My poultry house for 62 birds... and a couple 1sts.

[sleuth]

Here are some in-process pictures of my chicken house for 62. More likely to be about 40-45 when it's all said and done after we sell a few off.

This is also a project of firsts for me.
1. First semi-permanent structure I've built since moving onto my farm 2 years ago.
2. First construction project using my newly acquired 1959 Ford 881 tractor.
3. First construction project using my newly acquired post hole digger.
and a few more.

The structure is about 8' x 20' wide. The foundation is 4"x4" used fence posts sunk in concrete with 2"x6" pressure treated lumber around the skirt. The hoops are 16' cattle panels from TSC. The endcaps are going to be constructed of plywood scraps and a used door.

Over the cattle panels I will use gray tarps and then a layer of chicken wire over top of that. Then I will grow some ivy of some kind over the chicken wire to camouflage it. The coop is in the shade so I expect the tarps to last between 3-7 years. For nest boxes I will either use milk crates hanging on the cattle panels or 3 or 5 gallon buckets with lids bolted to the back and front walls.

Having a lot of fun.

Goal was to build this thing for under $300. Going to be close.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's so cool! Congrats!

 

[TanksHill]

It looks great. Do you mind if I ask where you live or what your climate is?

Gina

 

[Marianne]

Looks good! Wish I could have something like that out here.

 

[sleuth]

Updated photos...

Had to go out and buy a grommet kit and elastic straps today. My tarps are over-sized and I need to trim them down. Then have to build the rear window shutter and cover the tarps in chicken wire. Need to back-fill in the spaces around the base. Then sand & gravel on the floor, followed by a bunch of pavers I have laying around. Also need to build roosts and nest boxes.

Going to have to pause a couples weeks on a few of these steps as I've still got too much month at the end of the money.

 

[sleuth]

It looks great. Do you mind if I ask where you live or what your climate is?

Gina

Gina, I'm in SW Ohio. Cold winters. Hot summers.

 

[StephanieR]

Wow...that looks awesome! Thats a lot of chickens to have to...do you butcher for meat or just use the eggs?

 

[Hinotori]

That's awesome. I really like it.

 

[sleuth]

Wow...that looks awesome! Thats a lot of chickens to have to...do you butcher for meat or just use the eggs?

Just eggs right now. Plan to do meat in the future, too.
As I mentioned, we're going to sell about a third of the flock. Want to keep the laying flock size around 40-45 birds.

 

[sleuth]

That's awesome. I really like it.

Thanks!