Brood Palace for Chickens!

[errantember]

The very first day after moving my new nesting box from the floor of the coop to the wall, the chickens figured it out! Go chickens!

More pics behind the cut!

I made this out of recycled materials, except for the screws. The two hinges are snap-tensioned ones from a cabinet, which make it pretty hard to open without human strength and leverage. There isn't a latch, but I don't really think it needs one. If any chickens disappear, I may change my mind. :)

The nesting box has four hooks cut out of the front (diagram coming soon!) and hangs on two rails to make it stable, but easy to remove. You simply lift up on the box and slide it out. Having this box is an upgrade on several levels. It increases the floor space in the coop, which is already at a premium. It moves the nesting box out of the exit path, to prevent laying hens from getting stepped on during the daily exodus. It keeps eggs off the ground and away from poop, which helps keep them clean. It makes it much easier to get the eggs, since you can simply open the door and grab them instead of having to go inside the coop itself. Finally, since it's modular, it will be easy too move to the new coop when I get done creating it.

Box Closed:



Box Opened:



I'm intending to add some R-MAX radiant barrier insulation to the roof of the box to help keep temperatures down. I might eventually paint it, too.

Comments

[laughingturtle.livejournal.com]

OMG! I love your chicken coop. If I beg and plead and look cute, etc would you be willing to come take a look at my chicken pen and help me customize it to be cool too? I really hate having to crawl into a dog crate every morning to search for eggs.

Seriously, I will trade sexual favors for help with the chicken coop. LOL

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I'd be happy to take a look at it next time I'm in town. I'm intending to make some design diagrams for the nesting box, which you could probably make yourself pretty easily. I got most of the info from a this excellent book at the library, although the modular, hanging feature is something I added myself.



My current coop is pretty minimal, although it's being upgraded quickly. I'm working on making all the upgrades modular so when I make a bigger coop, I can re-use as many of them as possible.

How many chickens do you have?

[laughingturtle.livejournal.com]

I currently have 12, but 6 of them are supposed to be gailmom's (if she ever gets her coop built). Pretty soon I will be taking 4-6 of them to my folks' place because they are way over crowded in my coop.

Right now I have a 6x6x6 dog kennel with chicken wire over the top of it to keep the raccoons from pilfering my hens. My stuff is so gerry-rigged it's not even funny. There are a couple of dog crates for the hens to lay eggs in and a large stock pot that I use to keep their water in. Not high-tech at all!

There does seem to be a random theory suggesting that I can build things on my own, but it doesn't really seem to be based in any factual evidence so far. I'm pretty good at standing there and going "Oh! That's how you use a drill!" and fetching ice water. Possibly I just lack confidence...or I am still operating in princess mode. It's hard to say.

I just have to be honest and tell you that I totally lust you and it is large part due to the fact that you have mad skills at building cool stuff...and you wear your hair in pigtails. That's just awesome in and of itself. :-)

[errantember.livejournal.com]

It's worth noting that I didn't build the original coop, it was given to me by spottedvasa and bouncyone, who did most of the construction. They gave me the coop with their two chickens when she moved. I've been upgrading it ever since, but I was really glad to get it pre-built for free, because *I* was keeping my other two chickens in something the size of a large bathtub, indoors at the time. I think it's 4'x6'. I would like to make a new one big enough for a maximum of 10 chickens. I can probably re-cycle a lot of the pieces of the original coop, and most of my upgrades were designed to go with me to the new coop.

The book I read said 3-4 sq. ft. per chicken, so 36 sq. ft. for 12 is about the minimum, but not below it. I used half of a pet carrier as a nesting box before I made my new one.

None off the work I've done to upgrade the coop is very hard. It's mostly saw and drill work. Anybody can learn how to do it, it's mainly a matter of practice. Having a drill press is handy, too, for drilling really straigh, 90 degree holes. I was a Lego God in my youth, so I have a pretty good head for design. I've missed working with my hands, and this has been a good chance to get back into it.

And thanks for the compliment. :)

[rkentspeth.livejournal.com]

Sweet!

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

The chickens seem to think so, and I do, too.