COMMUNITY PROJECT: Let's Design The Perfect Coop!!!

[CoyoteMagic]

Sandra & her Cochins :

oh wow that's our coop to... Oh dear I really need to catch up my english reading haha maybe ask my brother to translate some things for me

. Do I need to do something in this topic like more foto's or ....a little picture story how we made the coop?

Your english is fine darlin', It's probably ours you can't understand!! Even in our typings you can tell what part of the country people are from by the way they use words.

I for one would love to see more pictures and hear more about how you built the coop. It is just lovely!!

How do you say Chicken in your native language?​

 

[San]

Quote:
Chicken= Kippen
Chicks= Kipjes
baby chicks are called kuikens and a rooster or cockerl is called Haan

.

I will try to make a picture story soon how we build the coop

 

[rosyposyosy]

we'll be moving and right now they have a HUGE COOP like seriously, HUGE. it is like 82 square feet (its 2 stories) and their run is ginormous too. in the next house we are just gonna elevate a largedog house, put a nesting box in there, a perch, and make a door to get the eggs. i figure it will be fairly cheap because we would most likely get the dog house on craigslist for free

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Sandra & her Cochins :

Do I need to do something in this topic like more foto's or ....a little picture story how we made the coop?

Yes... add more pictures! More pictures is always better!!!

Don't worry about posting a story for now, but within the next few weeks you'll probably want to post it in the new personal pages(details coming soon).​

 

[jacob]

here is a simple inexpensive floor plan i am using use chicken wire for floor renforce with wood this way you will not fall while walking on it and chickens wonts fall tho there poop will also put a tarp under this idea is best for chicken houses on stilts

 

[V Chic Chick]

I would say definately raised. I have a raised coop, and I love it, for the following reasons -
* No bending to clean out (I have a dodgy back)
* Rats do not like to live under it, as is the case if it is just off the ground
* Saves space - it's two storey, which is useful when working with limited space.
* Provides shelter from sun and rain (when they bother to use it)
* Dry underneath coop, so creates a dustbathe, whatever the weather. We have had terrible rains here lately and it has stayed dry under the coop.
* Floor will not rot like it can if it is directly on the ground.

My personal opinion is that there should be an optional attached run, which is tied / clipped / locked / bolted / whatevered on. That makes it suitabe for those with space for free range, and those without. Being able to walk in to the run is also a good idea, for those times when you need to retrieve them in daylight hours, and they just aren't interested!

I remember someone has a coop that's individual walls held together with bolts (they knew they'd be moving) that could easily be taken apart.

That might have been me. I built it like that because I knew we'd have to take them around to my grandparent's when we go on holiday (although we try to avoid that now, given their advancing years). My coop is made of four walls, held together with bolts which can easily be unscrewed, as well as a floor that is basically dropped in, a pophole (also dropped in) and finally a roof, made of corrugated plastic. It works very well if you need to take it to someone else's house.

My coop -

 

[frankensusan]

V Chic Chick, Ok. So it's late at night, I can't sleep, I've got chicken coops on the brain as I just figured out the sq footage needed if ONLY half of the 36 chicks sent to me are keepers.... and I log in to see your little alien icon... What IS it?!

I'm also thinking something like Monica's coop would be nice in my neighborhood (i.e. suburban houses too close can't bother anyone must keep the grass in front kind of place...)

Is there a link somewhere to Monica's plans?

Thanks all

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I really like all the ideas we're seeing... keep them coming.

One thing that I like is the cement under the door found in the picture posted for Chirpy's coop.

We put some cement blocks under the door of our run to keep the predators out. The only problem is that twigs, dirt, etc. get piled up and wedged under the door making it hard to open.

I'm not sure if they did this on purpose, but it looks like the cement is not only raised above the surrounding ground, but that it tapers up which makes it even less prone to stuff piling up on top. Well done!

 

[V Chic Chick]

Quote:
It says baby alien underneath it . . . it's like a snapshot of a baby that new parents take, only it's an alien . . . why I like it I don't know lol.

 

[blue fire]

Are we describing the part of your coop that you planned and worked out the best?