DrPizza's latest project: chicken coop. Status: done

[SagaLore]

Only thing that's lifting that thing up is my tractor. It's staying put. I can't even imagine what the total weight is, except that it's too heavy to lift by hand.

Should have built some wheels into it. :hmm:

 

[dank69]

Could have hired this girl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xBiSp6rQM0

 

[Red Storm]

I would totally pay admission to tour the Pizza Farm.

 

[waggy]

hmm damn. that's total overkill for chickens!

nice though.

 

[Jaepheth]

Now you just need a stuffed fox in Queen's Guard uniform standing in front.

 

[Svnla]

I would totally pay admission to tour the Pizza Farm.

Now you just need a stuffed fox in Queen's Guard uniform standing in front.

I totally agree with the above statements.

 

[CZroe]

Guys, he already tried the farm-themed park.

I worked there one summer back when I was in school. The place totally loses its glamour when you are covered in foul feces and doing all the other dirty work. I don't think it's all it's cracked up to be for the guests either but I obviously have a biased perspective. Most people leave happy but I know I'm certainly never going there for leisure.

 

[Texashiker]

I thought you already had a chicken coop?

For some reason I had this mental image that you had chickens to go along with your farm?

Nice looking coop though.

 

[DrPizza]

Sagalore, someone suggested that if I build another, that I use the frame from the rear of a pickup. A little welding and I could just pick up the front end with the three point hitch on the tractor and wheel it around.

Dank, awesome video - gave me a good idea for the nesting boxes.

Waggy, yeah, overkill. But, it'll be there for years. As it is, I have "feral" chickens that run around the yard/neighborhood. Definitely what people think of when they hear free-range. 100 pounds of cracked corn is all I supplemented them with this winter - expensive at $10 per 50 lb bag. In just the past 2 weeks, I have 4 dozen eggs in the incubator, 3 1/2 dozen eggs in the fridge, several omelets and some baking, and gave away 2 dozen to a family that brought their little kid to play with baby goats, plus at least one chick hatched yesterday from a nest that I still haven't found.

Thus, current cost for more eggs than i need is about 1 cent per egg. This coop will pay for itself in about... Never, since I'll have to feed them. Though, effort remains close to zero. Automatic dispnser for food, plus automatic waterer means 5 minutes effort per month, plus gathering eggs.

 

[Kreon]

Waggy, yeah, overkill. But, it'll be there for years. As it is, I have "feral" chickens that run around the yard/neighborhood. Definitely what people think of when they hear free-range. 100 pounds of cracked corn is all I supplemented them with this winter - expensive at $10 per 50 lb bag. In just the past 2 weeks, I have 4 dozen eggs in the incubator, 3 1/2 dozen eggs in the fridge, several omelets and some baking, and gave away 2 dozen to a family that brought their little kid to play with baby goats, plus at least one chick hatched yesterday from a nest that I still haven't found.

Do you have problems with coyotes getting to your current chickens? I know near my parents, almost everyone who's tried free range chickens has a much smaller flock (is that the right name for a group of chickens?). coyotes and fishers, miserable things.

I'd love to have a nice stretch of land and farm a bit of it someday.

 

[DrPizza]

If you look in the pictures, you'll see two white mounds & a big llama. The llama will kill coyotes. The dogs would tear a coyote of fox to pieces. And, there are a few other dogs in the neighborhood that roam fairly frequently (too frequently; I wish they'd keep them more confined like I do - within fences on my own property. )

Coyote-proofing:

 

[Schmide]

Please make dog fur pagan pants.

Dragnet 1987

 

[dank69]

...

Dank, awesome video - gave me a good idea for the nesting boxes.

...

Well that's just a fortunate stroke of luck, I only watch it for the girl using power tools in a bikini...

 

[7window]

How many chickens are you planning to house on this chicken coop? I bought a bunch of chicks when I was a kid. Out of 10 I bought all died except for 1. The one that lived we finally ate him when he got really big. He was deliciious. Very Fresh.

When they are little chicks the heat lamp is important but I think you know that already.

Raising chicks and little ducks is very frustrating but I was only 8yo when I attempted this. I didn't have a lot of knowledge base doing it. The ducks died too when they were little even though I build them a small pool. LOL

 

[waggy]

If you look in the pictures, you'll see two white mounds & a big llama. The llama will kill coyotes. The dogs would tear a coyote of fox to pieces. And, there are a few other dogs in the neighborhood that roam fairly frequently (too frequently; I wish they'd keep them more confined like I do - within fences on my own property. )

Coyote-proofing:

coyotes and fox's are problem around here too. we had our duck's killed from them =( the kids were not happy to find that out.

The kids want more ducks or chickens this year (missed the time to buy them from teh local feed store though). we have a good building they can live in to nest. but might build a outdoor enclosed addition.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Thread needs moar pics!

Seriously, I live vicariously through your hard work as ATOT's veritable mountain man.

 

[edro]

How many chickens are you planning to house on this chicken coop? I bought a bunch of chicks when I was a kid. Out of 10 I bought all died except for 1. The one that lived we finally ate him when he got really big. He was deliciious. Very Fresh.

When they are little chicks the heat lamp is important but I think you know that already.

Raising chicks and little ducks is very frustrating but I was only 8yo when I attempted this. I didn't have a lot of knowledge base doing it. The ducks died too when they were little even though I build them a small pool. LOL

Don't buy chicks; buy pullets (<1 year old).
Same goes for seeds/seedlings, versus trees that are a few years old.

Mother nature is ruthless.

 

[DrPizza]

Well that's just a fortunate stroke of luck, I only watch it for the girl using power tools in a bikini...

NSFW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5bYDhZBFLA

Don't buy chicks; buy pullets (<1 year old).
Same goes for seeds/seedlings, versus trees that are a few years old.

Mother nature is ruthless.

Somewhere around Easter, we went to an auction where animals are auctioned off weekly. Chicks were going for way too much money (significantly more than I can have them shipped to the Post Office for from a breeder who guarantees the chicks.) So, I stopped at Tractor Supply on the way home. They had a lot of chicks. The funny thing was that some of them were discounted to half price. The manager explained why - idiots keep buying the "cuter" younger chicks that are only a couple days old, but don't want the chicks that are several weeks old (and have eaten several weeks worth of feed.) The bigger ones SHOULD cost more - they're definitely worth more - but the market supported the exact opposite.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Wait is that a tablet?

 

[DrPizza]

Wait is that a tablet?

Ipad. I use one of the calculator apps for a lot of calculations. E.g., since it's 8 foot square, the diagonal is 96 sqrt 2. Calculator says 135.76 (iirc), so 135 3/4 inches. A couple taps in the corner and both diagonals were within 1/16" of that measurement. The angles for the roof - I specifically designed them around how the bottom roofs would be built - I wanted to use a 2x6 & didn't want to rip it. Since it's 5.5" for the 2x6, and 19/32" for the plywood, that gives my 6 1/8 (roughly) inches vertically. I measured the horizontal distance, and arctan(6.125/horiz) = my angle. Dialed the angle (18 degrees) on the miter saw & the cuts fit perfectly.

It also can measure the angles - it completely replaced my level.

My most importantly, it's my music.

 

[gothamhunter]

Source of what she wanted you to build?

 

[DrPizza]

Source of what she wanted you to build?

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/birdicus7s-chicken-coop-plans-and-progress-pictures

Progress this evening: got a lot of wood cut. I'm short by 2 pieces of 8' 1x8. Plus, I forgot to get roofing nails. And, short by one 2x3. I'm getting sick of buying hinges. Wtfbbq, why are they so expensive? I'll have about $100 spent on hinges.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Ipad. I use one of the calculator apps for a lot of calculations. E.g., since it's 8 foot square, the diagonal is 96 sqrt 2. Calculator says 135.76 (iirc), so 135 3/4 inches. A couple taps in the corner and both diagonals were within 1/16" of that measurement. The angles for the roof - I specifically designed them around how the bottom roofs would be built - I wanted to use a 2x6 & didn't want to rip it. Since it's 5.5" for the 2x6, and 19/32" for the plywood, that gives my 6 1/8 (roughly) inches vertically. I measured the horizontal distance, and arctan(6.125/horiz) = my angle. Dialed the angle (18 degrees) on the miter saw & the cuts fit perfectly.

It also can measure the angles - it completely replaced my level.

My most importantly, it's my music.

That's pretty neat.

I can't quite make out the details. How are you fastening the lumber? Interior brackets?

 

[DrPizza]

That's pretty neat.

I can't quite make out the details. How are you fastening the lumber? Interior brackets?

Nope, no brackets. Hard to see, but I dado cut that 4x4 posts. The corners are lap jointed - there's an 8" lag bolt running up each of the corners, pulling it tightly together. The 2x4's had to be tapped firmly into place across the front. Pain in the neck to do with a circular saw & chisel. The frame alone took quite a few hours, but the diagonals were within 1/16" of each other. That made the rest of the project fit together quite nicely. I can take close-ups if you're really interested.

 

[mizzou]

Looks awesome

Just armchairing this, but do you think maintenance would be easier on this if you had made one entire wall lift-up-able?