Small Backyard Chicken coops...kinda cool

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cstockwell

· #3 · Sep 15, 2009

very nice ideas for small coupes. I was looking to do a small one and I think this is the way to go.

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OhioMan

Discussion Starter · #4 · Sep 15, 2009

cstockwell said:
very nice ideas for small coupes. I was looking to do a small one and I think this is the way to go.

Yeah and easy to build too...if "small" in important now I would keep one

eye on easy expandabilty if needed in a shtf situation

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stevegee58

· #5 · Sep 15, 2009

The OP's link is to my favorite chicken web site. Here's the plan I'm building in a coupla weeks:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=32956

It's in the medium size category and tied for first place in the web site's coop design contest.

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T

tonytz

· #6 · Sep 15, 2009

here is a nice easy one to make

here is a nice easy one to make

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OhioMan

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 15, 2009

stevegee58 said:
The OP's link is to my favorite chicken web site. Here's the plan I'm building in a coupla weeks:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=32956

It's in the medium size category and tied for first place in the web site's coop design contest.

WOW...I love this design!

Simple, easy, small enough (looks like maybe 5ftX10ft), plenty of cover
and very open and attractive, easy access....peerfect!

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grandma

· #8 · Sep 15, 2009

tonytz said:
here is a nice easy one to make

I'm a member on that group,and I believe this one was specifically for those in suburbs who are trying to keep their coop and hens a bit 'hidden' from their neighbours...

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stevegee58

· #9 · Sep 15, 2009

grandma said:
I'm a member on that group,and I believe this one was specifically for those in suburbs who are trying to keep their coop and hens a bit 'hidden' from their neighbours...

Cleaning out the coop can be as easy as swapping out trash cans and just leaving the soiled one by the curb for trash pickup!

:

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HaroldWayneHamlin

· #10 · Sep 15, 2009

OhioMan said:
WOW...I love this design!

Simple, easy, small enough (looks like maybe 5ftX10ft), plenty of cover
and very open and attractive, easy access....peerfect!

Well, I do not know if he can raise chickens

but he can damm sure build

later
wayne

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wyldflwr

· #11 · Sep 15, 2009

Thanks, we're going to build a coop in the next couple of months and this info will come in handy for ideas. We don't want the neighbors to know about our chickens and many of those designs make the coop look like a shed, very handy!

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HaroldWayneHamlin

· #12 · Sep 15, 2009

simple moveable chicken cage

take about 6 or 7 feet long of chicken wire (4 foot wide)

measure about 2 foot from the end and bend the wire in a hoop back to the place of beginning

...............---------------------
............./
.........../
........./
......./
......| hoop over to the first edge
......|
......|_____________________________

2 foot

I used the ring or hog nose clamp (with ring pliers) to clamp the wire in place

Cut and fit the ends (one end with door).

You have a small cage about 2 foot wide, 18 inches high and 4 foot long.

I made three of these and this way I can move the chichens out doors during the day and back inside during the night.

Yes, eggs are laied on the wire but once the checkens get use to it then it is ok, Raising chicks to adult in the cage then they know of nothing else life is normal for them.

The city fined me $25 dollars for keeping chickens outside in a coop so I came up with this system to comply with the ordiance.

This way I can move them inside and place them on the news paper over night or during bad weather.

I sit them on a different spot on the lawn or garden each day so they always have new areas to expolre beanth the wire floor.

later
wayne

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stevegee58

· #13 · Sep 15, 2009

Luckily I live in a rural suburb so I don't care who sees the coop.

My neighbor 2 doors down has had chickens for a long time. I'm unclear on the exact laws here but someone complained about his rooster a few years back. The animal control officer told him that technically he wasn't supposed to have *any* livestock since he was under 3 acres (he has 2.99 LOL). But he let it pass as long as he lost the rooster, which is what he did.

I'm on a little over 3 acres so I'm good to go, rooster or not. At first I'll go with just hens since I'm learning anyway.

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OhioMan

Discussion Starter · #14 · Sep 15, 2009

wyldflwr said:
Thanks, we're going to build a coop in the next couple of months and this info will come in handy for ideas. We don't want the neighbors to know about our chickens and many of those designs make the coop look like a shed, very handy!

:thumb: exactly, I don't want to advertise

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W

WYOmegaMan

· #15 · Sep 15, 2009

Several years ago (8-9 maybe?) we upgraded the FFA farm here. We had some space between our two barns, about 15' x 40'. The barns are half in the side of a hill, so there is a 6' retaining wall and a 8' fence on top of the wall, on one side of the space. The wall runs between the barns. What I did was to get a pair of cheap shed kits, 8x10, for the chicken coops. This allows enough space to walk in there without any problems.

Between the wall and the first shed, there is a chain-link panel from a dog kennel, with the gate in it. I put an old window in the shed at ground level, so the chickens can go out into their "yard". There is chicken wire over the top of the enclosure to prevent escapes and barn cats & ***** from getting in. The shed had some scrap OSB in the front as a "divider", leaving about 2 feet to store tubs of feed, pine shavings, etc where the chickens can't get into it. I ran electrical out to the sheds, and the brooder lights just plug in to a box on the rafters.

The second setup is the same, tacked on to the side of the first shed. One shed is for meat pen, the other is for the egg layers. The meat pens always kill each other until they are adults, so they don't get to share space with the layers.

The setup is protected from wind and weather behind the wall & barns, predators can't kill them, and the setup was pretty cheap for as large scale as it is. I have not been out there in several years until recently, and when I was out there I saw they are still using it. Looks like it was worth the investment. I plan to do something similar with my own property at some point, but I don't have that much space, so the ideas you linked could come in handy.

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Reactions: 1

Crutch

· #16 · Sep 15, 2009

5

These are the ones I built.

The first pic is a far off view. There are actually multiple Chicken coops in this pic.

This one is my duck pen. Believe it or not, its easy to clean. I knocked a hole in the kiddy swimming pool, and put in a standard cork. The bottom I made a make shift septic system. So you put out the plug, it drains, Spray it with a hose and let the ducks get back to playing.

Now most of this stuff, was extremely easy to build. You simply buy yard tembers or junk 2 x 4 from home depo. Also check out the cheep bins for roofing or good materials. Usually around .60 cents or so.

This is my chicken church. Its an old pic, and I look stupid, but you get the idea.

Also at my work, we give away fall off material. Check lumber yards for good materials. You can tell I made mine from a lot of the stuff from my work.
Here is a pic I took today of the stuff that is free. This is a very small amount and not a great pic. We have different sizes of material, and various shapes. However, this is todays free pile.

This is my latest one we built. It is great because it allows the droppings to fall out. It is easily moved, and protects them from preditors. Also I am tall, so its easier for me to manage.

I raise my young chickens in it. Eventually I will make a similar one for rabbits. Rabbits have awesome poop. (grouse I know) Perfect for worm farms.

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Reactions: 4

OhioMan

Discussion Starter · #17 · Sep 15, 2009

Crutch said:
These are the ones I built.

The first pic is a far off view. There are actually multiple Chicken coops in this pic.

This one is my duck pen. Believe it or not, its easy to clean. I knocked a hole in the kiddy swimming pool, and put in a standard cork. The bottom I made a make shift septic system. So you put out the plug, it drains, Spray it with a hose and let the ducks get back to playing.

Now most of this stuff, was extremely easy to build. You simply buy yard tembers or junk 2 x 4 from home depo. Also check out the cheep bins for roofing or good materials. Usually around .60 cents or so.

This is my chicken church. Its an old pic, and I look stupid, but you get the idea.

Also at my work, we give away fall off material. Check lumber yards for good materials. You can tell I made mine from a lot of the stuff from my work.
Here is a pic I took today of the stuff that is free. This is a very small amount and not a great pic. We have different sizes of material, and various shapes. However, this is todays free pile.

This is my latest one we built. It is great because it allows the droppings to fall out. It is easily moved, and protects them from preditors. Also I am tall, so its easier for me to manage.

I raise my young chickens in it. Eventually I will make a similar one for rabbits. Rabbits have awesome poop. (grouse I know) Perfect for worm farms.

Very nice pics....I love the Chicken Church:thumb:

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H

Hedgehobbit

· #18 · Sep 15, 2009

Crutch said:
This is my chicken church. Its an old pic, and I look stupid, but you get the idea.

Man, what did those chickens do to deserve that!

A good friend of mine put a chicken coup in his backyard. He's a hippy. I liked getting all those fresh eggs*. However, a couple things happened ...

His kids got some sort of chicken mite. They had to fumigate their house.

The chickens destroyed all the grass in their backyard.

A racoon ate one of the chickens (they think, they're not sure)

Now he curses the damn things.

- Aaron

*My knucklehead friend is a vegetarian and won't even eat the eggs his own chickens lay.

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Farnorthdan

· #19 · Sep 15, 2009

Just built me a small coop here a few weeks back. 4X4X4 with a fenced in area 10X12. Got me two Rock Island Reds and the eggs they are a flowin. Its fun and the kids love it. I think I may get one or two more, its very easy and the free eggs are great.....:thumb:

DS

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Reactions: 1

rncmomx2

· #20 · Sep 16, 2009

Crutch said:
These are the ones I built.

The first pic is a far off view. There are actually multiple Chicken coops in this pic.

This one is my duck pen. Believe it or not, its easy to clean. I knocked a hole in the kiddy swimming pool, and put in a standard cork. The bottom I made a make shift septic system. So you put out the plug, it drains, Spray it with a hose and let the ducks get back to playing.

Now most of this stuff, was extremely easy to build. You simply buy yard tembers or junk 2 x 4 from home depo. Also check out the cheep bins for roofing or good materials. Usually around .60 cents or so.

This is my chicken church. Its an old pic, and I look stupid, but you get the idea.

Also at my work, we give away fall off material. Check lumber yards for good materials. You can tell I made mine from a lot of the stuff from my work.
Here is a pic I took today of the stuff that is free. This is a very small amount and not a great pic. We have different sizes of material, and various shapes. However, this is todays free pile.

This is my latest one we built. It is great because it allows the droppings to fall out. It is easily moved, and protects them from preditors. Also I am tall, so its easier for me to manage.

I raise my young chickens in it. Eventually I will make a similar one for rabbits. Rabbits have awesome poop. (grouse I know) Perfect for worm farms.

Can I come and visit and "borrow" some of your free stuff

:?

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