woohoo new coop

[its hilly]

Well, I finaly shamed Al into helping me build a new house for some of the chooks Ive been scrounging pallets and pulling them apart ready, and muttering about the fact that poor old me whos clueless (yeah right, Ive got my own fully equiped toolbag and drill, jigsaw etc) would have to struggle while the joiner sat at home doing nothing....
Any men out there recognise this guilt trip?
So complete with Brambles plans for reference we set off, and two days later (it was too ******* cold to work for long) here it is. Still needs creocoating, gap-filling and roost rails putting in...but I'm chuffed.

[Glutton4...]

Ooooh, look at that! Well done - looks fab.

Pallet wood is really dense and strong, so it should last well too!

[Snadger]

Congratulations! You lot are all so clever. My pallet wood enterprises usually turn to rat sh*t long before I finish them!

How many chooks is it for btw?

[its hilly]

How many chooks is it for btw?

Not sure Snadger, its 3ft deep x 3ft6 wide, so was thinking 6/8? Is that too many/not enough?

[its hilly]

Oh and it will go up on legs when it's been decided where it will stand long term

[MaureenHall]

It's fabulous and I want one!!!!!

[Suechooks]

Not sure Snadger, its 3ft deep x 3ft6 wide, so was thinking 6/8? Is that too many/not enough?

It depends more on the length of perches - you theoretically need 9" perching space for smaller large fowl and about 12" for say an Orpington. I'd put 4 in that size but others may have different ideas.

[Bramble-Poultry]

looks good. i am glad that you were able to take the basic plan and adapt it to suit your needs / materials.

The only point of concern i have for you is watch all those joints in the wood in the summer for red mite. Keep spraying them weekly and / or give it a good coat of creosote before you put the laydees in.

i have loads of pallets here, but i tend to use them to make up make shift sheperding runs to move the turkeys around whilst i clean them out! They also make great compost bins or failing that, i hack them up and put on the log burner - especially in this weather.

I have a friend at a local garden centre who saves all the broken pallets for me so i can put them on the log burner. the good ones he sells back to the transport companies.

[CountryFayre]

Wow that looks pretty solid - well done. One litle comment though if you don't mind and that is ventilation. You could do with drillling some holes just under the roof to allow aire to circulate. Other than that I think its a pat on the back.

[RedThorn]

Congrats. They are addictive aren't they

[Nicos]

Cor- that's smashing!!...well done!

[MrsC]

I love it. I'm always collecting pallets lol

[Eco-Chic]

That looks very good. Well done.

When will you be filling it up?

[dexterdoglancashire]

Excellent - Im jealous! It looks very solid. Are you going to get any more girls?

[its hilly]

Thanks all for your nice comments. Did a bit more today. The finish will take longer than the build I think
Bramble - The inside is being sheet lined and the edges sealed to help cleaning/redmite killing, something learned from on here And its getting creocote inside and out first, I hate that bit
CF thanks you reminded me..The lid is like a shoebox lid and can be lifted right off so we added a couple of blocks at the front to just leave an inch gap at the front, and a triangle at the sides, the overhang should stop gales blowing in but should give ventilation.

No I'm not getting any more...yet I'm just shifting the existing flock out of the barn, and want seperate houses and runs for the Silver Sussex and Cream Legbars so I can hatch some eggs in spring. Then they can have the runs open so they can rejoin the free rangers for the autumn/winter.
In theory....