Joe and Cathy build a chicken coop

HOW TO BUILD THE CHICKEN COOP
During the very hot summer of 2011

IMPORTANT:
Try not to purchase anything.
Use scraps of wood and old fixtures.
We did purchase the run fence, the roof and
$9 worth of screws at WalMart (I refuse
to use nails on anything.)
Entire project costs us $90.

STEP ONE: Find a location where water and electric
are nearby. A place away from predators.
We choose to build off the back of
our number 3 pump house. Perfect source of
water and electric as well as a wind and
and sun shield. It is open to all skunks, foxes,
coyotes, raccoons, hawks and snakes, but amid several
other buildings and we employ water spray
scare crows and a sturdy plan.

STEP TWO: Sketch out a plan and stick to it.
Which requires careful planning.
Search the Net and buy the book
RAISING CHICKENS FOR DUMMIES.

STEP THREE: Follow your plan. Make certain
interior will always be dry and well ventilated.

STEP FOUR: Put chickens in the coop.

See how to build a chicken tractor, click ehere.

Comic relief - see our first 5 hens here at YouTube
Comic relief - see our new peeps here at YouTube
Comic relief - see the first peep come to Cathy here at YouTube

My Plan 71/2 x 4 coop with
a 9 x 5 run for five chickens.
Enlarged run on 7-19
Can see it here.

Showing the FINALE plan.

Build a deck off the pump house.

Make sure you have a helping hand.

End of day one.

End of day two - it rained daily, so getting a roof on the coop was paramount.

Morning of day 3. I realize the going is slow, but I am 62 and temps were always near 100 degrees. Not to mention this location is not shaded.

Door and hatchway. We replaced a screen door on one of the rentals units and used the old - but in "OK" shape door.

Hatchway - little windows were in the plan. Not hung windows but viewing ports - chickens like them.

Cathy stapling builder's felt to the walls that will be completely insulated when wetaher cools down some.

End of day three.

Day 4 ... before adding steps

End day 4 .. steps and hatchway and side window (not seen here.)

Day 5 and 6 were spent in the barn
building 4 nesting boxes.

Not sure if temp in barn was any better
than outside - at least I had
a fan on me in the barn.

Day 7 - orignal plan had the nesting boxes
on the floor inside. I decided to cut
away the front walls and mount the
boxes for easy access from the
outside.
Note - the run was started on day 7.

Day 7 - view from run side.

End of day 7

Day 8 - finished off the run. The covering
to hide the girls from hawks is
a cut away from an old 40x20 pool
cover. We added a vinyl tarp over
that which also covers the entire eastern
side AKA:morning sun.
The door is off of a discard screen
gazebo (from 1988. Squirrel that
I am.)

Covering details

As with the trap later on:
When I cut the fence for the run
I cut the tops so that the vertical
welds spiked up. So that I could
attach any kind of cover to the run.

Day 8 - the door's handle is made
so it locks in the door and it
also gets trapped into the fencing to
make things just a bit more
complicated for raccoons.

Day 9 was spent in the barn building
the feeder.
Click here to see who and
from where I got the idea from.

Day 10
Spent all day hooking up the automatic
water feeder. Issue was that when one
tightens the holder it also locks in
the floatation device. Still, this is
an excellent device. Click here to
visit the website. I purchased it at
Farm Tools in Greenwood, S.C.

Day 11

CHICKENS!
2 white leghorns and 3 golden comets
all hens. We got 3 eggs the first
morning - on day 12.

Here's the first from a leghorn

See our first 5 hens here at YouTube

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My Plan 71/2 x 4 coop with a 9 x 5 run for five chickens. Enlarged run on 7-19 Can see it here.	Showing the FINALE plan.
Build a deck off the pump house.	Make sure you have a helping hand.
End of day one.	End of day two - it rained daily, so getting a roof on the coop was paramount.
Morning of day 3. I realize the going is slow, but I am 62 and temps were always near 100 degrees. Not to mention this location is not shaded.	Door and hatchway. We replaced a screen door on one of the rentals units and used the old - but in "OK" shape door.
Hatchway - little windows were in the plan. Not hung windows but viewing ports - chickens like them.	Cathy stapling builder's felt to the walls that will be completely insulated when wetaher cools down some.
End of day three.	Day 4 ... before adding steps
End day 4 .. steps and hatchway and side window (not seen here.)	Day 5 and 6 were spent in the barn building 4 nesting boxes.
Not sure if temp in barn was any better than outside - at least I had a fan on me in the barn.	Day 7 - orignal plan had the nesting boxes on the floor inside. I decided to cut away the front walls and mount the boxes for easy access from the outside. Note - the run was started on day 7.
Day 7 - view from run side.	End of day 7
Day 8 - finished off the run. The covering to hide the girls from hawks is a cut away from an old 40x20 pool cover. We added a vinyl tarp over that which also covers the entire eastern side AKA:morning sun. The door is off of a discard screen gazebo (from 1988. Squirrel that I am.)	Covering details As with the trap later on: When I cut the fence for the run I cut the tops so that the vertical welds spiked up. So that I could attach any kind of cover to the run.
Day 8 - the door's handle is made so it locks in the door and it also gets trapped into the fencing to make things just a bit more complicated for raccoons.	Day 9 was spent in the barn building the feeder. Click here to see who and from where I got the idea from.
Day 10 Spent all day hooking up the automatic water feeder. Issue was that when one tightens the holder it also locks in the floatation device. Still, this is an excellent device. Click here to visit the website. I purchased it at Farm Tools in Greenwood, S.C.	Day 11 CHICKENS! 2 white leghorns and 3 golden comets all hens. We got 3 eggs the first morning - on day 12. Here's the first from a leghorn See our first 5 hens here at YouTube