Well after dealing with a 10'x12' dirt floor coop the previous owner had I decided it was time for something more to my ideas of what it should be. It was built in June and July 2019 and was built without plans as a plan-as-you-go project. We had a lot of rain so it was a slow process. I think it turned out rather nice. So far the girls haven't complained!
My new coop is 12'x24' and is very functional and clean incorporating most of what I thought it should have. It's built off the ground on treated 6"x 6" posts set in concrete. The floor frame is 2"x 6" lumber covered with 3/4" plywood. Once down the floor was sealed and painted with a non-skid paint so it isn't slick and the girls and I don't slide around plus it keeps the dampness from damaging the floor. The basic framing is typical house stud 2"x 4" and 2"x 6" rafters. The outside was covered with a heavy weatherproof barrier and then corrugated metal on top of that. There's a pair of metal 36" doors for easy access, one on the end used for feed and storage and one in the end used for the layer flock. It's built on a slope since I'm in the mountains and the bottom is screened in with 1/2" wire to keep the girls from resting and nesting under the coop and varmints from being able to claw through the floor. Because it sits high off the ground a concrete pad and cinder blocks make access easy for me especially carrying feed bags and when it's muddy.......most of the time in NW Arkansas!
Inside is divided into 3 different areas each separated by 2"x 4" studding with poultry wire. Homemade poultry wire and 2"x 4" framed doors allow me to go from coop to coop when feeding or watering the girls. The one end is 4' wide and used to store galvanized cans with feed and extra bales of bedding. There's a 1'x 5' shelf above the cans for storing spare feeders, heat lamp and waterers. The center section is 6' wide and used for brooding the new chicks when they arrive. The last section is for the girls to live in and has 10 nest boxes for their pleasure. That's the only thing that was used from the old coop. In that section is an automatic door so they can come and go as they like without me getting up with the sun every day. It's an absolute must have item to me. In this end I also have a cheapo Lowe's plastic deep sink I think it's 20" square and deep. This has been a good addition and saves me much walking when dealing with the water and cleaning. In this end there is a 30"x30" swing out door used for cleaning their bedding. I just back my small trailer up to the door and scoop all the dirty litter right in the trailer. Very efficient. Both sections have roosts made from 2"x 4" studs. They are pivoting so I can just lift them up when it's time to clean the area under them. Sure makes cleaning better! I highly recommend anyone building a coop try this.
The coop has 7 medium sized sliding windows along the top of the walls. These are really nice and allow a lot of air circulation and light into the coop. I also have some LED shop light strips for those days I don't get to the chickens before dark. Great addition and well worth the money. The coop has several electrical outlets for plugging in items like water heaters, brooder lamps and fans. I don't know how I lived so long without having the electricity and water in the old coop. Not the cheapest addition but so useful. I have 2 large 36"(?) fans mounted near the ceiling that help on the hottest Summer days.
My laying flock now consists of 21 Plymouth Rocks and 2 PR roosters plus my worthless Lavender Orpington rooster. I started this new coop with 30 hens and 3 PR roosters but I live in NW Arkansas in the mountains and I free range my chickens and ducks. Varmints are plentiful and have been helping themselves to my girls.
So far this coop has been very useful and efficient. I would change a couple things and probably will as soon as time prevails. The clean out door in the layer section is so helpful but cleaning the brooder side I have to go through the door into the layer side holding a scoop shovel to throw it out the cleanout door. Not a very good idea. I also would like to rehang the existing door so it folds out flush with the coop wall for better access with my trailer. I intend to cut in and build a similar door in the brooder section and I may add another automatic door there too in case I decide to raise some meat chickens in that section. The chicken yard outside will be fenced to keep them separated from the layer flock.
I'm very happy with this new coop and basically like the way it functions. My friend Jeremy Lastovica designed and built the coop with his Father and a helper and did a great job for me. I offered much moral support! I hope you like the Poultry Palace, a name appropriate for this coop and named by Jeremy. He also had the great metal sign cut and painted for me.
My new coop is 12'x24' and is very functional and clean incorporating most of what I thought it should have. It's built off the ground on treated 6"x 6" posts set in concrete. The floor frame is 2"x 6" lumber covered with 3/4" plywood. Once down the floor was sealed and painted with a non-skid paint so it isn't slick and the girls and I don't slide around plus it keeps the dampness from damaging the floor. The basic framing is typical house stud 2"x 4" and 2"x 6" rafters. The outside was covered with a heavy weatherproof barrier and then corrugated metal on top of that. There's a pair of metal 36" doors for easy access, one on the end used for feed and storage and one in the end used for the layer flock. It's built on a slope since I'm in the mountains and the bottom is screened in with 1/2" wire to keep the girls from resting and nesting under the coop and varmints from being able to claw through the floor. Because it sits high off the ground a concrete pad and cinder blocks make access easy for me especially carrying feed bags and when it's muddy.......most of the time in NW Arkansas!
Inside is divided into 3 different areas each separated by 2"x 4" studding with poultry wire. Homemade poultry wire and 2"x 4" framed doors allow me to go from coop to coop when feeding or watering the girls. The one end is 4' wide and used to store galvanized cans with feed and extra bales of bedding. There's a 1'x 5' shelf above the cans for storing spare feeders, heat lamp and waterers. The center section is 6' wide and used for brooding the new chicks when they arrive. The last section is for the girls to live in and has 10 nest boxes for their pleasure. That's the only thing that was used from the old coop. In that section is an automatic door so they can come and go as they like without me getting up with the sun every day. It's an absolute must have item to me. In this end I also have a cheapo Lowe's plastic deep sink I think it's 20" square and deep. This has been a good addition and saves me much walking when dealing with the water and cleaning. In this end there is a 30"x30" swing out door used for cleaning their bedding. I just back my small trailer up to the door and scoop all the dirty litter right in the trailer. Very efficient. Both sections have roosts made from 2"x 4" studs. They are pivoting so I can just lift them up when it's time to clean the area under them. Sure makes cleaning better! I highly recommend anyone building a coop try this.
The coop has 7 medium sized sliding windows along the top of the walls. These are really nice and allow a lot of air circulation and light into the coop. I also have some LED shop light strips for those days I don't get to the chickens before dark. Great addition and well worth the money. The coop has several electrical outlets for plugging in items like water heaters, brooder lamps and fans. I don't know how I lived so long without having the electricity and water in the old coop. Not the cheapest addition but so useful. I have 2 large 36"(?) fans mounted near the ceiling that help on the hottest Summer days.
My laying flock now consists of 21 Plymouth Rocks and 2 PR roosters plus my worthless Lavender Orpington rooster. I started this new coop with 30 hens and 3 PR roosters but I live in NW Arkansas in the mountains and I free range my chickens and ducks. Varmints are plentiful and have been helping themselves to my girls.
So far this coop has been very useful and efficient. I would change a couple things and probably will as soon as time prevails. The clean out door in the layer section is so helpful but cleaning the brooder side I have to go through the door into the layer side holding a scoop shovel to throw it out the cleanout door. Not a very good idea. I also would like to rehang the existing door so it folds out flush with the coop wall for better access with my trailer. I intend to cut in and build a similar door in the brooder section and I may add another automatic door there too in case I decide to raise some meat chickens in that section. The chicken yard outside will be fenced to keep them separated from the layer flock.
I'm very happy with this new coop and basically like the way it functions. My friend Jeremy Lastovica designed and built the coop with his Father and a helper and did a great job for me. I offered much moral support! I hope you like the Poultry Palace, a name appropriate for this coop and named by Jeremy. He also had the great metal sign cut and painted for me.
