Chicken Coop construction UPDATED

[Omran]

that's a big o nice looking job

 

[River Lizard]

Yesterday I got both roof sections sheathed and 1-3/4's felt paper (ran out of felt

) I didn't do much else yesterday, I was plum-worn-out (it was extremely humid and hot yesterday). I cleaned up the work area and pulled the large tarp over the coop to protect it from rain until I can get the exterior completely covered.
Not sure how much time I'll have this week to work on it since I have to catch up with my other duties around the house.
I did find a corn snake crawlin' around by the chicken coop yesterday, so I picked him up and moved him over to brush pile I have at the back section of my property(sorry no photos-next time I'll make sure I take a few). He was very relaxed when I picked him up, very easy to handle, unlike a Northern Water snake, which just loves to bite any chance it gets.

Ok, back to the coop project, my next step is to finish the one interior wall, block a few openings (future doors and windows) and then start installing the siding. If the weather is good next weekend, I hope to have the exterior completely covered and ready for first coat of paint.
I've got 2 weekends left before the chicken room needs to be finished and ready for the RNP to move into it.

That doesn't leave me much time, I might have to take a few days off from work next week or I don't think I'll meet that deadline.
List of items to get done in 2 wks.
1. Exterior sealed up
2. Chicken area:
A. wire outlets and switches
B. Build nesting boxes
C. insulate walls
D. Cover walls
E. Install vinyl flooring
F. Install chicken doors
G. Install screen door between rooms.
3. Install exterior entry door

 

[Boondachs]

Nice job so far

 

[rivergypsy]

Dear River Lizaard: LOL, your chicken coop is larger than my bedroom and coop put together. I am so envious of your lucky chickens. All that space. And I just saw a photo of a chicken coop with a gambrel roof that was torn out and rebuilt. All I could think of was WOW, what storage!!! My casita is a total of 960 sq. ft. So when you have that kind of space and storage my eyes light up. Keep up the good work. linda/

 

[LauraP]

Wow, what a big coop! Nice too

 

[River Lizard]

Thanks for the nice comments.

Well, I've requested 3 days off from work next week to work on the coop. That will give me Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon. so hopefully I can finish the siding (if I don't this weekend) and do the electrical work inside, lay the floor-covering, install the chicken doors, install the screen door between rooms, add two windows, add nesting boxes, roost and panel the rest of the chicken room.

This weekend I have to take Saturday off because I have an event that our catfish club is involved in so I won't get much work done that day on the coop. A local Association puts on a "James River Cleanup event" each year and we've signed up to help in the project, so we'll be trash collecting along the shoreline on Saturday.
I'll probably feel guilty but I was thinking of staying out on the river and staying overnight, then head home to work on the coop Sunday morning. I've gone over 3 weeks without fishin'...it's taking it's toll on me!!

 

[Boondachs]

Quote:
awww, it will all be over soon.

 

[River Lizard]

Quick update on Coop:

Got the metal roof material ordered, should be in next Saturday.
Got two exterior walls sided.
Started wiring. Placed the sub-panel and marked locations for outlets, switches and fixtures.

Problems/screw-ups:
One major structural one that I don't even know how it happened but it's serious enough that I've got to address it before I continue with the coop.
Here's the deal: I caulked a line at the bottom of the South facing wall so I could start hanging the exterior Hardi-boards, as I was determining how much of each panel I was going to have to cut off at the top I noticed something wasn't adding up right on the measurements. Well, after taking a number of measurements on the Southern wall....I've determined that my brain was on vacation the day I built that wall because the length of the first stud on one end of the wall is almost 3 inches different than the stud at the other end of the wall 16 feet away. That's some MAJOR difference and I can't figure out how it happened. All the studs are level up and down but when I put the level at the top of the wall, it's off by a long shot.
I'm going to sawzall all the nails in boards to allow me to jack the top plate up level and I'll have to replace every one of those studs on that wall.

This is going to set me back at least 1 maybe two days on the project. I'm still in shock over it.....I just keep thinking how did that happen, it's not like I wasn't picking up that level every 5 minutes checking to make sure I was building everything level and I always measured everything twice if not three times......I just don't understand how that wall could have gotten that screwed up. And something else doesn't add up, I should have noticed a 3 inch drop....hummmm, I'm going to look at it again today after work....something isn't right, 3 inches difference from 1 end to the other EVEN my wife could see that by just looking but it's not noticeable if you stand back...

Anyway, I've got photos on the progress but I haven't uploaded them yet, I'll see if I can't get to them tonight after I work on the coop some. I've taken vacation time this week Wed., Thurs. & Fri. to work on the coop and have most of it done by Monday. I hope this wall problem doesn't take too much time.

 

[chickenbottom]

wow that huge and i bet its going to be pretty to your chickens are going to love that

 

[Stumpy]

Construction can be so frustrating, can't it? Perhaps you could scab those studs and you wouldn't have as much waste.

At least you're not building it down here -- We're expecting 98 today.