All Cooped Up~the coop and run thread

[Beekissed]

Sure: here's what it looked like when we moved in. Who knows how many repairs have been done over the many years.

View attachment 5256

It looks to be a pretty fair size, so that's all good. Is the roof still in good shape? Does it feel sturdy, even though it leans a little?

The last coop I had was ancient like that and it sort of leaned on the next building and that one leaned on the next, etc. Besides it leaning, though, it was sturdy as a rock and the roof and wood seemed in great shape. I used it as is, though I did open up some windows for more cross ventilation.

 

[Hinotori]

Edited my last post. Im dying from moving snow

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Im dying from moving snow

Ok - maybe I don't want snow!

 

[treerooted]

It looks to be a pretty fair size, so that's all good. Is the roof still in good shape? Does it feel sturdy, even though it leans a little?

The last coop I had was ancient like that and it sort of leaned on the next building and that one leaned on the next, etc. Besides it leaning, though, it was sturdy as a rock and the roof and wood seemed in great shape. I used it as is, though I did open up some windows for more cross ventilation.

Roof is not in good condition, and though it's got that old style sturdy beam building, the feet are rotting. We had to do a lot of structural repairs to feel better about housing any animals. Luckily there was lots or wood lying around so we were able to prop up several places.
But it leaks from the roof, we keep trying to repair but I'm thinking it might be a lost cause. We never intended this to be the final coop, but I was hoping to get more then one year out of it

 

[Beekissed]

Roof is not in good condition, and though it's got that old style sturdy beam building, the feet are rotting. We had to do a lot of structural repairs to feel better about housing any animals. Luckily there was lots or wood lying around so we were able to prop up several places.
But it leaks from the roof, we keep trying to repair but I'm thinking it might be a lost cause. We never intended this to be the final coop, but I was hoping to get more then one year out of it

On the bright side, if you leave it with a soil floor and want to use DL as your preferred bedding method, those leaks may come in handy! I had a leaky coop before last year's new winter tarp was applied and I had MUCH better composting of my DL than I did this past year, when the coop no longer leaked.

Now I have to intentionally CREATE a way for rain and snow to leak into my DL under the roosts, unless I want to tote water up there to do the same thing...add more moisture to my composting pit.

 

[treerooted]

Great!

 

[CrealCritter]

We use a paddock setup I found in an old issue of Backwoods Home:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/save-time-and-energy-with-the-fenced-chicken-coopgarden/

Along with the deep litter method, it's worked out great. I'd like to free-range but there's simply too many critters around here that love the taste of chicken.

Errr... I've had that picture in my mind for a long time. I knew I wasn't the first to think it up. Thank you for posting that