My coop is 5ft x 8 foot wide (not including the run). 4"x4" posts in the 4 corners then the frame was created with 2 x4 and 2x6" lumber. 2 middle boards of 2x4" to secure the bottom to hold the flooring.
Frame was attached to the posts *4x4 posts). ply wood is the outter boards inter locking ones and it was already had primer on it so I could just use exterior paint. I went to home depot and found this green exterior paint that was one of the rejected colors was $9.00. made 2 nesting boxes that stick out with a tilted lid with a spring hook that has an eye hook on the top of the wood to hold the lid open to gather eggs. Have a piece of extra wood between the two nesting boxes. caulked as much open cracks inside and out. the very top of the coop has 2x6" boards that are over the frame so it will hold an old truck cap. ( got the cap for free--someone was giving it away). created a window on the side of the cap with a screen and square fencing so nothing can get inside when window is open. There is a pulley to open and close the coop wooden door. I added a lip on the inside of wood about 2" high to keep the bedding inside the cage as it was causing opening/closing problems at the bottom. I have a door made on the front to clean out coop. the run has square fencing about 1/4" squares horseshoe hammered the fencing to the wood. put wood at the very bottom of coop to keep other critters out of the coop.made a door on the run to get in. (good thing) sometimes the slider door would stick in cold temps. there is also a smaller door on the side of the coop to feed/water and clean that side of coop. I had put a red heat lamp clamped to the wood which helped with lighting during winter with keeping them warmer. Then I switched to a clamp little fan for the spring/summer/fall. I keep the light or fan on a dual timer so it goes one twice. Here are some pictures from the time it was being made. This coop is big. I can lay down in this coop 5 foot by 8ft. I have a hook on one of the top beams to hold the water. I recently bought a squirrel dome (for keeping them away from bird feeders) and it keeps bird poop out of the water as chickens love to sit at night on the beams in the ceiling between the top of frame and the cap of roof.
recommend cutting posts off first other wise it is hard to cut while sticking up high...hense this photo:
put osb board as roof (before we knew we were getting the cap. so we removed this roof. We did angle or make the back 2 posts shorter by 2-3" than the front ones so that water would drip off the back when raining/ snow melting. below photo is the side door where feeder/water access would be. the front of coop and the 3rd photo shows where the slider door would be with the wood ladder and run would be.
next photo: nesting boxes area with separator wood. 2nd pic. cap on door on/but changed the door to open to the left side. beams at top are where the chickens rest. I have put wood in corners so they could jump to corners then up to the top beams.. some fly right up now.
I keep tarp on top of run to keep them cooler in the summer time. **use linoleum on top of the wood flooring to help keep the bottom of floor cleaner/ easier to clean.
Diane Modell (bunnyla)
