The Poultry Keeper

fenwoman · Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:05 pm Post subject: new coops plans

I am planning to build a new load of coops. I will make 13 in a row. Each measuring 9 feet long by 6 feet high and 6 feet wide. SOlid roofed. All wired with inch by half inch 19g aviary wire. Solid back part solid sides to give some protection from the fen winds here. The bottom couple of feet will also be solid to ensure the shavings I intend to coverr the floor with, do not get blown about too much. I will use all the old part damaged wire offcuts to put on the earth before placing shavings on top to give some measure of protection against burrowing critturs.
Within each coop I will build a free standing house from shiplap. In side nest boxes along the sides with a perch.Centre pop hole with a ladder leading up. Each house to be2 foot by 2 foot by 6 feet.The whole of the front to drop down for access/cleaning. Food and water to be placed on the roof of the house to keep high up away from mice etc and a long ladder for them to access it. I may put 2 pop holes in a couple of the houses so that if I need to , I can split a house and run in 2.
Anyway, here are the plans I have drawn up showing 5 of the coops. Hope you can understand it. I have worked out that a block of 13 will not cost me more than approximately£350.
I hope the plans might be of use to someone planning some new housing to fit in with any requirenments to keep birds indoors.Tacking bubblewrap or polytunnel plastic along the front and sides will enclose them completely.
I will be happy to answer any questions about the plans and method of construction.
the lower illustration shows the side elevation, on left, minus wooded sides, showing placement of house and drop down front.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

Looks excellent fenwoman. What will the runs/houses be standing on ~ earth or concrete or ???
What is aviary wire ~ is it the thin stuff or like weldmesh ~ I always get cut to pieces by that stuff. I made some run panels and decided next time I'd buy them, I couldn't even make them cheaper than I could buy them ~ I just couldn't work out the logistics of getting them to me in a reasonable length of time>
Good luck with ~ when do you hope to have it finished? Can we see pics of your work in progress?

fenwoman · Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:14 pm Post subject:

Will be standing on earth. I'm on heavy clay here so when it dries it is as hard as concrete. Aviary wire is just aviary wire. Looks neater than chicken wire and more rigid.
I'm amazed that you cannot make them cheaply. I make each panel 6' X 3' and each one costs me around £3 to make.
I will see about taking pictures but in all honesty, most of it will be the boring making of the 6X3 panels.Once I have made around 90 of them, plus door panels, I will simply take them down the bottom and put them all up in a day. Screw the back board on and roof and hey presto. Then all I have to do is make the houses. That will take a little longer. The blessing of sectional building is that I can do a bit, wait until I have more money, then do a bit more since I am always too broke to buy all the materials in one fell swoop. Too many flipping mouths to feed and vet bills to pay here so I am kept in a permanent state of penuary lol.
I got Kip's final vet bill last week. £108 for the emergency vet visit and attempts to save him. I would have paid 3 times that if we could have succeeded.
As to when the construction should be finished, well depending on my back and the weather, I could in theory get it finished in a week but I am planning for a month or so . My painkillers aren't working again at present and haven't been for about a week now. I cleaned 3 poultry houses today and had to come in and lay down for an hour to try to ease the pain a bit.
So, watch this space :0)
It should make the bantam paddock look really nice, not as 'bitty' as having individual arks scattered about and of course the birds will have loads more room too. I shall go to the plant auction in town and make it look nice with roses and the like and a footpath so that people coming to buy birds get a good impression and can see everything properly. That's if anyone ever comes to buy anything again since I have not had enquiries for anything for months now. Unless they want something free or cheap that is :0( hey ho.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

Good luck with it all. Take your time and don't overdo it ~ it needs to be enjoyed not endured!

chicken_house_man · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 109 Location: Brynmawr

if you'r cutting weldmesh the easiest way i've found is to lay it flat on a table - an old door is about the right size, weigh it down with something and cut it with an angle grinder with a thin blade - you can buy a cheap grinder for about the same cost as a large pair of wire snips. the deeper you can get the grinder into the mesh the more control you'll have.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

thanks for the tip ~ but what does an angle grinder look like?

Timbo · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 202 Location: Cranfield, Beds.

Good luck with the project, it's taken me 2 years to get my run and house finished and even now, I'm still adding little bits. Very Happy

Let me know what you sell or if you have a web site and I might call you and pop in sometime.

Tim

jaydee67 · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 5:30 pm Post subject:

If you click on the www under anyone's posts, including Fenwoman's, it will take you to their website Tim. Have fun browsing!

Timbo · Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 202 Location: Cranfield, Beds.

Opps silly me!

I've got it now = Thanks!

Tim