We have started getting the chicken coop materials! We have been debating whether to purchase materials bit by bit or order a shed kit from a local home store. The shed kit was what we finally went with and it is expected to come in another week or two. So it is time to begin breaking ground for the foundation of the chicken coop.
Yesterday 20 tons of gravel was delivered. In the picture you can see the tiny pile. To the left out of view of this picture, we will be laying out a rectangle 10×12 and laying gravel several inches thick and tamping it down solid. Once it is level it will make a great foundation for this coop/shed.
Our plans involve modifying a 10×12 shed by adding a chicken door, roost, nest boxes, a window, ventilation and litter removal doors. There will also be hardware cloth used throughout, blocking predators from below the shed as well as through the window and vents. We won’t need the entire 120 square feet for chickens, since we will only be starting with just about 6 or so. We plan on dividing the shed as 1/3 chicken house space, 2/3 storage for chicken feed, litter and garden tools by adding a movable interior wall.