shed into a coop. I designed a run to attach to it. The whole works has a predator apron on it and sits inside an electrified fence.

It cost about $2,500 using some of the material from the old run and a few recycled materials I found and had lying around. It was built in 2019 and I think it's about as predator proof as I could get it.
My old coop was elevated and although it worked for the birds I hated it. I much prefer the walk-in style.

ETA: the best "cool feature" I find useful is the maternity ward which can double as an isolation area for injured birds or a holding pen for overly amorous cockerels when not in use by a broody hen.

 

[aart]

I also built my coop inside an existing shed:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/

 

[Tahai]

My dad and I are in the process of building a new coop now. About 5 years ago I had to rehome my last 3 hens due to too much predator pressure. Raccoons are wiley creatures and, like water, they'll find a way. My previous coop was a converted shed and the run was open on top (too big to cover). That was the 4th flock I had attempted , so I finally gave up. I said if I ever had hens again, I was starting from scratch and building Fort Knox!

The coop is still in progress, but you can see the bones of it in the attached pics. I've chosen to use crushed limestone sand/pea gravel as my litter. My coop is 8x4, and I'll end up with 5-6 inches of sand in the bottom. That sand weighs a little over a ton, so we built a rugged support frame to handle the weight. I painted the interior white based on the recommendation of that new Zealand chicken lady on you tube. It is supposed to be easier to spot mites on white wood. I used zinser mold preventative primer, then gave it a top coat of low voc high gloss clear paint to make the walls easier to wipe down. To make cleaning easier, both of the long sides of the coop have 3 doors that open. This puts every part of the coop in easy reaching distance at waist height for me. I'm in my 50's, and have to think about how things will work as I age.

The coop will be sealed up tight against predators when finished and is housed entirely inside the run. Coop ventilation is covered by regular 19 gauge 1/4 inch hardware cloth and secured with u-nails (NOT wood staples! Raccoons can pull those right out).

My run is 10 x 20. It will be covered on all sides and the top with 16 gauge pvc coated 1/4 inch hardware cloth secured by u-nails. We will cover all wire seams with a strip of wood so predators really have to work just to get eyes on the seams and hopefully I'll notice any attempts to pull wire off long before they even get close to gaining entry to the run. It was more expensive to buy the 16 gauge, but my neighbor up the road had a mink chew through 19g hardware cloth just about the time I was researching wire. She caught it all on her game camera

I'll have a 24 inch wide skirt of that same wire all along the ground perimeter of the run (6 inches up the wall, 18 inches on the ground out from the wall). I'll then cover the bottom of each wall with 2 x 6 x 10 "kick plates" - partially to keep debris inside the run and not on my patio, and partially to add extra security to the base of the walls, which are a common entry point.

Initially I'll cover the wire skirt on the ground with paver stones, but my ultimate plan is to attach raised garden beds along the entire exterior, wich will bury that wire deep.

We haven't quite figured out the door yet, but it, too, will have no gaps.

So, predators have to break into the run before they can even attempt the coop.

Avian influenza appears to be winding down, at least in Pennsylvania, but I still intend to tarp cover my run this year. We thought about a solid roof, but I'm out of money. Maybe in the future if needed.

Speaking of money, this was pricey and I had to pick up a lot of extra shifts at my second job to pay for it. The wire was about $1,000. Lumber for the coop and run was another $2,000. Incidentals added about $500 more to the total. It should last until I leave this world, though, and hopefully chicken keeping becomes fun again when I don't have to stress constantly about "what's going after my hens now!?"

 

[DobieLover]

Avian influenza appears to be winding down, at least in Pennsylvania, but I still intend to tarp cover my run this year.

Are you on the flyways?
NY has been hit hard but not in my county or the adjacent one. Primarily along the Atlantic coast and around the Finger and Great Lakes.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

The coop was roughly 280 dollars to build.
It is made outta pallets. I made due with what I had and I think it came out pretty ok.

The run is 25x25 fenced in hardwire cloth (that was expensive but hubs bought that for me for Christmas i believe it was a bit over 200 in total) It also has electric which was a bit over a 100 for the solar electric box, abt 25 for the insulators, wire was given to me by a friend. The electric runs along the bottom on the outside. I can't say whether it's entirely preditor proof...but I did the best I could with what I had. We had witnessed a coon visiting the back pretty regularly on the trail cam (it no longer visits)
I want to run an apron but hardwire is soooo expensive....I may ask for it for another holiday
It's netted on top. ($60)

I also used plastic bird spikes around the top of the coop bc i ran outta hardwire cloth https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09XQS9RBF?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image

They are sharp, and the hope is it'll deter something from climbing into the coop if they get into the run..

I wanted a walk in coop, with ease of cleaning, and easy to access eggs. I wanted it big enough to be able to section a part off if a need ever arose. I also wanted to help able to run electric to it.

Now, it's not as square as it should be
My front over hang I messed up on and would have wasted a whole piece of 12ft metal if I fixed it . (although I may still pull the screws caulk the holes and move it over)

The feed bags I am not sure were entirely necessary and I won't be replacing them as they wear down.

my favorite features are the roosting branches I attached the the outside of the coop..
They love them.
I take no issues with my coop...it works for all I need it to.
I've brooded the flock in it from day one...They are abt 9wks now

When I get off my lazy butt and make them their big feeders the little feeders and the water will come out of the coop

 

[Tahai]

Are you on the flyways?
NY has been hit hard but not in my county or the adjacent one. Primarily along the Atlantic coast and around the Finger and Great Lakes.

I'm just across the ny/pa border. We are on the edges of the flyway and have some large army Corp lakes around us. Finger lakes are about an hour + north. We haven't been hit hard, but we have had a few small flocks affected. The big damage has been downstate in the Lancaster/York regions. I work for penn state extension, though, so I'm probably more aware of the potential danger than most people in my area.

 

[First time Chick mom]

I'm new to chicken life, and have read all your post. I have chicks and am in the process of deciding how to build the run and coop. I'm in the suburbs of MD and my biggest concerns are snakes, rats and eagles and hawks as we live very close to water. We have a fox, in the neighborhood, my German Shepard and a 7 ft privacy fence makes it very hard for him to enter my backyard. Any and all advise is welcomed. Thanks!!