My version of the Small Chicken Coop with Planter, Clean Out Tray and Nesting Box -with the addition of a chicken run

I loved the design that Lady Goats and Ana had created but it wasn't quite right for me, so I used the 'essence' of the coop and tweaked it.

I had some leftover metal roofing sheets from a tool storage area I'd made so used this on the roof, and also made the roof a pent shape. I moved the doors to the side, and also reduced the size of the planter. Next to the planter I've made a lift up hatch so that I can more easily replace the water and feeders.
I've added in a 2m x 1.8m (approx. 6.5ft by 6 ft) run so that the little chicks are safe and can run about from their coop.

The whole coop is covered in stainless steel rodent mesh so not only can foxes not get in (our main predator in the UK) but also rats and mice won't be able to get in to take their food and bring their disease.

I undercoated all the wood and then double-coated in exterior weather-proof gloss. Inside the coop I triple coated (I wanted to be thorough!) and also sealed every single joint in the whole build to avoid water penetration as well as mites setting up camp. It's already very easy to clean and hopefully should last a long time.

Hope that you like what I've done here. I'm so pleased with the results but pretty tricky to do by myself.
I'm learning, learning, learning though :-)

P.S. Sorry that the pics below aren't the correct way up -I don't know how to make them appear in the right direction.....

Estimated Cost
£500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I sanded all the wood to within an inch of it's life (!) then undercoated all the wood with an exterior weathertight product (Zinnser BIN primer sealer) and then double coated all the non-inside areas with Sandtex Exterior white gloss.
The areas inside the coop were tripled coated and every joint was sealed with exterior caulk and then repainted.

It should hopefully be washable, mite-proof and last a long time now!
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

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