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Backyard Unlimited's Chicken Coops
The Art of Building Chicken Runs and Coops
I have always been creative in my chicken runs and coops projects and found it to be very fulfilling. I have gotten great satisfaction in the creative ways to be effective for the chickens in production, safety, and creating great looking coops. I would like to share a few of the ideas that I have used and they might give the new and advanced chicken ranchers some inspiration to try some new out of the box ideas of their own.
Hillside Chicken Runs and Coops
I know it is easier to build a chicken runs and coops on a level piece of land, but I haven't always had the luxury of flat land. I had to be creative in where I choose to build and what was available to me. A few of my chicken runs and coops I choose to build were the tier level coop type and I used the different levels for the run and the top level for the hen house area.
Dimensions to Build a Tier Coop
When using a sloped piece of land for your building site, the layout and preparation is a little different than a flat space. First you will need to know the size of the coop and dimensions you want for it. I found that a 5ft.x15ft.x5ft. high coop at each tier can house 15-20 chickens very comfortably.
How to Build the Tier Chicken Runs and Coops Style
To start the grading for your coop you want to begin at the bottom of the slope of your piece of land where your coop will be built, and work your way to the back of the coop or top tier backside. Start your grading from front to back allowing a 2% or a quarter inch per foot slope to the top of the graded surface. From the front to the back of a 5ft. section the back will be 1-1/4" higher than the front starting point of the coop.
Grading Tools
You will need a straight
1. 2 pieces 2"x4"x5ft. piece of lumber
2. 1 piece 2"x4"x8ft. piece of lumber
3. 8 pieces 12" wooden stakes
4. 1- 4 ft level
5. 1 – 28 oz. Hammer
6. Flat square shovel
7. Pick matix
8. Wheel barrel
9. 12 pieces of 6d duplex nails
Set your 2"x4"grade beams 5ft in width parallel to each other. Then allow a quarter bubble of your 4ft level to be on the level line on the middle bubble of the level. That will be the 2% slope you are looking for. Grade that section from front to back and when you get to the next section trench down and across 4" deep and set 2 pieces of 2"x6"x5ft in the trench and stack those on top of each other and drive wood stakes into the ground and nail the lumber to the stakes to attach. That will be the retaining wall for the front and top of the next section. The next two sections will be graded with the same system and your chicken runs and coops will be ready for the framing.
About the Author
Hank Dodson is the owner of The Chicken Coop Plans Site. Hank has been building chicken coops and caring for chicken for decades. Want to learn more about chicken runs and coops? Visit his chicken runs and coops site for helpful tips and information on how to build you very own coop.
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Frequently Asked Questions...
How to Apply cement and stucco to wall?
I have some damages in my house on the exterior stucco and cement. I have about a 6"x6" where the wall is bare to the chicken wire on the house. From reading it looks like 3 coats are used to build up the wall. Cement base coat (scratch coat?), then brown coat, then a stucco coat.
What is the base coat is it just portland cement with small aggregate? Any help or resources would be great, thank you! Maybe even some videos?
Answer:
Scratch coats are mixed at 1 part cement to 2-1/4 to 4 parts sand, brown coats are mixed at 1 part cement to 3 to 5 parts sand, and finish coats are 1 part cement to 1-1/2 to 3 parts sand.
























