Coop Building Reference Table....(suggestion area only)

[RM44]

Thanks Camille's Dad. You covered stairs perfectly.

The only thing I would add is that the Carpenter's nuts work great on the stairs also.

If you do decide to cut out your stair stringers, pay attention to the saw cuts showing on the outside. I generally cut to the stop line and finish with a hand saw. If more strength is desired you can nail a 2x4 along the length of the stringer, underneath the cutouts for the treads.

The reason you cut the thickness of the tread material from the bottom of the step (usually 1-1/2" for a 2x6) , is so that the steps are all the same height when the treads are installed.

When you nail the stringer to the deck, or floor system, at the top. Drop the stringer down the thickness of the top tread so that the tread planes out at the finish floor level.

 

[redhawkou812]

Both you guys hit the nail on the head. I'm old school, too, & those nuts are handy as heck especially on the stairs.

Thanks for great detail!!

 

[River Lizard]

Great info.....now if we could find some images to go along with the detail write up that would be great too.

 

[lesterlu]

human stairs are 7" rise over 11" run. did anyone mention proper rise over run for a chicken ramp?

and i request that it be noted in the floor height pro/cons that high coop doors and roosts dont work for silkies. (they have openings in the tops of their skulls and can suffer fatal injuries from a fall/blow to the head.) (nitpicky, but silkies are gaining in popularity and i just lost one for this reason.)

also regarding floor option pro/cons: i read that 5 toed breeds cant adapt to wire cage floors as well as 4 toed. perhaps someone can confirm that.

thanks, cant wait to see the final product!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I don't think there really is one, other than it should not be *too* close to either 0 or 180 degrees

Chickens don't usually walk up or down a ramp -- they use a ramp more by hopping/flapping up, and often flying down and skipping the ramp entirely.

Pat

 

[Amethyste]

Chickens don't usually walk up or down a ramp -- they use a ramp more by hopping/flapping up, and often flying down and skipping the ramp entirely.

lol tell my birdies that

They have been seen many times walking up the run... and even looks like goosesteps !! Its funny to watch....

Quite funny!! But they do flap and fly down at times...but at night we watch them all line up and walk up the ramp. They are so polite about it too which amazes me.

We are putting fresh liner on the run ramp for them this weekend...it looks a bit scroungy in these pics...

 

[VA from WV]

I may be overthinking this, but the 'size vs chickens' subheading should possibly address volume, as well as square footage. This is because on occasion engineers take it upon themselves to build chicken coops, and then all kinds of crazy things can happen.

 

[huntsman]

WOW!

I have no idea at all on how to build a coop, and got all excited when I started reading this thread....

I see now that this is the suggestion area only, so did this ever take off? If so, where can I find the resultant drawings, measurements, specs, etc?

Thanks!

 

[Penturner]

Unless I am missing the link to the information. I was thinking this should be removed as a sticky. It appears to me it was such a great idea that everyone decided to keep it an idea

 

[huntsman]

It's a real pity. I could have done with the info that the thread promised, but instead got all excited about nothing...