AllChookUp's Coop Page
(My coop is done, but this page isn't - Please be patient)
(My coop is done, but this page isn't - Please be patient)
First of all, we have a wonderful home on 10 acres in the country. Here's a pic I took a few years ago in the fall:
We have a horse loafing barn down the hill - I thought that would be a great place for a few chickens. We inherited 3 chickens from my cousin, with plans to get up to 12-14.
I put the coop and run in the shelter of the shed. It provides a great wind, snow, and rain protection for both the coop and run. The coop itself is 14' wide x 7' deep x 7' high.
I found a lot of used materials - An old door, free casement windows, good 2x4s from pallets. The overall cost really wasn't all that bad. Here's a pic in progress:
You can see the vent I put on top, as well as the crank-out window in front. I also put a window on the side of the shed for cross-ventilation in the summer:
Here's the front of the coop - Almost done!
Along with a homemade feeder, I made a free-choice gravity feeder for Oyster Shells from 4" PVC pipe.
I modeled it after one my cousin created.
It works great - I only need to fill it a couple times a year:
Now on to the run - I used hardware cloth top and front, and buried some old heavy-gauge fencing 3 feet down around the perimeter to discourage all the predators we have in the area. The run measures about 20' deep x 14' wide x 8' high.
And yes, like many of you, we like to sit and watch the chickens range and generally act loony.
We call it watching "Chicken TV":
And here's SOME of the cast of characters. We have mostly Buff Orpingtons and Gold-Laced Wyandotte hens, with a Silver-Laced Wyandotte rooster - We call him 'Hank'. He thinks very highly of himself...
In June of 2008, we took delivery of 5 B.O. and 5 GLW chicks. My DW Vianne was excited. I built a brooder, and surprise - They grew just like they were supposed to...
Here's Hank and the girls causing trouble in the front yard:
Finally, here's our original 3 chickens. Maggie - a Barred Rock hen, Mary - a Banty, and D.A. - a "rescue" Polish rooster. "D.A." stands for DumbA.., well you figure it out. He was as dumb as they come.
...and what chicken doesn't like a good compost pile?
Or who can resist and good treat of fallen apples? (Note our resident bad girl Patsy trying to figure out a way to get into the garden)..
Finally, my heart and soul- My granddaughter Ava with our first egg. Can you tell she's been into the grape Kool-Aid?
Yes, I am that grandparent that loves their grandkids way too much. So sue me.
Ava is the reason I got chickens - To teach her about raising and caring for animals.
Really - Could you say "No" to this face?
Not me.
We have a horse loafing barn down the hill - I thought that would be a great place for a few chickens. We inherited 3 chickens from my cousin, with plans to get up to 12-14.
I put the coop and run in the shelter of the shed. It provides a great wind, snow, and rain protection for both the coop and run. The coop itself is 14' wide x 7' deep x 7' high.
I found a lot of used materials - An old door, free casement windows, good 2x4s from pallets. The overall cost really wasn't all that bad. Here's a pic in progress:
You can see the vent I put on top, as well as the crank-out window in front. I also put a window on the side of the shed for cross-ventilation in the summer:
Here's the front of the coop - Almost done!
Along with a homemade feeder, I made a free-choice gravity feeder for Oyster Shells from 4" PVC pipe.
I modeled it after one my cousin created.
It works great - I only need to fill it a couple times a year:
Now on to the run - I used hardware cloth top and front, and buried some old heavy-gauge fencing 3 feet down around the perimeter to discourage all the predators we have in the area. The run measures about 20' deep x 14' wide x 8' high.
And yes, like many of you, we like to sit and watch the chickens range and generally act loony.
We call it watching "Chicken TV":
And here's SOME of the cast of characters. We have mostly Buff Orpingtons and Gold-Laced Wyandotte hens, with a Silver-Laced Wyandotte rooster - We call him 'Hank'. He thinks very highly of himself...
In June of 2008, we took delivery of 5 B.O. and 5 GLW chicks. My DW Vianne was excited. I built a brooder, and surprise - They grew just like they were supposed to...
Here's Hank and the girls causing trouble in the front yard:
Finally, here's our original 3 chickens. Maggie - a Barred Rock hen, Mary - a Banty, and D.A. - a "rescue" Polish rooster. "D.A." stands for DumbA.., well you figure it out. He was as dumb as they come.
...and what chicken doesn't like a good compost pile?
Or who can resist and good treat of fallen apples? (Note our resident bad girl Patsy trying to figure out a way to get into the garden)..
Finally, my heart and soul- My granddaughter Ava with our first egg. Can you tell she's been into the grape Kool-Aid?
Yes, I am that grandparent that loves their grandkids way too much. So sue me.
Ava is the reason I got chickens - To teach her about raising and caring for animals.
Really - Could you say "No" to this face?
Not me.
