Tour de Coop - Let's see them!

yea I like that 1450 one also. And if it is made with hardware cloth, I can see why it is so expensive. That stuff goes for 35 bucks for a 25 ft roll. I want to try to make one real soon.

I know about hardware cloth i just bought some at lowes 36"x 10' and it was $15.48.
I use tin tops on all my pens and thats the most exspensive part of the whole pen. Cost me $30 to cover a small brooder pen with 2 sheets.

yea i hear ya on the tin also. I am trying to find something that will with stand weather and not be so expensive.

Here is mine..

I'm doing this all by myself.. no plans.. so bear with me.. (and the mess) I am just starting.. but finally have an idea of what it's going to look like..

Yaaaaay ZZ! Lookin' great so far! Wish I could pop over and help you and then you could come over and help me! These things are always easier when you've got help! Keep us updated! You are doing great! Mess is part of building!

Thank you Commander Moxon.. LOL I'm really jazzed about this.. It is going to be bigger and nicer than I first thought.. I have a vision... LOL

I'm in on the tour! This is my coop, (Ignore the deer,he always wants in on the pictures)

this is the inside, I wish it showed the chandilier. The roof of the coop is made of that plastic roofing stuff so it's like sky lights. The only nest box that they will use is in the corner behind the door. They have a doggy door to go in and out and in the winter we can close it to keep out drafts.

Here are the stained glass windows and Our Lady Of Laying Hens. (and Moose, he's worse than the deer)

Why that is just perfect right size and clean as a whistle Goodlookin coop and cute to boot.

Nice Deer too!

Nice one jylgaskin! I love the barnyard red, the run, and particularly "our lady of laying hen"! Thanks for sharing!

Im sure enjoying all the coop pic's!
Wish I could figure out what Im doing wrong.Cant seem to figure out this computer stuff. Would love to share.

julgaskin....I love your coop. I am getting ready to build a coop to keep the foxes out of my small brood. Do you have plans or dimensions, etc, that you'd part with. PS Love your Moose and the deer. mickie

Mickie, it just started out as a basic box with the peeked roof. It has a wooden floor under the shavings. The whole thing sits an inch lower in the back so that I could drill a couple of holes in the floor for the water to drain out after I wash it. There is about a two to four inch airspace under neath. The next year we added windows.

The run used to be square with a lower top and supported by a post in the middle. We kept hitting our heads on the top supports and didn't like the muddy chicken feet, so when we ran across the roofing for free, we put that up. There is enough room at the top that my peacock can come and go at the end under the roof without the chickens being able to get out.

I love that it has electiricity for the chandilier and an outlet for additional heat lamps, christmas lights and the heating pad under the waterer. We ran a water line to the outside of the run. It's also nice that I never have to duck to go in our out any of the doors.

I"ve never had anything but a chipmonk and our yard bunny (chicken Bunny) get inside. "Our Lady Of Laying Hens" must look out for them!

Sethought
Have you tried posting pics again yet? I'd love to see what you have!
Kristin

Lazy_Ladies! what a great idea. "tour de coop" I summarily enjoyed viewing the coops shared so far. What cute and attractive designs. So many of you ladies are so talented in your designs and ideas. I especially loved C Moxon's what I call a chicken tractor. Indeed all were fun to view and very creative. Again, thanks for sharing and the wonderful idea of Tour de coop. Haystack.

Thanks Haystack! It is a chicken tractor, or at least our interpretation of one! We had fun building it and I want to try another. I don't know that it will work very well when the snow flies. I need to build one on skis.

Hello Ladies theres a new lady on another post asking for help building a coop could some of yall moosey on over and help nobody has answered her post yet

Her name is Light_for_jesus come lets help her out

here is a link to her thread :)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/907382/

I've gotten a little farther..
It's moved to a permanent location..
Reinforced floor joists... floor, lino and some more framing..
(plywood is just "tacked" up for wind/sun break)
The only help I've had since moving it was, the neighbor cut some 2x4's for me.. I've done the rest completely alone.. (my favorite way) Although I wish I was a little stronger.. my arms are like wet noodles this am..
(I use a hand saw.. too scared of a skill saw)

Awesome ZZ!!! Lookin' fab. I don't like the circular power saws but I love the power jigsaw. Way easy. You should try one!

Very impressive ZZ. I'm a little intimidated by the electric tools as well, but I started working with them a LITTLE bit when my garden shed progress wasn't moving at the speed I had wished. ha! :)

Well.. The neighbor let me use a skill saw that was battery powered.. when you let go of the trigger.. it stops immediately. It's not as big and heavy.. I love it!
Today On the right side.. I built some chicken doors that will drop down and they are framed in so NOTHING will get in..
AND I found 3 windows in the dumpster this morning! 2 BIG ones with screens.. and one smaller one. They are old crank style.. but who cares! I can't spend any more money for a while.. so this was heaven sent.. :)
I framed one window in and hung it temporary.. just to see I could really do it.. LOL
I will get pics tomorrow..

Hey ZZS and all you ladies that are struggling with power tools, I know what you are going through. I have been teaching my wife how to use them and she was scared to death at first. Now it's a breeze. First find a battery driven skill saw, they are very light and easy to handle. Even better yet if you can find a real small chop saw, they are very safe and easy to handle, as well as quick. Home depot will make short work of your plywood cutting needs. You just measure and let them cut. To all of you ladies that are making due by your self, I admire you and tip my hat in deep respect. Sounds to me like you are all having fun. Keep it up. Haystack.

wow, what a great find on those windows!

I'm the opposite with power tools! lol... I have to beg and plead to convince my DH that his precious power tool will be safe in my hands...instead of ME being safe. He finally broke down and let me use his circular saw, but only because we were installing hardwood floors and he would meadure a piece and then get up and cut it and then go an measure another.... was taking him forever and hard to get up and down so much :) so he measured and I cut yay!

I lived on my own for 12 years, so learned to make do as needed. DH is still adjusting to the fact that he married a woman who doesnt NEED a man to do the work. I ask, if he doesnt do it, I do it lolol!

wonderful job. I am one also that can run power tools. I use to in my younger years frame house and roof houses. As a matter a fact, I think I may get out there this afternoon and build some nesting boxes and maybe another pen for some chickens.

1AnjL and L2G I'm with you gals. I'll ask but if I can do it I go ahead if I don't see anything happening. Life's too short to waste a lot of time waiting for someone else to get to stuff. I can handle a circular saw, chop saw, jig saw, router and drills. I know how to use the table saw but that one does frighten me cause of the kickback if something hangs up. If things are too heavy for me I'll ask Paul for help but if it's not done in a reasonable amount of time I'll start thinking the problem out to see if I can manage. I won't do stuff like bringing down a really large tree cause I don't handle chain saws but I can bring down trees with a diameter of up to 4 inches with a hand saw.
Anyway I like being able to do things for myself!

MollyD

My Aunt and Uncle were fruit farmers/country folk, they also raised rabbits, goats and chickens.
I remember they used an old travel trailer for a chicken coop, the cabinets with the doors removed were the nesting boxes.
It was all very hillbilly looking, but actually worked out well for them.

As a child and even a teen I thought they were very quirky, but two weeks with them every summer was always my favorite thing to do. I wish I had a photo to post.
It wasn't near this cute - http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/travel/08Choice.html

That is too cool.. I can just see that here.. LOL (I manage a mobile home park!!!)

Here is a pic from this morning..

I'm moving in slow motion today.. feel like a wet noodle... LOL

I'm with Molly on this - I use the chop saw, jig saw, router, drills, and I LOVE our Shopsmith - it has a table saw, band saw drill press, lathe all in one big machine. But I still don't like the circular saws. They tend to kick back on me for some reason and they make me jumpy. I don't know why. I love using the air nailers too. Woo hoo! Construction gals unite!

I think my intimidation comes from not only the machinery, but mainly from the fact that DH has been working with the tools for so stinking long (first at a building supply store, then as a finish carpenter) that I'm self conscious about working with the tools in front of him... that's why I mustered up the confidence when he was off on an all day hike. hehe

I know I can do it -- I'm just going to be WAY slower than him and make a couple of wrong cuts along the way.

Yeah Construction Girls! I like that LOL we can wear sweat bands, rugged boots and sexy shorts with t-shirts LOL. That should make us look like those tv gals.

MollyD

LOLOL! My DH has 'threatened' to buy me my own pink power tools... I told him to go right on ahead and do it...as long as they are the same brand..and have the same POWER as his ^_^ just dont buy me any black and decker wannabe power tools and I'm fine with that! lol! plus, I'd get alot more done around here...since I wont be waiting for him to finish using his tools. LOL!

I guess both sis and I inherited a tiny bit of tom-boy from mom! lol! Mom always did the repairs around the house when I was growing up... so I learned from her, to not wait on a man...just do it yourself and GitRDone! lol!

Before I met Paul I was a divorced mom with two kids. I had my own house so I had to learn how to do things cause it was way cheaper for me to learn and do them than to hire someone to come in. I learned plumbing and electrical work too. Everytime I did a job I would calculate what I would have paid and celebrate!!

MollyD

LOL Molly, I changed out my own water heater when I was single...all by my lonesome (well, and a how to book from the library!) went to work the next day and my boss and his wife were awestruck! LOLOL! his wife said she would have never even thought about doing it herself! Told her if no money and no man.... STILL need hot water! LOL! They both still tease me about my plumbing skills LOL

I build all my pens and brooders all by myself and i have two men in my house well one and a half my sons 16. I can use all the power tools and when most women want jewelry for christmas i ask for power tools. My DH has to ask me where the tools are and my favorite joke to tell is "Hey my husband can't even run a screw driver"
When i first got into chickens people would talk to my husband about them and he would say i don't know nothing about them but she can tell you anything you want to know.

This message was edited Oct 6, 2008 6:25 PM

Don't you just love how people always assume the man is the one they should talk to! LOL I build most things around here but it's Paul whom people congratulate! They always assume he's done it!!

When I was alone I ran into the same thing with my son. They would talk to him instead of me when we were working on a project. He'd tell them I do what she tells me but I don't really understand any of this stuff LOL He came in handy for climbing places I can't. I haven't got a head for heights. Prefer to stay off ladders if I can.

MollyD

I had a lady buy some chickens from me she admired my pens and i told her i built them all and my DH cut in with i helped her with a couple.
Well she bought more than exspected and i said my DH and me could deliver them to her house.
We started to Unloaded them and her DH came out and helped too and he said them some pretty chickens and right there in front of me she said and you should see all the pens "HE" built my dh never opened his mouth!

Yep! They have no problem taking credit for our work. Paul does the same thing. He never corrects people when they assume he's done the work. And you just know there will be trouble if we correct their assumption!

MollyD