Solid cedar predator resistant chicken coop:

[MotorSeven]

The first coop I built 3-4 years ago was getting a little rickety. I had never built one before, so I made a few mistakes: using chicken wire(that's the only thing that it keeps out or in..they should call it, "Wire that allows in all Predators"), my nesting box was on the inside of the coop allowing roosting on top which meant a mound of poop over the eggs, a door that had to be opened and closed every night by a non chicken animal(me), and lastly it was bigger than it needed to be for a dozen chickens.
So, after picking up some new Barred Rocks(6 hens and a rooster), 2 Golden SexLinks, and our last remaining lonely LooLoo Black SexLink I decided to build a new chicken condo. I am currently milling cedar logs for our log house, so I have a ton of cedar boards available. I also had just up-graded from a 20 mile solar electric fence to a 100 mile hard wired system. I put a new battery in the solar e-fence panel & thought that this might be a way to defeat the predators. I picked up 30' of welded rat wire & some 10' Z-tin.

This is what I came up with:

Side view, chicken portal is 3'10" off the ground. The chicken ladder is a temporary thing until they learn to jump/fly in & out.

Nesting box outside under cover:

 

[MotorSeven]

The drop roof:

I ran 4 strands of aluminium slick wire around the coop and connected it to the solar charger:

A interior chicken ladder:

Solar e-fence:

 

[MotorSeven]

Inside pic of nesting boxes:

2 of the 3 roosting sticks(these are the only non cedar wood in the build..they are old Tennessee 'baccer sticks. And I insulated the roof with 1/2" foam board:

I am hoping that the e-fence will defeat the opossums, coons & weasels. My chickens free range every day, so a hawk attack cannot be stopped.

Oh it's 5'x5' & tall enough so a 6'4" human doesn't bash his skull in on the overhang while gathering eggs.

RD

 

[RoMad]

Your chickens have a nicer house than some people I know. Very good job. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[MotorSeven]

In case y'all are wondering, the structure next to the coop is an outhouse. There was a sawmill on the property before I bought it, so I use the outhouse for storing the chicken feed/etc. The real odd thing about it is that is it a double holer...with no divider I :laughing:have no idea of what they were thinking..............

 

[milkman636]

You'll probably have the nicest smelling coop in the neighborhood, at least for a little while.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

When one side get too high, you move to the other.

 

[MotorSeven]

You'll probably have the nicest smelling coop in the neighborhood, at least for a little while.

Ha..I give it 24 hrs


I will say that after all that cross cutting and ripping everything tastes like cedar to me right now

 

[milkman636]

I did say "a little" while.:laughing:

 

[milkman636]

Your eggs might taste like cedar for a while too. My dad put the chickens under a pine tree once when I was a kid. I still remember pine flavor eggs.

 

[Johnp33]

Most two hole-rs are large and small holes.
That is a great looking chicken house, well thought out, as long as you have the ability, to get easy access to do the clean out.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Very nice! I like to work with cedar, the smell can be strong enough to make me sick sometimes, but it's a great wood and cheap to get around here too.

 

[jimmyj]

Good ideas on the coop. I made many of the same mistakes as you on ours.

Two questions:
1. Can a critter dig under the base? I see a strand of e wire but do the boards go underground?
2. Do you get a lot of snow? Will it short the e wire?

 

[MotorSeven]

Jim,

1- yes, but all my pervious predator problems have been through the wire(or aireal raids). Next trip to Home Desperate I had planned to pick up 2 sheets of 1/2" OSB. I'll lay them down & set the coop on top...should take care of the digging threat.

2-yes, snow could short it and we are on a big creek so the coop site can see a foot of water during floods. Some day I need to bring in some gravel to build it up a little.

I am also going to grab a 5 gallon deer feeder with a digital timer & hang it in the yard. That way we can actually go on vacation without bothering the neighbors.

 

[jimmyj]

What you can do so you don't end up with poopy OSB is lay wire flat on the ground outside the coop and anchor it. Run it up the outside wall a bit too. That way a critter is on top of the wire and can't figure out why it can't dig down.

Sort of like the letter L in wire on the outside permiter.

 

[kidr]

When I bought my chicks I was told never to use cedar shavings as bedding. I forgot why, but maybe you should investigate a little.

 

[MotorSeven]

Yep the "L" will work but it might get in the way when I move the coop with the forks.

Yes, cedar shavings are not good for a lot of critters...it's the fine sawdust that causes respiratory problems. It's also not good for digestion as it is poisionous. Cedar boards however are safe.

They do scratch around in the sawmill sawdust pile but it can't be avoided.

 

[jimmyj]

Yep the "L" will work but it might get in the way when I move the coop with the forks.

Duh! Of course! Silly me..

Note: I use cedar bedding all the time, in theory it can be a respiratory problem vis a vis dust but I think that is exaggerated.

 

[MotorSeven]

I added a dowel rod at the door entrance. This gives the something to grab when the fly up. I removed the ladder yesterday evening & leaned it against a 2' round of firewood placed 3' away. Most of them walked up the ladder to the stump then flew up & across into the door. A few just flew straigh up from the ground but they all made it in before dark. Mission accomplished.........

 

[Steelstring]

I just got talked into chickens by my kids. The kids were seduced by cute chicks at the farm store and I caved in a moment of weakness.

I need to build a coop. I treated lumber ok to use with chickens or is that a bad idea?