Our A-frame Coop
After a ton of research on coop styles, I decided to go with an A-frame coop. My most patient and wonderful hubby has been kind enough to sit back and let me build it....using his power tools! (And so far, all I've ruined is his skil saw...I kinda cut through the cord...Ooops! ) Seriously though, I wanted to set up this coop page to show that building is something women can do too...we don't always need to wait for our spouses/boyfriends/significant others to do for us!

Here is the area we cleared to put the A-frame and chicken yard.
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Next was to start building the basic frame, which is 8'x12' (Just a heads up, almost all building materials come in either 8' or 12' sections. By planning to use these dimensions I was able to avoid making a lot of extra cuts and stretch my wood budget a bit further...there was less waste) ..
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Then the rafters....
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Done with the rafters...
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Then I used the corners we had cut from the 2x4 rafters and made little corner braces...
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Next was the "firring strips".....
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Then the palruf panels...one side clear...
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This will be the chickens view..
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The other side white...In this picture you can also see the cap that went over the peak. (Hubby had to help with this, I was too short to do it by myself!)
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Then I loaded all along the base with rocks so sneaky coons/skunks can't get in... (I'm also putting chicken wire over the whole dirt floor to keep critters out)
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Next was framing time....
Back wall framed...(Adam's testing it out for me...he had a blast getting filthy!)
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Front wall framed...
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Next was the plywood...Back, inside view...
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Back, outside view...
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Front inside view...
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Front, outside view....
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I layed the chicken-wire floor, stapled down the sides and cabled tied all of the seams...
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Next I put up some nesting boxes (or should I say buckets? ) These still need the dividers...

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Next was some roosts and baseboards (to keep the bedding in place) ...
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And here's an overview of the inside.
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Here's a picture with the front painted and the door in place...
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Here's where we are going to build a patio next summer and a better shot of the temporary run...
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The run is approx. 14' x 20'. Right now, I have a stone wall around the inside and out. (Digging down in this area is almost impossible because of tree roots and rocks) I have netting for the top, but won't put that up until we actually move the babies out there.
I'm in the process of building a second coop and run area behind my husbands shop. (AKA Silkie Ville) It's being made of the leftover pieces of lumber from this project and plastic playhouses. The total cost of the A-frame, both runs and Silkie Ville is coming in just under $550.

If anyone is interested in building a coop like this and has any questions, please feel free to e-mail or private message me! :)

Summer to-do list:
-Put in the vents (one for each side of the door)
-Build a screen door frame for the front of the A-frame.
-Cosmetic touch-ups.
-Put in permanent run. (Taller, sturdier...more predator proof. Will hopefully have a tractor w/ hole digger for posts)
-Perennial beds all around and patio between A-frame and shop.

and the list goes on!