8x8 Coop Building Diary!! *pictures* UPDATE on pg 7!

Hello everybody! Well after a bad experience with finding a builder on Craigslist, some friends and I have decided to just do it ourselves with the help of some wonderful wonderful friends. So, what took this earlier "builder" 3 months to do, we will have finished in about a week (weather cooperating).

Today we got to home depot around 9:30am, and got all the lumbar, some hardware and other things for the floor. Then it was right to work! My friend most of the work, I hammered in a few nails and helped carry stuff here and there. I have learned a LOT so far and this is just the floor! It is strong, study, and BEAUTIFUL. I am so excited. Here are pictures! I will update with progress! We will be working on it Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Pile of wood



The Head Foreman (we had to go through her for anything, she gave a yay or a nay haha)


Pier Blocks



Framing



Foreman checking in


Framing




Foreman again


DONE!



Took about... 2-3 hours from the time we got to home depot, no joke. Got to home depot about 9:30am, got finished about 12:30pm. This has been a long time coming and I am so glad to actually be able to see it now. I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

Looks good so far! Post more when you get further in the process!

If it my coop, I would stack 1 or 2 4x4 to raise the base up for the chicken to hide underneath during hot or cold weather. You can also use space as brooder to raise young chicks.

Yay, a coop! A coop! A NICE BIG COOP for the girls! Probably better than that CL charlatan could EVER have made, no matter HOW long he worked at it!

Besides that "purchased" coop would have been so "toxic" after all you went through who would want it anyway. You will be so happy with this!

It always seems better when you DIY! It will be glorious once your thru and it will seem to take FOREVER to finish. Anticipation makes it better, as in all things!

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Yep! Kalie, so glad you've gotten to work! It looks awesome! Still "just 7 chickens maximum"? Yeah, THAT theory will stay!

LOL! I am so excited! I tarped it tonight to give it somewhat of a moisture barrier, and it is off to Home Depot again to get the wall materials! We are doing it in a "Kit" style because I may be moving in about 4-6 weeks, but I wanted it up asap. So in kit form it will be easier to move The floor is going to be the heaviest part! It is made sturdy because I wanted to walk around comfortably and I am 5'6 and about 230 lbs, so we paid extra attention to strengthening and supporting the floor. It looks and IS awesome! There is a ton of room too, and it fits where it is! Which is awesome.

Thank you all for your help. Reading all the BYCer DIY stories and pages is wonderful. I have learned a LOT. I will definately keep progress posted and will post Wednesday evening with more pictures!

One thing I was really happy about, my friends helping me with this are BYCer chicken people as well, so all Joon's yelling and bossing was no bother! Now THAT is nice

Nick... Ummm.... Yeah... About that...? I will be getting one Olive Egger and one Lav Orp from another BYCer as soon as my current girls are in their coop. I have a seperate pen and coop set up for integration and such for the new girls. Oh... And one more thing.. I have my eye out for Rhode Island Red pullets and/or Black Audtralorp pullets, one of each or two of one.. Ahem.. Yeah, chicken math? What'sat? Oh and if I do end up moving in 4-6 weeks... I will be on the hunt for a lovely Dark Brahma cockerel to lead the flock.. ::cough cough::

So.. A chance maximum of 9 large and standard fowl in a 8x8 coop. About 8 feet will be taken up by nest boxes, the rest is floor space. Also adding two 2x4 8' long roosts so that 4-5 hens can roost comfortable on each

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That is awesome! Good luck! I'm sure the girls will enjoy that rooster.