Chicken coop 2.0

noway2

noway2

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This is the smaller coop I'm building, roughly 4x4. The roof rafters are cut including the outer ones for an overhang. The front wall sheeting is cut. Need about two more days to finish it. It's screwed together in pieces and will come apart, each wall, the roof, and the base are pieces. We'll transport it to the final location and assemble it. They back will have a flip door for cleaning and the front will have one that slides up and down with a chicken ramp.

IMG_20221015_145422668_HDR.jpg
 
Coincidentally, I'm looking at building a new coop, instead of trying to relocate mine.

I'll have keep my eyes on this thread.
 
kcult said:
Coincidentally, I'm looking at building a new coop, instead of trying to relocate mine.

I'll have keep my eyes on this thread.
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This one is pretty easy:
1) I made legs by cutting two pieces of 2x4 24” long into an L.
2) cut 2x10 to make the base and used carriage bolts to attach the legs.
3) cut plywood to make the floor. A 3rd support on the middle of te frame is planned but not in yet.
4) wall framing is pretty standard 2x4 with a stud in the middle and some side to side braces for support. Frame the openings you plan to have.
5) the slide door for the chickens is easy. Cut a door board, attach a block of 2x4 to the top for an eye hook for a rope. Put pieces of 1x1 to make side to side rails, slightly wider offset than the door panel. Put 1x2 behind them to hold the door and it will slide up and down in the channel.
6)I made the front 6“ shorter than the back and it’s 48” wide to take a siding panel.
7) roof rafters are connected with hanger brackets and overlap 8” all around.
8) a sheet of plywood has enough surface area to do the roof, but you’ll have to cut it nyo 3 pieces.

Recommend staining and waterproofing wood up front. It makes it much easier. We used Cabot timber oil.
 
noway2 said:
This is the smaller coop I'm building, roughly 4x4. The roof rafters are cut including the outer ones for an overhang. The front wall sheeting is cut. Need about two more days to finish it. It's screwed together in pieces and will come apart, each wall, the roof, and the base are pieces. We'll transport it to the final location and assemble it. They back will have a flip door for cleaning and the front will have one that slides up and down with a chicken ramp.

View attachment 535802
Click to expand...
Mine looks surprisingly similar. Exact same size and also modular. On mine, one whole side is basically a door. I build the roof 8' so I can expand next year and they have a porch of sorts.
 
I will have to get some more pictures. Last weekend we disassembled the coop and transported it from where we were building it to where it is going to go. Got the base leveled and the framing walls back up. Tomorrow, it gets roof, siding, and the ramp and will effectively be done.
 
Argh! So, we finished the coop and moved it to area where we keep our chickens, which is a (~)16'x16' dog kennel fenced area, mostly under a car port, with netting up above to keep them from flying out. We put the chicks that we brooded in the coop with food and water and closed it up for a couple of days. Decided to let them out and roam around the pen. Never had a problem with the Rhode Island Reds getting out, but this spring we had issues with the Easter Eggers and made some improvements, like the netting. Not sure how they got out, there are no significant gaps or anything that I can see. As it would happen the chicks got out of the pen and have been roaming around the yard. A couple of them keep coming to the car port, but we can't catch them and even if we put them back in the pen, they would likely escape.

I don't have a clue as to how they're getting out, and they also figured out how to escape within about 1-2 hours of being in the location. Obviously, I am missing something. Anyone with some experience or insight?
 
@noway2
Are they pushing the screen away to make a gap somewhere?
Go t any pics of the new setup?
 
ronn47 said:
@noway2
Are they pushing the screen away to make a gap somewhere?
Go t any pics of the new setup?
Click to expand...
There is one area that we found that needs some beefing up, but in the interim we have a cage in front of it (outside) and a 6"x12" paver block on the inside, so they shouldn't be able to get out through it. I am thinking it has to be something pretty obvious to even a bird brain for them to figure it out so quickly and together. I will get some pictures and post. I had planned to put up a wifi security camera on the area and now I am wishing I had done so. There is a little gap around the gate / door, but I don't think they would be able to get through that. Google isn't giving me an answer on how big a hole does a chicken need to get out, everyone is asking about weasels getting in.
 
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Follow up: I found one area in the corner of the coop where they may have of gotten out that was a little lose with about a six inch gap. it’s my best guess at the moment. Pictures forthcoming as I took them on my phone.

Two of the escapees have taken up residence in our car port and I was actually able to pet both of them this evening. They’re becoming more comfortable with us and maybe we can reclaim them. The one we lost was never found and I haven’t seen the one the dog, which has been kept leashed, got.
 
Here are some pictures of the coop. I think they may have gotten out at the back left side corner where i looked closely and saw the fence was unhooked and there was a decent gap. Not sure.

What's funny is that two of them are hanging around the house and were on the car port last night, actually knocking at the door wanting back in to their bedroom where they were brooded.

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So, this evening, two of our birds were back at the car port door, knocking to get in. They really do want bsck in to where we brooded them. Fat chance. This morning, I swept chicken, um, droppings off the door step. This evening I went out and put food in and near their bin that we brooded them to try to encourage them.

What I was able to do was pet them. They made a little noise, but I was able to talk to them and gently stroke them. They’re starting to understand that I am not going to hurt them.
 
Found and fixed a couple of potential gaps in the fence. As luck would have it, i went to the coop and they followed me up there. I opened the door and went to the left side by the myrtle and they went right in. Our older RIR also went in the big coop for the first time.

IMG_20221211_142022409_HDR.jpgIMG_20221211_142038152.jpg
 
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