Hooping it up!

[skunknchatter]

Here is my coop. It's a lot like what you are building I think. The "hen house" itself is 4'x4' square. The Coop (Dog Kennel) is 12'x12'. The covered ramp and Pullet Shut Auto door were just added in the last couple of days. For the past 4 years I've just had a scrap sheet of wood for a ramp up to the main door there in the front. I just kept it open all day. You can see it outlined by trim on two sides in this photo. We had a raccoon problem and I got tired of opening and closing the door every day (not to mention trying to leave town even for a night was a joke) so I installed the auto door.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have some of the amazing coops on BYC but for me it's not a reality. This humble little coop has served me and my birds well. I have 13 birds crammed in here. It works though because they only go in the house to sleep or lay eggs. Food and water are outside. They also get free run of my backyard most of the days. I do have to clean my coop quite often. For roosts I used 2x4s. There is one the full length of the coop along the side where the auto door is now. They have to go under the roost to go in and out that door. Hasn't been a problem. Along the opposite side of the coop is a roost of the same making that goes 1/2 the length of the coop. There are 2 nest boxes that take up the rest of that side. I have a 4"x12" vent cut in the back that is covered with a screened vent cover and then there are two 1" holes drilled in the main front door for cross ventilation. I haven't had any problems or bird loss with this coop and it was made with mostly scrap materials.

One suggestion I might make is to set your coop up on cinder blocks. You can see in the bottom corner of my coop there is a cinder block with a bracket for a 4x4 post supporting my coop. This serves two purposes, one being it gets the coop a little higher off the ground (my chickens love to hang out underneath in the shade or when it's raining), and two it saves your posts from rotting. Just a thought

 

[arkansas55]

hello and good start on your coop! it will all come together!

 

[reptileink]

Well, my posts are pressure treated, but I have thought about using some pavers below them. My only fear is that the coop will shift off the pavers, but once all the wood is together I am not really that concerned about it.

Also, the coop itself is about 12" off the ground. Is that not enough room for 3 hens to duck under in rain or hot weather?

Your coop is really nice. Sadly, mine won't be as tall as I don't want to go over the privacy fence seen in the back. I do have some room to make it longer should I ever need to, but I think it will be fine.

 

[reptileink]

FINALLY all the snow has melted, and the wood has had some chance to dry out. Started shoring up the base today. Found some really old thin plywood (seems like paneling without the grooves). It's really crappy and splintery, but it's going to be covered anyway. Just wanted something to skin the "floor"




It's a real challenge working with reclaimed wood, but so far this coop has cost me $0 (aside from screws I bought for another project last summer) The pressure treated timber are a bit of overkill, but hey, it's free, and they are SOLID. I can stand on this thing no problem at 260lbs.



My boy helping clean up as the screw gun died, so that ended the project for today. Looks like I am going to have to drop about $60 to make the framing as I have no 2x4s. The walls will be about 30" high with a bit more height for the roof. Back wall will open entirely and will have the nest boxes attached.



She's not going to win any beauty pageants, but I am not looking for perfect here, just a small house for my 3 chickens.

 

[88sub4x4]

Drive around your neighborhood and look for people with dumpsters in their driveway for house renovation projects. You'll usually be able to find some 2x4's and since you won't need full length 8 footers you should have more luck.

 

[PapaChaz]

something else you can do to save a little money, if you're going to get supplies/materials at home depot or lowes. Ask if they have a discount bin where they put warped/cracked etc etc materials to be sold at a discount. I bought enough 16' 2x4's to completely frame my coop walls and roof for $51.

nice looking project so far. For access to cleaning the coop and ability to get the nest box too, maybe fix the whole floor to slide out like a drawer. I did this on a previous coop years ago, (though it was way too big to successfully work, it would work on a small one). I built that wall with the base plate 2x4 above the floor, cut out the siding and hinged it so it would drop down and slide the whole floor out. I didn't use any special slides or anything, I just put another piece of plywood on top, with a handle that would fit through the slot and drag it out. If you wanted to get fancy, you could hinge a leg for it to stand on, would just lay mine on the dump cart and rake everything into it.

here's a pic of the framing for that wall:


under the nest box openings, I put a piece of 2x2 metal tubing left over from a storage building project to support that wall. Left a 3 (maybe it was 4, sorry I don't remember) slot below it. This coop was 6x8 and the pieces were really just too big to handle for me, I eventually just cleaned it out by backing the yard cart up to the door and raking everything out. Had a door on each end.

Thinking I may have a close up shot of how I notched the stud to hold the metal, it was simply there to help support the wall

 

[reptileink]

Oh, forgot to mention that I think someone got into my garage and stole my sawzall, and jigsaw a couple weeks ago. The light inside was on one morning and I just thought I left it on as nothing I noticed was missing.

Today, after 20 minutes looking for either one, I realized that someone MUST have gotten in there and grabbed them (both in a case). I also couldn't find my big pry bar I needed to wedge apart part of the jungle gym. I am NOT a happy camper

 

[rides2far]

There is NOTHING worse than a thief! You work hard to buy something & someone just takes it! So sorry

 

[reptileink]

Haha, my face is red. I found the Sawzall in my cellar stairwell (somewhere I NEVER put it). I am sure the jigsaw is around as it's in a small black box. I betcha the pry bar is too.....lol. I am so relieved that they weren't stolen if only for the fact that being robbed gave me such an uneasy feeling.

 

[TLove99]

Glad you found the goods. My husband and i are drawing up plans for our coop tonight. Chickens dont care what the coop looks like. They just care where the next meal is coming from (like teenagers). Give them that and they will be happy (unlike teenagers).