FREE chicken coop plan (nice one too) on the Purina Mills Website - Page 7

HELP!!!

Does anyone have step by step instructions for this coop?  My husband was going to make it for me but he has gotten confused and frustrated on this and we need help.

I know you are thinking that "gee those are easy peasy"... and they would be... IF you were not mentally disabled (this was a recent event due to 5 hospitalizations, the first one the ER nurse was telling me to make funeral arrangements ) so you see... something he knows he "should" be able to figure out and run with.... he can't... which is very frustrating.

so... those of ya'll who've built this... could you help us out? 

We are waiting on his social security disability to kick in... so I don't have the $$ to hire someone to do it for us... AND since he wants to do it for me.... I just can't let someone come out and do it for me.... his doctor said that it would be a good project for him that he "needs" to stay busy....

if not for this plan... are there any small shed type (no peaked roof stylel) plans with step by step?  as in A goes into B and B hooks to H... etc.  I have all the lumber and supplies... just need plans... otherwise I'd have bought a kit....

sigh... I'm so stressed over this.

gini

I so wish I could help you! Why don't you post questions here as needed and I will do my best to answer them. I used wood deck screws and a drill - makes the construction much easier. He should start with the floor. Refer to the left side drawing on the Top View. Build a square with the outer pieces. Then add the center piece. Next, put down the plywood sheeting. When you have that complete, I'll advise you what to do next.

I was wondering about this too.  I'm hesitant to build the roost like that because of this.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Is there a problem with them pooping on one another?

Hi Gini,

Not sure if you've already started but, if not, I have the book Building Chicken Coops for Dummies and there is a coop in there called The Minimal Coop that is very similar to this (to me anyway) and the directions are far more step by step.  I think they are easier to understand, at least for me.

Best wishes to you and your husband,

CJ

They seem to work things out on their own. I've never noticed any of them pooping on one another. The one's on the top roost won't face the wrong way because their heads would be right into the wall. And I think the rest are smart enough to know not to face the wrong way at that point!

I've seen a lot of people on here advise to use 2x4s lying flat as roosts. I don't think that is correct because in nature, chickens, like other birds, would be roosting in trees. No such thing as a flat tree branch! Also, I read in my Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens that when a chicken settles down on it's haunches, it pulls the muscles of the feet in such a way that they grip tighter onto the roost. That's why they don't fall off when they are sleeping! This would only be possible on a round roost, not a flat one.

Could someone post the total price they paid for the materials for this coop? Or especially if someone built a larger version, how much were the materials? We'd be buying mostly new materials to make this. And how long did it take you or if you plan on building it, about how long do you think it will take you to build it??? Thanks!!

I am building a coop now that started out with this plan, but I've made so many chanages, it no longer looks like the same coop. I tripled the size to 4x12. Not being a carpenter at all (and never having built anything "real" like this), I am stunned that it is actually coming together. Shocked, in fact. I'm taking it very, very slowly, but that's OK. The Lavender Ameracaunas who will live in it are still just eggs in the incubator.

I feel like a kid having to use just the big, fat crayons. No nails -- I'm primarily using 3" wood screws. That way I can take things apart and re-do things, which I have certainly been doing........ so much so that the repeated drilling and undrilling has even worn out several of the screws. But so far, I haven't turned this pile of lumber into nothing but firewood, so things are looking good. (It's all relative.) The chickens are massive helpers. They ran off with the soap I'm using to lube up these 3" screws, but I found out that blood works well, too. The plans I started with have a couple of errors in it, and since even I can spot them, I don't have much faith in the rest of the plans. I've changed a LOT of stuff from the plan, so much so that I guess it's not even the original design any more. (I think they're improvements........)  Maybe I can claim it as my own design. Wouldn't THAT be a hoot. If it continues to go well, I might even be brave enough to post photos here.......... after the trim is on to cover up some of the inevitable mistakes.

We are building this coop, made it 4x6 instead of 4x4. Bought everything new as far as materials go and spent $727. You can click on my BYC page and see the progress. We only can work on it Sat and Sun so it has taken about 4 weeks.

How many birds do you have??

I had expanded it to 4x8 and $727 sounds about like what I spent, too (I bought all new materials also). One reason I went to 4x8 is most lumber comes in 8ft pieces (e.g. plywood - 4x8, 2x4x8, etc.) so the cost for a 4x8 coop is the same as foar a 4x6 coop.