Building a Coop

shaky

Songster
11 Years
Apr 15, 2008
62
2
106
Austin
I wanted
1. A new, bigger coop that was really easy to use and clean.
2. lightweight and movable.
3. use mostly recycled or repurposed supplies to reduce cost.
4. start raising modern game bantams.
5. bend over as little as possible.
6. both contained and yard accessible.

So on bulk trash collection week I scavenged old fencing supplies.
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The specs are 3 x 6', 39" off the ground. The front is about 6" taller than the rear, as the rear will face west, taking most of the rainfall.
(Turns out I shoud have forgotten the "lightweight" idea and framed it out in 2x4s instead of 2x2s. I had to build on later to solidify, and now it's really heavy.)
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A close up on using fence boards to square it.

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I tacked on a base to keep it steady, and added boards to get a feel for it. I put the solid back on first.
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These were the roof supports slanting up from back to front. I actually added the roof much later.

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Expecting rain, and knowinig these beards were aged, I slapped on a coat of white paint.
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Moving the entire coop into the chicken yard, I next added a wall with a sliding door for outside access. Eventually I added a locking pin.

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The other end would be a swinging door to get to the nest boxes easier.

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The coop "floor" boards werecut to slant front to back to be swept clean with the grain.

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The front is openable with a door on either side.
They are held closed by a latch and angled wood slats.

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I painted the inside pale green, just because.

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The outside became light brown.
The roof is still not attached at this point.
You can see the holding strips to create nesting areas (separated by small "walls" of board).

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Now, before it got even heavier, I asked a friend to come help lift it so I could attach the base. The base was "floored" with 2x4 mesh before being connected.
The nest "boxes" can be seen here.

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The entire bottom half was screened with 1/2" hardware cloth.
Those gates were a real pain to build. Very frustrating.

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I cut a hole in the floor of the coop. It can be lifted out when the chickens are contained inside the run and replaced when they go out into the yard.
In this photo, I try to show all the features.

I'd like to hear any feedback, especially from you builders or would-be builders out there!
 

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