- Aug 17, 2016
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I have built MULTIPLE variations, extensions, and adaptations of The Garden Coop design (www.thegardencoop.com) over the years, and feel like I've got a boatload of advice to give. I thought I'd start a thread here, since I know it's a very popular coop design, with my thoughts (in no particular order)!
(I'm not affiliated with The Garden Coop in any way-- I just love their design and think it's a great coop!)
1. Use deck screws, not nails. Nails are cheapest, but they're so difficult to remove if you make a mistake! I strongly recommend star drive deck screws, like the sort Deckmate makes. I use mostly 3in screws and 2.5in screws, and if you're making a whole coop, you'll want to buy the giganto 5lb bucket of them. (Obviously, this also means you need an electric drill!)
2. I also strongly recommend using pressure-treated wood for the pieces that sit on the ground. Pressure treated wood DOES NOT contain arsenic anymore, and the pressure treating process has changed wildly even since 2003. It is safe to use, especially given that you aren't growing food in the coop and chickens aren't actually eating the wood--yes, they scratch from the ground, but the bulk of their food is still coming from a feeder that isn't touching the wood at all (which again...is safe!). I used regular wood that I stained and treated extensively with outdoor polyurethane, and within two years, it was full of termites. Granted, my coop does sit on blocks that are recessed into the ground, so it does see a lot of moisture, but still-- I recommend you use pressure-treated. Rotted wood is a huge pain to deal with, and makes it easy for predators and rats to gain entry into the coop.
3. The Garden Coop designers suggest wrapping the hardware cloth. I advise instead treating each wall as a separate piece. It makes removing a wall to expand or change something much easier.
4. Unless you are in a very cold climate, I don't think you need those interior floating henhouse walls at all. I skipped them (I'm in Atlanta, GA).
5. GET AVIATION SNIPS to cut the hardware cloth. That stuff is TOUGH and you will hurt your wrist and grip cutting it with simple wire snips. Here's a link to some great ones (these three are basically the same price as a single pair): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WI95HU4/?tag=backy-20
6. If you have it on hand or can rent it, I suggest using a pneumatic stapler/air compressor to staple the hardware cloth into place with 1-inch staples. This method is MUCH faster than using hammered-in-staples, though the downside is that it's practically impossible to remove a staple should you need to (i just cut the hardware cloth away). The benefit, though, is that...it's impossible to remove a staple, so it's extremely predator proof.
7. Don't skip putting an apron around the coop. We had no problems with rodents for years, and suddenly, they were out in full force.
8. You don't really have to use that SunTuf roofing. It's made of plastic and, while it's perfectly nice, is a lot pricier than basic tin roofing sheets (which are about $14 at Home Depot). I think using a metal roof shows less dirt, too. I also skipped the little strips that go under the SunTuf roofing.
9. If you are making adjustments to the design and have the ability to create sections in 48" or 36" sections, do it-- you can buy hardware cloth in those dimensions and it'll save you the cutting!
10. The cheapest place to buy screws and hardware cloth is usually Amazon-- especially their "Warehouse Deals" section, where things are used/like new. For example, I got hardware cloth there which was marked as "good" condition, but really it had just been dropped and one side of the roll was a little dented. Still totally useable. Screws are a great deal there too, especially since there are lots of different sellers and sometimes there are MAJOR price discrepancies in the exact same product.
11. For the wood itself, I advise buying new, super straight 2x4s for the main frame, since crooked boards there will be a huge pain. BUT, you also should check out the cull rack at Home Depot, which is always tucked away in the back of the lumber section somewhere. It's wood that is cracked, broken, or just ugly, and it's 70% off. Sometimes the cull rack is total crap and there's nothing I'd pay even a penny for on it; sometimes you can get really nice pieces-- I got a whole bunch of cedar 2x6s off it recently because someone made a mistake cutting them. My hen house is also made of really pretty tongue-and-groove wood that I got super cheap because some of the tongues had broken off, which is totally fine for a chicken coop.
Lowe's has a cull rack too, but they only sell by the pallet, so you usually get a bunch of crap wood and maybe one or two good pieces. I don't think it's even worth trying them for cull lumber, to be honest.
12. Paint, don't stain! I used stain the first time around and it eventually looked awful. Paint is so much easier to fix after weathering than stain is!
13. Hinges/door pulls/latches etc are cheapest at Harbor Freight. Not everyone has one nearby, unfortunately, definitely shop there for your hardware if you do!
Anyone else have any Garden Coop advice?
(I'm not affiliated with The Garden Coop in any way-- I just love their design and think it's a great coop!)
1. Use deck screws, not nails. Nails are cheapest, but they're so difficult to remove if you make a mistake! I strongly recommend star drive deck screws, like the sort Deckmate makes. I use mostly 3in screws and 2.5in screws, and if you're making a whole coop, you'll want to buy the giganto 5lb bucket of them. (Obviously, this also means you need an electric drill!)
2. I also strongly recommend using pressure-treated wood for the pieces that sit on the ground. Pressure treated wood DOES NOT contain arsenic anymore, and the pressure treating process has changed wildly even since 2003. It is safe to use, especially given that you aren't growing food in the coop and chickens aren't actually eating the wood--yes, they scratch from the ground, but the bulk of their food is still coming from a feeder that isn't touching the wood at all (which again...is safe!). I used regular wood that I stained and treated extensively with outdoor polyurethane, and within two years, it was full of termites. Granted, my coop does sit on blocks that are recessed into the ground, so it does see a lot of moisture, but still-- I recommend you use pressure-treated. Rotted wood is a huge pain to deal with, and makes it easy for predators and rats to gain entry into the coop.
3. The Garden Coop designers suggest wrapping the hardware cloth. I advise instead treating each wall as a separate piece. It makes removing a wall to expand or change something much easier.
4. Unless you are in a very cold climate, I don't think you need those interior floating henhouse walls at all. I skipped them (I'm in Atlanta, GA).
5. GET AVIATION SNIPS to cut the hardware cloth. That stuff is TOUGH and you will hurt your wrist and grip cutting it with simple wire snips. Here's a link to some great ones (these three are basically the same price as a single pair): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WI95HU4/?tag=backy-20
6. If you have it on hand or can rent it, I suggest using a pneumatic stapler/air compressor to staple the hardware cloth into place with 1-inch staples. This method is MUCH faster than using hammered-in-staples, though the downside is that it's practically impossible to remove a staple should you need to (i just cut the hardware cloth away). The benefit, though, is that...it's impossible to remove a staple, so it's extremely predator proof.
7. Don't skip putting an apron around the coop. We had no problems with rodents for years, and suddenly, they were out in full force.
8. You don't really have to use that SunTuf roofing. It's made of plastic and, while it's perfectly nice, is a lot pricier than basic tin roofing sheets (which are about $14 at Home Depot). I think using a metal roof shows less dirt, too. I also skipped the little strips that go under the SunTuf roofing.
9. If you are making adjustments to the design and have the ability to create sections in 48" or 36" sections, do it-- you can buy hardware cloth in those dimensions and it'll save you the cutting!
10. The cheapest place to buy screws and hardware cloth is usually Amazon-- especially their "Warehouse Deals" section, where things are used/like new. For example, I got hardware cloth there which was marked as "good" condition, but really it had just been dropped and one side of the roll was a little dented. Still totally useable. Screws are a great deal there too, especially since there are lots of different sellers and sometimes there are MAJOR price discrepancies in the exact same product.
11. For the wood itself, I advise buying new, super straight 2x4s for the main frame, since crooked boards there will be a huge pain. BUT, you also should check out the cull rack at Home Depot, which is always tucked away in the back of the lumber section somewhere. It's wood that is cracked, broken, or just ugly, and it's 70% off. Sometimes the cull rack is total crap and there's nothing I'd pay even a penny for on it; sometimes you can get really nice pieces-- I got a whole bunch of cedar 2x6s off it recently because someone made a mistake cutting them. My hen house is also made of really pretty tongue-and-groove wood that I got super cheap because some of the tongues had broken off, which is totally fine for a chicken coop.
Lowe's has a cull rack too, but they only sell by the pallet, so you usually get a bunch of crap wood and maybe one or two good pieces. I don't think it's even worth trying them for cull lumber, to be honest.
12. Paint, don't stain! I used stain the first time around and it eventually looked awful. Paint is so much easier to fix after weathering than stain is!
13. Hinges/door pulls/latches etc are cheapest at Harbor Freight. Not everyone has one nearby, unfortunately, definitely shop there for your hardware if you do!
Anyone else have any Garden Coop advice?
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