Altering my terrible TS coop.

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I know I messed up when zealously extending my run. Once it was up I realised it would be weak under snow load. Panic!!! Family has stepped in andd begun building a lean-to over the entire thing. Here's the begining.
View attachment 1524098
Holes dug ready for posts.
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Front posts in place. Too HOT to do the rear posts.
View attachment 1524110
Run is 10ft wide, 30ft long, 6ft high.
And so it begins. Stay tuned for updates.

That will look awesome when finished! What will you use to roof the lean to?

Here’s what I did to raise a prefab coop:

 

[Wise Woman]

Here’s what I did to raise a prefab coop: View attachment 1524267[/QUOTE]

That looks great. May I ask a question about your coop roof? Do you find it substantial enough? Does it leak? I am looking at prefab coops for a brooder/isolation coop as I have no place to brood chicks or isolate a sick chicken. I am wondering how these asphalt roofs work out. I won't be purchasing until next year, but I found a coop with a metal roof and was wondering if it is worth the extra $$$. It is $500 but I have heard people say they got it on sale for $350, which would be in my price range for sure. This will have to sit out in the weather so I want to be sure it is dry and can withstand the weather.

 

[New2Chicks97]

We have moved ours several times and we have the biggest one they sell that you can stand up in. It will have to be rebuilt it’s already falling apart and we got it in the spring time. I have gorilla glued the perches back together and they still break in random places. Finally took them out and had my husband lay plywood across. They have lasted. The doors get stuck and rarely close all the way, chickens learned how to open the nesting door and we now have one MIA hen. May have to take some tips from you!

We have a TSC coop kit too. I found that if you square the door up and tack a support brace to the inside diagonally across the door it fixes the issue. It doesn’t look pretty but that is on the inside anyway so no one but the chickens see it

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Here’s what I did to raise a prefab coop: View attachment 1524267

That looks great. May I ask a question about your coop roof? Do you find it substantial enough? Does it leak? I am looking at prefab coops for a brooder/isolation coop as I have no place to brood chicks or isolate a sick chicken. I am wondering how these asphalt roofs work out. I won't be purchasing until next year, but I found a coop with a metal roof and was wondering if it is worth the extra $$$. It is $500 but I have heard people say they got it on sale for $350, which would be in my price range for sure. This will have to sit out in the weather so I want to be sure it is dry and can withstand the weather.

What I have found with the prefab asphalt roofs is that if you drill a hole and don’t patch it the roof will leak. They also seem to be prone to the asphalt lifting up from the edges from heat.

 

[Cryss]

That will look awesome when finished! What will you use to roof the lean to?

Here’s what I did to raise a prefab coop: View attachment 1524267

That's fabulous! My coop is 4.75ft high. The hardware cloth roof of my run is 6ft so I only have 18 inches to work with when I raise the coop up on brick, stone, pallets, floorboard, and linoleum. Actually less in some spots because the run is not level but I have to make sure the coop is.
As for roofing I'm dreaming of clear corrugated plastic but probably going to have to settle for plywood. I worked extra to make the money for the lean-to. I'm a retired nurse and work 2 days a week as an activities coordinator in a retirement home. For 6 weeks while a co-worker had back surgery I took over an extra 3 days. Doubt I can do that again! But it gave me enough to do this project before snow flies.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I’d be worried that the plywood will rot. I think you should coat it with Thompson’s water sealer so it will be water proof.

 

[Cryss]

I’d be worried that the plywood will rot. I think you should coat it with Thompson’s water sealer so it will be water proof.

I painted them with exterior house paint on both sides and all 4 edges. Am I not thinking correctly that exterior house paint is waterproof?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I painted them with exterior house paint on both sides and all 4 edges. Am I not thinking correctly that exterior house paint is waterproof?

I think it should be water proof. I was referring to the plywood for the roof of the mean to.

 

[Cryss]

I think it should be water proof. I was referring to the plywood for the roof of the mean to.

Ah! Ok! Yes, absolutely! I'll be sealing them before they are installed. Of course I'm secretly hoping against hope I can somehow afford the clear roofing. The supports will be 2x4x12 that are a foot apart. I don't even know if the 2ft wide clear panels can be attached easily. We shall see.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

We used roofing caulk to seal holes when we had the prefab. It worked really well.