landscape timber coop?

[SteveandJayneO]

What do you guys think of a landscape timber built coop? Kinda like a log home for chickens. No floor and due to lay of the land the timbers have to have at least one layer in the dirt.
Opinions please
Steve

I figure the timbers are the walls so I can cut out the OXB board or siding costs there, I still will use 4x4's at the corners for the roof since I believe I will be doing a 8 foot square. So with the cost of PT 2x4's here at almost 3 dollars apiece. the costs will be almost the same. I am securing them together with decking screws, alternating ends and probably some rebar driven into the ground and coming up thru the first 3 or 4 levels. I figure also I will have probably one foot of vent between log and roof line that can be wrapped in chicken wire or HC. nesting boxes will be internal with I would say 2 or 3 framed windows like come in a playhouse. the door will be people size hinged with an internal pet door in it. All openings door wise will be in the run that will be approx 12 x 8 just a tad small till I get the real run done.
This is all just in my mind right now, but the chicks are 4 weeks as of wed the 27th sooo I gotta get going.

 

[Judy]

You must have hit that Home Depot sale....

Sounds great to me. The real wood walls will make it so easy to change things around if you need to, add a broody pen, etc. You will love the 8x8 size, can move around in it and store in it.

I have dirt floor coops, too. I'd seriously consider burying some HW cloth about 1' down then 1' out and securing it to the bottom of the coop to stop the diggers.

 

[SteveandJayneO]

Haven't bought them all yet, they stay on sale here at the 2.00 price all summer. Most of the ground on the "mtn" is rock not very many diggers her eat all, the timbers will go down about oh lord a foot to a foot and a half at some points due to the hilly spot I have to use. After I build it I will level the coop floor with dirt and compact it a little.

 

[Omran]

I think it is a nice Idea,but I would put osp inside ( I think you will too) and make sure you got enough ventilation for the chicken.
But really I love the looking of the log -cabin.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Ah, rocks. Maybe just collect a bunch and arrange them around the outside of the coop, in case you get a hungry coon or whatever, and he finds a spot between the rocks in the ground.

Omran may be right about the OSB, but I'd be awfully tempted to face the bottoms of the timbers to the inside and leave them. I am picturing this as your plan, so it will look logcabiny from the tops.

 

[SteveandJayneO]

OK the landscape timber was a labor intensive bad idea so I just made the landing of the platform that houses the coop out of the timber. My wife god love her found a 4x6x6 playhouse with a veranda on it new in box for 200 bucks. I just finished putting that together today and am working on the fencing now for the run. the run will be about 11x8. Just for 12 birds. Pics to follow.
Steve