It's about two years old now. Haven't measured the temps, but it feels warmer in the winter. Probably mostly because it blocks the wind. The electrically heated waterer has never frozen in it, and it used to freeze constantly in their other coop.
If you stand by the "closed" sides when the rooster crows, it's very muffled. If you stand by one of the "open" sides, he sounds like a foghorn.
Just cleaned the old litter/manure mix, pitched it on top of the roof, and planted tomatoes, watermelons and beans up there. I'll let you know how that goes.
Dirt Ball
Joined: May 08, 2010
Posts: 23
posted
0
Your chicken coop is absolutely ingenious. You worked it into its surroundings remarkably well by nestling it into the ground.
Be the change you want to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi
Chelle Lewis
Joined: Dec 10, 2009
Posts: 389
posted
0
Really neat! Practical solution.
Interested in a few of things..... How big is it? Number of hens? Maintenance... a lot of work to keep clean.... or deep litter through winter? How have you buffered the wood from the wet outside.... plastic.... or some other kind of insulation?
Hens look really content.
Chelle
You can fix all the world's problems in a garden Geoff Lawton
Oblio13 McCoy
Joined: May 03, 2010
Posts: 34
posted
0
The inside is 10' x 11'. It's about 8 1/2 feet tall inside, with several levels of roosts. I keep about ten hens in it. According to most books it would accommodate a lot more, but I think overcrowding is counterproductive for several reasons. There are a couple layers of black poly on the outside of the wood. Cleaning hasn't been a problem. The neighbors are trained to dump the leaves they rake into it, and the hens scratch and shred them down to a fraction of their original volume. Spring and fall I fork everything out, and then spread it around the fruit trees, asparagus bed, or wherever.
Chelle Lewis
Joined: Dec 10, 2009
Posts: 389
posted
0
You have a very effective little system going there Oblio13.
Nice neighbours too!
Chelle
Anonymous
Joined: Oct 23, 2011
Posts: 0
posted
0
How cold does it get where you live??
Could you build one of theses like a root cellar in northern climates?
Or are there problems with filling a root cellar full of chickens??
We would love to see pics of this in the growing season.
Oblio13 McCoy
Joined: May 03, 2010
Posts: 34
posted
0
We live in zone 4.
It is, essentially, a ventilated root cellar.
Ken Peavey
steward
Joined: Dec 21, 2009
Posts: 1061
Location: FL
posted
0
OUTSTANDING!
Do you have any problem with water pooling up inside?
Be the change you want to see. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replenish, Repair, Recover and Rejoice.
Oblio13 McCoy
Joined: May 03, 2010
Posts: 34
posted
0
I did once, when it poured in around the door. I collected some buckets of really gooey mud from by a beaver dam and used it to form a slope away. It set up almost like concrete. No problems since then.
Ken Peavey
steward
Joined: Dec 21, 2009
Posts: 1061
Location: FL
posted
0
The wood frame looks to be in direct contact with the soil. Have you treated or charred the wood to protect it in any way? If you were to build another one, what changes would you make?
Oblio13 McCoy
Joined: May 03, 2010
Posts: 34
posted
0
It's pressure-treated wood, so it should last as long as I will.
If I were going to do it again, I would use the kind of post-and-plank construction described in The $50 Underground House book (which I unfortunately didn't read until after I'd built this). I would also have dug a drain-to-daylight and used a rubber roofing membrane just for peace of mind.
Looking for video clips and pics of winter chicken shelter. If you have anything like that or can get something like that, please visit this thread.
John Polk
steward
Joined: Feb 20, 2011
Posts: 2105
posted
0
A marvelous use of terrain for a zone 4 hen house. I love the fact that their front "window" gives them a ground level view of their yard. Comfortable, secure housing is a huge step towards reducing stress in a flock. Looks like you have met that goal.
Casey Halone
Joined: Feb 09, 2011
Posts: 170
posted
0
I love the aspect of this that allows no loss of growing space. you could easily make the roof raised beds for all sorts of stuff. this ought to be implemented into more suburban backyards. I will consider this idea for sure when I get to designing our coop.
After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted." John 6:12
It looks great - I'd love to do something like this but do you get any problems with red mite as there must be lots of hidey holes for them?
Devon Olsen
Joined: Nov 28, 2011
Posts: 226
posted
0
very nice coop, i like it
how much did it cost to build approx?
My Small Permaculture Farm
http://www.permies.com/t/13512/permaculture/OFFICIAL-permaculture-farm-journey-thread#122569
Devon Olsen
Joined: Nov 28, 2011
Posts: 226
posted
0
do you think it would work to have a big animal shelter much like the ones on Sepp's property set up to house chickens as well as other animals such as a yak/cow or pigs?
would the two animals stay together well?
basically im thinking the upper part of the shelter around the walls would be raised up and good for chickens and the pigs/yaks wahtever would sleep on the ground, thereby keeping predators away?
0
