Can you help a non-building type woman find coop plans?

[Ridgerunner]

Pat took my main idea, the book on Sheds, so I'll tell a story instead.

When I lived in suburbia I needed a pretty shed for my backyard. I had two boys about the age of yours. I realized how much of a failure I had been as a father when I saw one of the boys try to swing a hammer with two hands.

I got a kit from the hardware store for a 8' x 8' wooden shed. The hardware was all included and the wood was pre-cut, so it did cost a bit. I put in the foundation, a solid layer of free railroad ties, and had the boys build me a shed. They read the plans, assembled everything, and drove every nail, even painted it afterwards. After this experience, when they helped fellow boy scouts on their eagle projects, they were able to impress the other boys by how they could handle a hammer.

Moral to the story, you can do it. Just make a plan.

 

[wholehearted]

We are using shed plans from an online site (downloadable). I just searched "free shed plans". I don't think I can post links since I'm new, but everything seemed legit with the site we used. They even had some free plans/samples to look at as well as a free construction guide, and everything was very detailed and explanatory. We are going to use a shed plan as a starting point and just make some minor adjustments to make it work as a coop. The coop section here on BYC has been a great help in helping us envision what we want. Good luck with whatever you go with!

 

[dsqard]

Ok if you have no idea what a cripple is (woodworking term that I only learned in the last six months myself) I can not recommend the Building Coops for Dummies Book any more than to scream it off the roof tops. It is a great book if you are intimidated by building anything. I was scared of building a coop pretty much by myself but that book got me through it. I built this from the book:

Before building my coop I was afraid to build a dog house because I thought I would wind up killing my dog by having the roof fall in. It is a great book for beginners!

 

[THINGUM]

Between the post on pg.1 of this thread, by SLWYNADOTT and the post just above mine by DSQARD, you should be able to move forward w/confidence.
the first is able to give excellent directions and is probably willing to help w/questions. And the second shows a coop that any DUMMIE can build. Remember: next to yourself, your toughest critic is going to be a chicken. [(and they're going to do all the accent painting, interior trimwork and finishing touches for you after they move in.)

We're all rootin' for ya. You can do it.

Quote: "Build her hell for stout, "pretty" always takes care of herself" ...Charlie Settlemeyer

 

[THINGUM]

Also, Ive seen a post saying, 'Use screws, (spline drives are best) they're lots easier to take out, thus making changes easier. Good luck
We all will keep an eye on ya. check back in and USE PICTURES.

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
X2 to the max! Screws may be more expensive (not by much though) but it is sooooo much easier to fix mistakes and in the long run probably saved me money. I don't know how many times I had to unscrew parts because I made a mistake. Good luck and believe me if a "Dummie"

like me can do it, so can you!

 

[rider357]

Quote:
Use what ever you have available, as long as it's safe for the birds and keeps them safe from predators. The coop needs to be dry inside, have enough room for however many birds you're planning on, give them places to lay eggs and roost, and should give them some natural light. A used yard building is great. Look on Craigslist and you'll be surprised at what you can pick up real cheap, or for free even. Keep the first coop very simple. Or, just go get an old bus like I did! http://cid-1c775b27bd12e34f.photos.live.com/browse.aspx/.MobilePhotos

There's a ton of info, and great folks right here that will help you along. Good luck and keep us informed on how it's going!

Mick

 

[halo]

Nothing easier than chain link dog kennel and cattle panels or fence wire for the top. You can either put a tarp over the top, or a few roofing panels.

 

[Joz]

I posted a response to a similar thread a few months ago. Unfortunately I can't copy/paste the whole thing, as the links aren't working, so I'll link to my original post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=404615


In that post I link to 3 sets of plans from the American Plywood Association, who provides Materials list, Notes and Tips, Panel and Lumber cut layout, etc.

You may have to "register" to see them, but that involves giving them your name and email address. I've never received any spam from them directly.

 

[RiddleMe]

Screws, screws, screws, and get the ones with the square or hex heads vs the Philips (the x shaped ones), the square/hex head ones are a LOT harder to strip if your'e using a drill.

Wrt books, the library or Home Depot/Lowes. That way you can thumb through the books and see if they have a specific plan you want to build, and if the instructions are "up to snuff" and something you're comfortable following before buying the book!