Chicken coop build 8’ x 20’

[Becks Chicks]

This is a lovely record of your build. When you've finished you need to write up a coop article and enter it into the coop page contest (there's one every year).

Thank you. I’ve spent so much time on this site doing searches and looking at coops. Hoping to pay it forward, even if it serves as a what not to do or if they can do it so can we motivation.

It was super hot after work and we didn’t get much done. We have the basic frame of one 36” nesting box done. Complicated little boxes and we are taking it slow. There will be a drop down door in the front.

 

[Bodhisan]

I may have missed someone already addressing this, but might I suggest you build a much bigger run, since you have the land? Twenty feet for maybe four hens would be good, but for 12, that could be inviting some trouble - especially on down the road when you want to integrate new chicks. They have to have room to run and escape - even when they're mature. We have five hens, and their run is about 10' x 40'. It's barely enough for my one picked-on production blue (who was integrated with two other PBs into a three-easter egger "flock" a year ago) to manage to finally get away from by my nasty, mean easter egger - who will pounce on top of her and peck away. I just know if I had a smaller space, there would be devastating physical harm - but with this much space, no blood and no noticeable feather loss.

Too, with the current heat as a possible annual event, you might also want to make a small portion of your run covered for shade.

Additionally: How nice to have a husband who is, in the very least, a professional carpenter - gee whiz.

 

[Melissa67137]

Might I suggest a solid roof on your run to protect from avian flus, especially since you are so close to water and water fowl whom are the biggest carriers of it. Would hate for ya to go to all this work then your flock get sick and have to be destroyed when a simple roof would of helped.

Otherwise I love what you are doing thus far. I am planning a new coop myself.....went from 1 old rescued hen to 1 old hen and 3 EE pullets this year so my small cabinet coop doesn't quite work now.

 

[Finally chickens!]

I’ll try and add lots of pictures so we can get feedback and advice along the way. It does rain a tremendous amount in our area. We’ll stake and strap the foundation this evening in case the river ever floods. We already trenched power and water to the site, and installed plastic drain pipe for drainage.

We are also in SW Washington, right by the ocean. We always use ground contact treated wood and stainless steel deck screws. Believe me .... your screws will deteriorate before your wood does. We just replaced all of our deck because the screws rusted away but ..... bright side ..... we used the deck wood for another chicken coop! I do wish we would have covered part of our runs and we will address that this fall.

 

[Becks Chicks]

We are also in SW Washington, right by the ocean. We always use ground contact treated wood and stainless steel deck screws. Believe me .... your screws will deteriorate before your wood does. We just replaced all of our deck because the screws rusted away but ..... bright side ..... we used the deck wood for another chicken coop! I do wish we would have covered part of our runs and we will address that this fall.

Hi Neighbor! Yes, foundation is pressure treated wood and we’ve already gone through a box of 2.5” deck screws. The run will be covered for the rain.

 

[Becks Chicks]

Might I suggest a solid roof on your run to protect from avian flus, especially since you are so close to water and water fowl whom are the biggest carriers of it. Would hate for ya to go to all this work then your flock get sick and have to be destroyed when a simple roof would of helped.

Otherwise I love what you are doing thus far. I am planning a new coop myself.....went from 1 old rescued hen to 1 old hen and 3 EE pullets this year so my small cabinet coop doesn't quite work now.

There will be a solid roof. Absolutely have to have for the rain and to protect the chickens from all of our wild birds. I’m in bed this morning drinking coffee and watching videos on how to measure and cut rafters.

This is the YouTube video I’m finding the most helpful.

 

[Becks Chicks]

I may have missed someone already addressing this, but might I suggest you build a much bigger run, since you have the land? Twenty feet for maybe four hens would be good, but for 12, that could be inviting some trouble - especially on down the road when you want to integrate new chicks. They have to have room to run and escape - even when they're mature. We have five hens, and their run is about 10' x 40'. It's barely enough for my one picked-on production blue (who was integrated with two other PBs into a three-easter egger "flock" a year ago) to manage to finally get away from by my nasty, mean easter egger - who will pounce on top of her and peck away. I just know if I had a smaller space, there would be devastating physical harm - but with this much space, no blood and no noticeable feather loss.

Too, with the current heat as a possible annual event, you might also want to make a small portion of your run covered for shade.

Additionally: How nice to have a husband who is, in the very least, a professional carpenter - gee whiz.

Oh gosh…..I thought 20’x8‘ was plenty using chicken math of 10’ per bird. I don’t necessarily need more chickens if the run isn’t big enough. We aren’t willing to expand any more for the chickens. I want to leave the trees for privacy and I love seeing the eagles who roost in them. My husband wants a boat ramp and that will take up the rest of the space towards the water. And we apparently need a fish cleaning station after this. Lots of projects.



My husband is not a professional carpenter but I’ll pass along you said that. He‘ll walk a little taller today after hearing it. He doesn’t even like my chickens, but he loves creative projects and this is in his wheelhouse. We were the general contractors on our house that we just built so he has some knowledge.

 

[3KillerBs]

I’m in bed this morning drinking coffee and watching videos on how to measure and cut rafters.

Don't use birdmouths on your rafters. Use hurricane ties and leave the soffits open for ventilation.

(Sorry, I'm at work on lunch and don't have time/resources to show you pictures of mine).

 

[Becks Chicks]

Don't use birdmouths on your rafters. Use hurricane ties and leave the soffits open for ventilation.

(Sorry, I'm at work on lunch and don't have time/resources to show you pictures of mine).

Thank you. I’ll pass along to my husband. I think he was planning on using 2x6s so there would still be quite a bit left open for ventilation if going with a birdsmouth cut. But honestly, my head spins on this kind of stuff and I can’t talk intelligently about it.

 

[Becks Chicks]

Got a little more work done today. It was over 100 degrees and we couldn’t get started until 3:30pm. The heat really sucks it out of you. We got the run walls up. It’s starting to look like a chicken coop We are adding a Dutch door to the end. We also decided to do some small solid panels on the western side of the run to give the chickens some shade in the summer.

We’ll finish the framing of the door tomorrow after a run to Home Depot.