This is my coop. It seems to be a constant work in progress. I got the idea from a picture I had seen on the internet, but it didn't have any detailed building plans with it. I am not a carpenter, but I know a few of the basics. My original idea was to have a coop big enough to hold 10 chickens with the possibility of adding more (we are up to 15 now).
My plans leave a lot to be desired, but they made sense in my head. In a nutshell, I wanted an 8x12 coop, 8x8 of it would be the coop, and 4x8 of it would be a covered porch area. I made the floor with treated 2x6's, 16" OC.
The largest obstacle I faced in the whole project was the slope of my yard. I used 1/2" OSB for the coop floor and some deck boards for the porch. It is all supported by treated 4x4's buried approximately 3' and set in concrete.
The walls are made with 6' 2x4's, 16" OC. The windows on the sides are each made with (2) 10"x12" glass panels that I made with some 1x2's. They are designed to swing outwards for fresh air and added ventilation. The 2 windows are the front are each 12x36 and are stationary. Their only purpose is to add light and add a rustic cottage look.
The roof trusses are home made with 2x6's. They are spaced 2' OC. I calculated the angels with a little help online doing a basic search for roof truss angle calculator. I used 1/2" OSB, covered with felt paper and some asphalt shingles. The porch area is supported with treated 4x4's.
The walls are covered with wood grain paneling.
The run is 18'x8'. It is made treated 2x4s covered with 1/2" hardware cloth. The hardware cloth is also buried 6" down and outward 1.5' on all sides, including where the run meets the coop. I topped it with 2x4" welded wire. Once again, the slope of the yard was a challenge. In the future, I hope to be able to put some kind of roofing on it for added protection in the elements. I cut out 10x12" door for the chickens to use to get to the run and began some of the painting.
The inside of the coop is covered with linoleum flooring, topped with pine shavings. I think I am going to switch to sand, though. Upon walking in to the coop, I made a separate "storage area" It is approximately 2'x8" and has another door leading to the "living area" of the coop. I made my roosting bars out of 2x4's and built a little ramp for them to get to it. I made 4 nesting boxes that they seem to enjoy. I can access the nesting boxes by lifting a lid in the storage area. The two areas a separated by a wall covered in standard chicken wire. I installed a couple of pulley's to open and close the chicken door without entering the living area of the coop.
In the future, I hope to get the inside converted to sand. I also have some solar ideas that I am tossing around for extra lighting.
Enjoy!!
