Design
As I stated, I spent many nights (probably 4+ months) looking at different coop builds. Once I got an idea of what I wanted, I needed to find plans for sale or free that I could modify to meet my needs. Since I am a novice when it comes to construction, building, etc, I had no idea how to even deign designing my own plans from scratch.
During the planning and designing of the coop, the roost bars and nesting boxes were not part of it - I knew I needed them, but wasn't entirely sure where they would go. I had some ideas, but they were just ideas. After the frame of the coop was built, I started to look at window placement, roost bars and nesting boxes. The placements should have been solidified during the planning and design. As they say, hind sight is 20/20. To my defense though, I was modifying plans I found online and knew some of it would be winged as I went through the building process.
I found the below plans from Construct101 - the best part, it was free!
The plans I found were 8'x8' Coop with a 10'x8'attached run. The coop size would work for now (at the time it was good enough for my needs, but now that it's been a few months since it is complete, I could have gone bigger, maybe 12' or 16' x8'. Oh well, you live and learn and I can always add on later if I need too.
Talking with Farmer J, he suggested the run was too small and recommended at least 20'x'8'. This way it would give me ample space for the chickens, food, water, swings to play, etc.
Also, I had to take in consideration the foundation for the structure to be built on due to the slope/water issue. Obviously it needed to be bigger than the coop and run. I bought some graph paper and started to design the dimensions of how the 8'x8' coop with 20'x'8 run would look. We figured the foundation would be 28'x12'. This gives enough room for the run, coop and porch, with some added space around it.
Here is what the farmer and I came up with.:
I wasn't exactly sure at the time how I wanted the nesting boxes to open from the outside. Whether they open top up, or middle down, so I sketched both. I ended up making the middle down (it was easier for the kids to grab the eggs, and keeps water from come in during raining days or run offs.
Here is how I envisioned the porch, coop, and run to look...I never said I was an artist, but it was a simple sketch! lol
This below picture was used to give @U_Stormcrow an idea of what I wanted. He then took this and turned it into to something magnificent. Thank you!!!
Now that I had a good start on my plan, I put together a material list for the lumber and doubled the materials for the run since it was going to be 20'x'8'. I wanted to see the cost breakdown of each item, the total cost for the quantity, and total cost for coop and run. In addition, to the cost breakdown, I compared the cost of lumber between three different manufactures; Home Depot, Lowes, and Holmes. This also allowed me to see where I could purchases the different items I needed at the best cost.
Note: The costs in the spreadsheet was based on the original Coop and Run plans, NOT the modified plans that @U_Stormcrow assisted with. Also, the spreadsheet did not account for the 6x6's used in the foundation or the metal roof. However, the wood I purchased for the original plans worked out in my favor and was able to compensate for the changes @U_Stormcrow made.
It turned out that 95% of the materials were purchased from Home Depot, 4% from Lowes, and 1% from Holmes. The reason being, I was able to purchase most of all the wood I need at 70% off the price. Yes, you read that right! All the wood, well 98% of it for the coop and run was cull lumber. Even the metal roof from Lowes was heavily discounted due to rust from an upper shelf that dripped onto the sheets! The 6x6's for the foundation and the T1-11 siding were purchased at full price.
The total cost was around $3,100. First time building something like this, but I thought the price was decent. Looking at what it costs for 8'x8' or 8'x10' sheds, run up to $3,800!
On to the build!
During the planning and designing of the coop, the roost bars and nesting boxes were not part of it - I knew I needed them, but wasn't entirely sure where they would go. I had some ideas, but they were just ideas. After the frame of the coop was built, I started to look at window placement, roost bars and nesting boxes. The placements should have been solidified during the planning and design. As they say, hind sight is 20/20. To my defense though, I was modifying plans I found online and knew some of it would be winged as I went through the building process.
I found the below plans from Construct101 - the best part, it was free!
The plans I found were 8'x8' Coop with a 10'x8'attached run. The coop size would work for now (at the time it was good enough for my needs, but now that it's been a few months since it is complete, I could have gone bigger, maybe 12' or 16' x8'. Oh well, you live and learn and I can always add on later if I need too.
Talking with Farmer J, he suggested the run was too small and recommended at least 20'x'8'. This way it would give me ample space for the chickens, food, water, swings to play, etc.
Also, I had to take in consideration the foundation for the structure to be built on due to the slope/water issue. Obviously it needed to be bigger than the coop and run. I bought some graph paper and started to design the dimensions of how the 8'x8' coop with 20'x'8 run would look. We figured the foundation would be 28'x12'. This gives enough room for the run, coop and porch, with some added space around it.
Here is what the farmer and I came up with.:
I wasn't exactly sure at the time how I wanted the nesting boxes to open from the outside. Whether they open top up, or middle down, so I sketched both. I ended up making the middle down (it was easier for the kids to grab the eggs, and keeps water from come in during raining days or run offs.
Here is how I envisioned the porch, coop, and run to look...I never said I was an artist, but it was a simple sketch! lol
This below picture was used to give @U_Stormcrow an idea of what I wanted. He then took this and turned it into to something magnificent. Thank you!!!
Now that I had a good start on my plan, I put together a material list for the lumber and doubled the materials for the run since it was going to be 20'x'8'. I wanted to see the cost breakdown of each item, the total cost for the quantity, and total cost for coop and run. In addition, to the cost breakdown, I compared the cost of lumber between three different manufactures; Home Depot, Lowes, and Holmes. This also allowed me to see where I could purchases the different items I needed at the best cost.
Note: The costs in the spreadsheet was based on the original Coop and Run plans, NOT the modified plans that @U_Stormcrow assisted with. Also, the spreadsheet did not account for the 6x6's used in the foundation or the metal roof. However, the wood I purchased for the original plans worked out in my favor and was able to compensate for the changes @U_Stormcrow made.
It turned out that 95% of the materials were purchased from Home Depot, 4% from Lowes, and 1% from Holmes. The reason being, I was able to purchase most of all the wood I need at 70% off the price. Yes, you read that right! All the wood, well 98% of it for the coop and run was cull lumber. Even the metal roof from Lowes was heavily discounted due to rust from an upper shelf that dripped onto the sheets! The 6x6's for the foundation and the T1-11 siding were purchased at full price.
The total cost was around $3,100. First time building something like this, but I thought the price was decent. Looking at what it costs for 8'x8' or 8'x10' sheds, run up to $3,800!
On to the build!
- Next page: Build Phase 1 - Foundation & Coop Frame
- Previous page: Planning
