My 5' x 8' Slant-roof Coop Build with Integrated Nesting Boxes

Good Morning from western PA! I am new to the BYC community and wanted to share my coop design. There are several coop builders here in our area but they were charging upwards of $1200 for a 4' x 6' coop and $1800 for a 5' x 8' coop. I decided to build my own. The original design was going to be mounted on a trailer-like frame that we could haul around with our garden tractor:







However, once I got it up there I realized two things:

1. If I wanted to have a 5:12 pitched roof I didn't have enough clearance to roll the thing out of the garage. I was about 6" too tall. I could have solved this by making the trailer sit lower to the ground. It ended up being around 28" high.
2. However, the larger problem was the weight. Because Lowes and Home Depot leave their 2"x4"'s sit out in the rain, none of the basic 8' studs were straight. I mean none of them. I spent 45 minutes one day picking through them and I only got 6 that were straight. I bit the bullet and went to the premium studs which were almost all straight but I paid for that in additional weight, probably 50% heavier. I also underestimated how much adding a fully shingled roof and T111 would add to the weight. Bottom line - my initial design was way too heavy for the trailer frame.

Here are some images as I erect the walls and build the window frames (which is something I had never done).







At this point, I actually slid the trailer out from under the frame and just set it up on blocks. It made it easier to work on because I didn't have to hop up and down constantly. I don't know how UPS drivers do it!

Here are some pics of roof rafters, T111, and shingles getting put in.













Another issue I had to correct for was that fact that I didn't have any overhang on the sides of the coop. I added another 1' to the roof width to give me about 6" of overhang on each side.



The final steps were roof trim installation, painting, and shingling. Those Irwin clamps were invaluable! I did 90% of the work after I did the dishes and laundry for the day and that was AFTER the kids went to bed. So yeah - most nights I worked on this I wasn't starting until 10pm. The last couple weeks I really pushed and was working until 2 and 3am!








Here it is completed! We used basic principals of physics to get this thing moved from the garage down to the backyard My dad helped me build the sled base and then we used his XTerra to drag it through the yard.








Here is my nesting box design. Pretty standard. I used Liquid Nails to glue the pieces together and then a nail gun with 1 1/4" brads to secure them. The piece of T111 in the front is the lid.





Here are some pictures of it with birds in it sitting in our backyard.



There are a few small items I have to complete:

1. Finish painting. The roof trim and the nesting box are not painted. I would also like a second coat on the shed part but I can wait until spring for this.
2. Install the trim around the doors, seams, and windows. I have a bunch of painted trim up in the garage that needs cut and installed. I really need to get this done before hard winter sets in because I don't have perfect corners on the coop.
3. Finish cutting and installing the vent screens. I have 1/4" hardware cloth that I'm fashioning vent screens out of. I also want to add flip-down slots on the outside so I can open and close them.
4. Add self-waterer and feeder. I have gutter section and a buck with a nipple feeder that needs installed. As long as I added a heating coil to the bucket I think I might be able to keep the water line from freezing. I also have PVC pipe with a cap that I want to put on the outside so we can feed the birds without having to go in the coop. It's a 20" section of 5" PVC that is cut in half that is going to act like a feeding trough.
5. This is the big one... Add electricity. I was going to install a small box in the coop to have an outlet as well as install a light. I've read the debate on having a light in the coop during the winter but I would like one just so I can see in there when I go out at night. I was thinking of just being not-up-to-code and using an extension cord to run power to the mains in the box. The other, more expensive option, would be to get solar panels.

What would I do differently?

1. I would have not done the trailer. I've decided to make it into a mobile brooder / young chicken house in the spring but I could have saved a lot of money and time if I had just skipped it.
2. I would have made it bigger. Probably 6' x 8' or 6' x 12'. The birds are okay just overnight but I don't like leaving them in there for long stretches because it does get crowded.

So how much did it cost? Just going through my Lowe's and Home Depot receipts, it's looking like this cost around $1100. That's everything - lumber, T111, windows, door hardware, fasteners.

Thanks for looking and I appreciate any feedback!

Holy Cow!!! Nice coop!

Dry Creek Ranch said:

Holy Cow!!! Nice coop!

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Thanks! I just got most of the trim on today since we had some really nice weather ahead of a cold front. I'll post some pictures when I can take a decent picture. I got done right at dusk and my the camera in my phone wasn't up to the task.

Nice job....build and learn, lol.
You'll be really glad you have the extra smaller coop come time to add chicks in the future.

I like the roof!

Did you leave the eaves open top and bottom for ventilation, but covered with 1/2" hardware cloth for predator protection?
Easy to screw the HC, in one long piece, on from the outside:
Do the bends before installing, practice on a short piece to test measurements.

aart said:

I like the roof!

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Thanks! I wasn't going to do the roof with as much overhang in the front and rear as I did but I'm glad I built it that way. My daughter appreciates it when she has to go out and get into the nesting boxes to collect eggs. The other thing I'm glad I did was rent a good roofing nailer. I was able to paper the roof, install the drip edge, and shingle it in about 4 hours. I haven't seen any leaks so far either. The one thing I need to add is the gutter along the back. I'm going to have the water go into a rain collection system that (hopefully) will provide all the water I need for the birds.

aart said:

Did you leave the eaves open top and bottom for ventilation, but covered with 1/2" hardware cloth for predator protection?
Easy to screw the HC, in one long piece, on from the outside:
Do the bends before installing, practice on a short piece to test measurements.

Click to expand...

Yes - that was my exact thought. I never thought of doing it this way though!!! I think I was focused on being able to close off the vents individually if I wanted to. After being in the coop on one of the coldest days we've had here in Western PA (10 with windchills in the negatives) I think the birds will be alright. I guess we have a tendency to apply human temperature extremes to our flocks and that's not really valid. Even on the coldest days I would pick up the hens and they would be super warm, almost hot.

As long as their feather are not ruffled (literally) while on the roost they will be fine.

You could always put some hinged doors on the outside of the HC on the eaves to close with hooks for a rip roaring storm or wind from a certain direction.
You could also use heavy corrugated cardboard hanging near the eaves inside to baffle any strong winds blowing up and under.
Lots of options.
Best way to know if this is even needed is to go into the coop when it's really windy out close the doors/windows and see what the air movement feels like.

Heck of a job so far!!