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Sandberg Land and Cattle Company

All Natural Beef, Pasture Raised Chickens, Free Range Eggs ~ Central Minnesota

Chicken Coop Construction

Chicken Coop Construction

November 2, 2020 sandberglandandcattleco
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When I decided to get chickens, I knew I wanted the coop to be mobile. Having a farm full of beef cattle means you typically have a farm full of flies, so the idea of keeping the coop close to the cows to help defeat the fly population was definitely appealing.

Design Phase

I mentioned my plans to my dad and he said I could have his old hay wagon. The wagon made the ideal base for the coop since the hay wagon is fully mobile.

I drew the plans for the coop with the main focus of the design being around ventilation. Even though we live in a climate with horrendous winters, I wanted a coop that would be fully ventilated since birds throw off so much moisture with their breath and droppings. A high level of coop moisture, especially in the winter, can lead to a sick flock of birds quickly.

To combat the moisture, I decided to include two, 10″ x 10″ windows high in the coop directly across from each other. I also placed a large picture window in the front of the coop for lighting and additional ventilation.

My other coop “wants” were an automatic chicken door since I’m not an early riser, and nesting boxes that roll the eggs out the back to make egg collection easy.

After showing the design to Andy, we enlisted the help of his uncles B and Buck, along with my father-in-law, JD.

Building Process

Coop construction started in February so our heated shop came in real handy as temps were well below zero.

Chicken coop framing
Framing Begins

Uncle B’s been in construction his entire life, so he kept the job going and was able to guide us on the various construction decisions.

Chicken coop construction
Exterior Plywood Sheeting

Initially, I hoped to go with a metal sheeting for the exterior, but the budget said otherwise, so we settled for a plywood paneling. The drawback with going the plywood route is the periodic staining that’s required to prevent rot and decay. However, in my opinion, aesthetically, I think the plywood looks better than the metal sheeting so we’ll just deal with the occasional maintenance needs of the product.

Chicken coop construction
Windows Installed

We decided to spend the extra money and go with metal sheeting for the roof so hopefully the roof will be maintenance-free. 

Chicken coop
Roofing and Staining Complete

Interior Finishes

I found a local retired gentleman on Craigslist that builds nesting boxes. He sells the boxes cheaper than you could build, so I bought a two box high by four box wide nesting structure and the eggs roll out the back for easy collection.

Chicken Nesting Boxes
Backside of Nesting Boxes
Automatic Chicken Door
Automatic Chicken Door and Roosting Bars

To prevent rot, we sealed the flooring with a rubber roofing product called Blackjack #57.

Chicken coop floors
Sealed Floors

Finishing Touches – the Chickens!

The coop was finished just in the nick of time since the chickens were rapidly outgrowing our stock tank brooder. We moved the pullets to the coop and they were happy to have so much space.

Chickens in the coop
First Day In The Coop
Pullet
Happy Pullet

Note, nesting boxes are blocked with plywood to prevent roosting. Plywood was removed when chickens started laying eggs.

Chickens outdoors
First Day Outdoors

Making use of the automatic chicken door.

Chickens free ranging
Happy Chickens!
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Chickens
chicken coop, chickens, coop design

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Best Beef We’ve had in a Long Time!

This was the best beef we have had in a very long time. We had hamburgers on the grill and stovetop that were tasty and juicy, also we used the beef and bone for soup which made the richest broth and the meat has always been so tender and fresh.

It is important to me to support a family farm that honors sustainability and a wholesome farming technique , is transparent, and is farm to table. I believe the product is healthier than mass produced meat.

Shelly

Sandberg Land and Cattle Company
5
2021-01-15T18:27:59-06:00

Shelly

This was the best beef we have had in a very long time. We had hamburgers on the grill and stovetop that were tasty and juicy, also we used the beef and bone for soup which made the richest broth and the meat has always been so tender and fresh. It is important to me to support a family farm that honors sustainability and a wholesome farming technique , is transparent, and is farm to table. I believe the product is healthier than mass produced meat.
https://sandberglandandcattleco.com/testimonials/best-beef-weve-had-in-a-long-time/

The Best Beef We Ever Had Comes From Sandberg Land and Cattle

The best beef we have ever had comes from Sandberg Land and Cattle. We made the switch last year to buying a half of a cow, and we are so glad about our choice. We have many different cuts of meat, and each is fresh and delicious no matter which way we have prepared them. You can really taste the difference and tell it is grass-fed and high quality. Also the value of buying in bulk is a huge savings on amazing quality meat. Kelly and Andy were informative and provided such great guidance when we went through the process of buying our first cow share.

Aside from how delicious the beef is, we are even more proud to support a small, family run farm. The Sandberg family incorporates their strong values in all that they do and it is evident in the products they produce. They appreciate and take amazing care of their land and animals, they embody what is to be good stewards.

We can’t wait to keep cooking some delicious meals with the best grass fed beef and buy into another cow share.

The Leone's

Sandberg Land and Cattle Company
5
2021-01-24T09:25:47-06:00

The Leone's

The best beef we have ever had comes from Sandberg Land and Cattle. We made the switch last year to buying a half of a cow, and we are so glad about our choice. We have many different cuts of meat, and each is fresh and delicious no matter which way we have prepared them. You can really taste the difference and tell it is grass-fed and high quality. Also the value of buying in bulk is a huge savings on amazing quality meat. Kelly and Andy were informative and provided such great guidance when we went through the process of buying our first cow share. Aside from how delicious the beef is, we are even more proud to support a small, family run farm. The Sandberg family incorporates their strong values in all that they do and it is evident in the products they produce. They appreciate and take amazing care of their land and animals, they embody what is to be good stewards. We can’t wait to keep cooking some delicious meals with the best grass fed beef and buy into another cow share.
https://sandberglandandcattleco.com/testimonials/the-best-beef-we-have-ever-had-comes-from-sandberg-land-and-cattle/
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