Here are a few coops I have built for some folks who needed them. I do this as a side-job, and really enjoy doing it. I have been a cabinetmaker for 35 years, and have incorporated some of the techniques used in cabinetmaking. The first coop pictured is the first one I ever built. I kinda had to throw it together in a weekend, because we had no housing for our new birds. I made improvements in design and structure as I went along with the other coops.
Believe it or not, the second coop walls are framed with 1 x 4s. The floor is framed with pressure treated, full dimension 1 x 6 corral boards. The run panels are also made with the corral boards, just ripped and planed to size. All the joints are glued, with weather resistant glue, and pocket screwed together. Everywhere 2 pieces of wood come together, there is glue in between. Also, I only use exterior screws, no nails, as nails will eventually work their way loose. The roof is constructed in the same way the walls are, then 1/2" plywood is screwed on, and in this case, R-panel tin is screwed to it. I have used corrugated tin ans shingles on other coops.
On the runs, I built 4 - 3ft x 4ft panels, 2 - 3ft x 5ft panels, and 1 - 5ft x 4ft panel with gate. The panels, as noted before, are made from full dimension, 1 x 6 pressure treated corral boards. They are ripped down to 2.5", and planed to 15/16", so they will fit into my pocket cutter. As with the coop wall frames, the joints of the run panels are glued and pocket screwed together. Then 1/2" mesh hardware cloth is stapled every 4 to 6 inches around perimeter of panel. (I never use chicken wire). The way the run panels are put together is there are boards, usually leftover cutoffs of the panel boards. These boards are the placed on center of 2 panels, and then screwed together. (shown in pics). Tell me what you think!!
Believe it or not, the second coop walls are framed with 1 x 4s. The floor is framed with pressure treated, full dimension 1 x 6 corral boards. The run panels are also made with the corral boards, just ripped and planed to size. All the joints are glued, with weather resistant glue, and pocket screwed together. Everywhere 2 pieces of wood come together, there is glue in between. Also, I only use exterior screws, no nails, as nails will eventually work their way loose. The roof is constructed in the same way the walls are, then 1/2" plywood is screwed on, and in this case, R-panel tin is screwed to it. I have used corrugated tin ans shingles on other coops.
On the runs, I built 4 - 3ft x 4ft panels, 2 - 3ft x 5ft panels, and 1 - 5ft x 4ft panel with gate. The panels, as noted before, are made from full dimension, 1 x 6 pressure treated corral boards. They are ripped down to 2.5", and planed to 15/16", so they will fit into my pocket cutter. As with the coop wall frames, the joints of the run panels are glued and pocket screwed together. Then 1/2" mesh hardware cloth is stapled every 4 to 6 inches around perimeter of panel. (I never use chicken wire). The way the run panels are put together is there are boards, usually leftover cutoffs of the panel boards. These boards are the placed on center of 2 panels, and then screwed together. (shown in pics). Tell me what you think!!
