What we've decided on is a 10'x6' coop, the inside would have 7'x6' (42 sq ft) of space for the chickens. The other 3x6 space would be for storing food. The idea is to be able to get eggs and feed the chickens while being out of the weather, while storing everything with the chickens. The chicken area will have a small loft area above it for storing heat lamps, water heaters, and other supplied. We're going to build the egg boxes so that they stick out of the chicken area, likewise with the feeders. This way we can gather eggs and feed the chickens without having to walk through chicken manure (a plus for my wife).
Below is a visual of the coop plans. I made this in about 10 minutes with Sweet Home 3D, http://www.sweethome3d.com/.
The middle wall in the image above will be welded wire with a door made of welded wire on a wood frame. The egg boxes will come into the entry area, as well as the new feeders. The new feeders will be made out of PVC pipe, about 3 feet long with a 180 bend at the bottom. I saw a friend of mine in Seattle had these type of feeders that he built and they work great.
So, here is the material list to build the coop, broken out by where it is used:
Floor:
2x6x10' - 6
2x6x12' - 1 (cut in half to make 2 six footers)
7/16 OSB - 2 sheets
Long Walls:
2x4x10' - 4
2x4x12' - 9 (cut in half to make 18 six footers)
T1-11 Siding - 5 Sheets
Short Walls:
2x4x12 - 8 (cut in half to make 16 six footers)
T1-11 Siding - 4 Sheets
Roof:
2x6x10' - 1
2x6x8' - 6 (cut in half to make 12 four footers)
7/16 OSB - 3 Sheets
2 bundles of shingles
36' of drip edge
Trim:
1x3x6' - 10 (for the corners of the coop and sides of door)
1x3x8' - 3 (for the windows, top of door, and chicken door)
Most of the materials are now at the homestead. We're going to try to get this built and the chickens living in it over the next 2-3 weeks so that we can get pigs in the barn, where we are currently housing the chickens.
It's going to be a busy couple of weeks, stay tuned for updates.
No comments:
Post a Comment