Sharing (badly drawn) plans of the coop/run we’re building!

[rosemarythyme]

Why I use a headlight set on low.

I have a rechargeable lantern, so I can hang it right off the roost to clean under it.

 

[Sillyna511]

Update... here's some progress pics!
Obviously lots of things are in various states of unfinished so it feels a bit like a hot mess. But it’s getting there!! I think he’s making fabulous progress.

This is the view from our back deck.
(We replaced our back door last summer, and are reusing our old door for the chicken run. We still have to take off the old cat door and board up that hole & the old doorknob holes.)


Here’s the coop access door side… the wall separating coop from storage isn’t built yet, so right now when looking in you see the full 8ft length. But the end result will only be 6ft in length from this side.

View from the back side…

View from the nesting box side.

This is the storage door from the nesting box side. On this side we’ll keep bedding and other things that we might need when cleaning out the coop, as this is accessed from the outside. View with door closed & open.

Next is the view from inside the run. There’s no latch on the storage door yet but if you look on the right side, you’ll see the hinges. And then a view of that storage door open. Food and such will be accessed from this side, in the run, since the feeder will be in the run.

I’m refraining from pointing out every little not-yet finished thing in all of the pictures. Just know it’s in progress! We still have to finish installing hardware mesh in some places, and the ground apron, and build out the nesting boxes interior + roof, and put up the wall between the coop and storage, and install roosting bars, and install an automatic coop door, etc… I’ll also be painting the hardware mesh black, and then we might paint the coop to match our house - or we might just leave it wood colored, I haven’t decided yet.

 

[Sillyna511]

Roosting bars installed today. We changed the plan a bit. They run the short distance of the coop, on the far end. There’s 2 four-foot bars mounted at the same height, with a ramp to assist getting up.
Next on the list is to finish building out the nesting boxes.

 

[KyCoop]

I was hoping to catch this quicker but since your pop door (chicken door) is already installed you will want to put up a solid color panel on the outside of you run next to the ramp.
I don't recommend putting the ramp next to an outside wall of the run because if a hawk or other predator were trying to get to them the chickens will have their safety route to the coop cut off with a hawk hanging on the wire.
I know this because it happend to my girls.

 

[StinkyAcres]

It's looking amazing! Absolutely love the reclaimed lumber look.

 

[Sillyna511]

It's looking amazing! Absolutely love the reclaimed lumber look.

Thank you! The plan was to paint it all navy blue to match our house, but the old fence boards look so neat… We might still end up painting it later down the road. But for now we’ll just keep it as is!

 

[Sillyna511]

I was hoping to catch this quicker but since your pop door (chicken door) is already installed you will want to put up a solid color panel on the outside of you run next to the ramp.
I don't recommend putting the ramp next to an outside wall of the run because if a hawk or other predator were trying to get to them the chickens will have their safety route to the coop cut off with a hawk hanging on the wire.
I know this because it happend to my girls.

Yikes that’s scary! Can a hawk get through half inch hardware mesh?
We will have to add something there if that is an issue.

 

[KyCoop]

No, they can't get through it. But it didn't stop it from trying. It was flying at and raking it talons on the mesh. Little peeping chicks are a dinner bell and he was hungry.
He was right where the pop door is. A few made it into the coop but the rest where crammed together in corners.

 

[Sillyna511]

The nesting boxes are built out and the roof of that section is done! It still needs a latch and also a method to hook it up on the wall while collecting eggs.

We built the nesting boxes dividers to be removable for easier cleaning. Here’s a view of inside the coop showing how the nesting boxes, roosting bars, and the roost ramp all can be removed for easy deep cleaning!

We’re down to just the final few jobs! Assembling the feeder and waterer, putting a latch on the nesting box roof, and building the chicken’s door between the run & coop.

The girls are 5 weeks old today, and based on their feather progress, we’ve probably got another 2 weeks with them inside. So plenty of time for the last couple of items on the punch list!