Page created by:New2Peeps View other pages: EE Chicken Page; New2Peeps Home;
Previous | Small Coops Index | Next First of all let me say that I had absolutely no construction experience whatsoever. Now that was a big drawback, but actually since I didn't know what I was getting into I went ahead and took the plunge to build a chicken coop. I searched the net for a couple of weeks and found plans for $20.00. This coop is 3 x 3 feet by about 4 feet tall and just big enough for 3 standard sized chickens or 4 smaller. My tools were a quilting ruler, a $15 jigsaw and a rechargeable drill. Materials were cdx plywood, plywood paneling plus boxes of wood screws and miscellaneous hardware. Oh yes, 1 gallon of primer and 1 gallon of paint, plus a quart of white for the interior. I did have the largest cuts in the plywood made at the lumber store. The plans called for the coop to be built in sections. The floor, then the walls--and then assembled. The floor was easy. I used 3/4 inch cdx plywood and 2 x 4s for the base and once together I put glue all over the top of it , turned it upside down on a nice piece of vinyl and let it dry overnight. Trimmed the excess vinyl with a utility knife and voila!!! The floor: 
Next came wall construction. I placed the large wall pieces on the floor and drew on the actual panels where the posts and framing went. Then I clamped and screwed the pieces together. 
After the panels were done, they were set on the base and the rafters were put in place to see if everything fit together. 
Next came the building of the nest box. That was a real challenge----- 
My next step was to make the 8 x 4 foot pen and put it in place as I wanted the end of the coop to fit snugly against the pen. I used 3 pressure treated 1x6s and 3 1x4s plus wood salvaged from pallets. The purchased wood was in 8 ft lengths so I used 2 8 ft pieces for each side and cut one in half for the ends--so 2 8 ft pressure treated boards and 2 4 ft pressure treated for the bottoms of the panels and then the same lengths for the panel tops--but made out of the non-treated 1x4's. I made the vertical slats with pallet wood and they were 34" tall---just the right length for attaching the 36" hardware cloth. I made wood tabs to connect the boards--I tried the splicing plates but did not feel that those were strong enough. I stained and sealed it all and then attached 1/2" hardware cloth with regular washers and lath screws. I made the door with the panel lying on the floor and just cut pieces to fit and applied the hardware cloth. I did reinforce the corners with plywood triangles. Then I just screwed it all together in place making sure it was squared. After the pen was up, I measured and constructed the top--that way it was an exact fit.
With the pen in place I hauled all the parts of the coop outside and assembled it. I sat the base down on bricks and leveled it, placing it next to the pen. Sidewalls went up, then the front of the coop was put in and included the front panel, the nest box and the large hardware cloth screen window with window cover. I finally added the roof. And here is the result! 
The coop has a nice roost, a small landing perch for the nest boxes--they are closed off for now until the girls start laying. It is a snap to clean out. I just put a sheet of plastic in front of the coop and sweep the shavings out--then off they go to the compost pile. The nest box opens on the outside for easy egg gathering and the coop has the huge 29 x 15" window covered with 1/4" hardware cloth with a cover that can be adjusted for the weather. Also ventilation holes on the sides of the coop (the girls like to peer out these!) and in the top over the window. I just made a simple swing up pop door for the ladies to come and go. I added a small 3 pound hanging feeder that I can easily modify to hold about 6 pounds if need be. I am keeping the water outside to avoid messes. The coop is locked up tight with safety hooks on the nest box and pop door and 2 hasps with carabiners on the main door. I put 2 slide bolts and a hasp with lock on the pen door and the pen has a hardware cloth roof. There are patio tiles around the outside to deter digging. Hopefully that will keep the gals safe. ( And the ladies are free ranging now all day long, so the only time the pen is locked up is at night--so far no losses.)
Here is a picture of the pop door. It just has a simple safety latch with an eye hook at the top to hold it open and one on the bottom to lock it shut for the night. 
And here are the final two pics of the coop. I added handles for the door and nest box, a shingled roof and pails of petunias. The bench for sitting and watching the chicks will come later! 
After using the coop for 6 months, the only things I would change would be to add litter boards at both entrances, add a window in the people door or on the side opposite the people door and devise some sort of protection for the hinged area of the nest box since water can drip into the boxes when it rains. Well---more changes I have thought of---I think I am going to take out the nest box partition as there is no real need for 2 boxes for only 3 or 4 birds. They of course, all want the same box. And I am going to cut off the perch in front of the nest boxes so that I can move the hanging feeder more into the far corner of the coop. Where it sits right now it is a prime target for poop falling from roosting hens at night---not all the time, but when it happens the feed is ruined. I think these changes will give me a small coop perfect for 4 girls.
|
