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.