Thursday, August 14, 2008
a humble coop
This is the first chicken coop we built (friend Tom and I) ten years or more ago. It is in panels and can be dismantled and re-assembled with some effort. Imagine a table-like floor, wall panels and two roof sections - one each side of the peak. The little nesting boxes were the "condo" add-on. General features that are good about this design:
• aforementioned Portability
• Rear pooper-scooper door - the back wall (on right in photo) is comprised of a plywood panel hinged at the top to open completely allowing the farmer to place a wheelbarrow beneath the opening and draw out soiled bedding with a hoe or rake.
• Overhang and stilts - provide a dry area for chickens to relax out of the rain. Large overhang also allows a window to be left open all summer (screened) and no rain gets in.
• Nesting box add-on - with an external door and easy visibility this little area is very handy
• Goat proof entry - on this coop we needed to prevent the dwarf goats from sticking their heads through the door and eating all the chicken grain. I made a little tunnel (this technique is used to protect the mouths of wood-duck nesting boxes) and the goat cannot reach into the coop to get the grain.
