A proper chook coop is long over due. While we have not had the chooks for that long, I had wanted to build a chook coop at the end of last year or beginning of this year at the latest. Of course things have not gone quite according to my idealist schedule. Our little girl often has that kind of impact on plans.Although in reality, the biggest issue with progression of the chook coop was the design plans. The location for the coop is in an area which gets quite wet during heavy rain falls. Even though Rhode Island Reds are a hardy breed, I do not feel that it is all that nice to have them in damp conditions. Thus this meant either a concrete slab or raised chicken coop.
I really liked the idea of a raised chook coop, particularly after seeing one of the members of the Samford Local Growers constructions. His design was based on a BuildEazy chook coop design with a few tweaks such as a flat roof design. The dimensions for my coop are 3.6m by 1.8m, so I am doubling the size of the basic plans. This is so that I can divide the coop into two sections for future purposes.
With a raised coop design, I figure that rats and mice will have a hard time getting access to the interior. I also plan to allow the chooks access to underneath the chook coop as part of their main run, thus it will provide valuable shade during the heat of the summer.
There is still a fair bit of work to complete as only the platform of the coop in place. But at least in the mean time it will allow my little girl a great place to perform her chicken dance.
Wow, that looks like a great start. Can't wait to see how the rest of it goes. Your little one will be collecting eggs from the coop, for many years to come. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris. :)
ReplyDeleteJust in the investigative stage of sourcing material for the walls and roof now. I am trying to use recycled materials where I can.
I have certainly been impressed with the coops you have been able to turn out. They look great!
Yes recycled materials are always cheaper, and gets the old brain-matter ticking over, finding new ways to use them. Thanks for the feedback on our coops. :)
ReplyDeleteFor recycled materials, we found a local demolition yard that has always been reasonable with their prices. I think it only cost us $4 per meter for our roofing iron for "Hilltop". They already had predrilled holes in them, but nothing a little clear roofing sealant didn't fix.
If you have some old saw mills in your area, see if they'll let you clear out the off-cuts for free. Even places which manufacture venetian blinds, will let you have their wooden panel off-cuts for free.
We get a lot of wooden pallets from businesses in our area that want to get rid of them. Usually one panel is broken on the pallet so they can't use it any more. We strip it down and use the other good pieces.
The running around is the hardest part but once you find a reliable supply, they'll look forward to you taking away their excess.
All the best with your hunt for recycled materials. :)