Dumb girl trying to build a coop...help!

[herechicky]

I have multiple questions that I can't seem to wrap my chicken-sized brain around.

1. Is long and skinny ok for a coop? I rent and I want to be able to take the coop with me when we eventually move. Problem is the fence door leading out of the back yard is only 3ft wide. I was just going to do super long and skinny with wheels but it's making me nervous that it won't be workable. I also thought of creating something that I could break down into pieces but I have exactly zero building experience so I'm a little unsure of how to accomplish that. Tips, advice?

2. I made a brooder for my chicks that included chicken wire and found out how stinkin' difficult it is to stretch it tightly and attach it flat but most of the coops I've seen on here don't seem all flimsy so I know there's got to be a better way to do it...advice would be appreciated.

3. I'm wondering if I should soundproof the coop. I won't have roosters but I'm still nervous about disturbing neighbors...anyone think this is unnecessary? Any advocates for soundproofing have any ideas on how best to do it and maintain adequate ventilation?

4. I want to do a corrugated metal roof but the dimension that they sell at HD/Lowe's aren't going to be correct. Does anybody know if they will cut the roofing to size or if it can be special ordered?

That's all I can think of for now. I'll try to post pictures this weekend to show my progress. Yikes. I can already tell is going to lead to many expletives.

 

[rancher hicks]

First of all draw out your design.
Second it will have to be narrower than 36" if you intend to leave it intact.
Third I suggest you use lag screws as these can be unscrewed and you can dismantle your coop and make it wider.
Fourth you don't say how many chickens and what kind. That does make a difference.
Fifth does your landlord know about your plans?
Sixth if you are going to continue I suggest a simple box/rectangle design. I don't recall where you live so I dont' know that winter will be a problem.
Seventh what are your plans for predators? If I lived where I used to live in the city, they would have been a bigger problem than where I live now.

Those are just some of the questions you need to address.

Oh and one more thing, I have 3 girls and they are not dumb and neither are you!

 

[HennyJenny]

I don't have a qualified answer for any of your questions. But I just wanted to tell you - that I just did this and you can too. Don't underestimate the power of yourself to get these things figured out. There are some awesome construction experts on here that will help you - and when that doesn't happen fast enough - google is your friend.

I will say that long and skinny is fine for a coop. To keep your sawing to a minimum try to make your coop dimensions to the dimensional size of the lumber you are using. I don't think lowe's will cut the metal roofing for you. But there are other roofing options - go wander through lowes and see what you can come up with.

Good Luck! Post Pictures!

YOU GO GIRL!

Jenny

 

[lisa new chickens]

Galvanized steel is what you need instead of standard chicken wire, they sell it at home depot. I cannot build either, we have been learning as we go...

 

[95yj]

I'd suggest building it in panels, thats usually how sheds are built. kind of difficult to explain but i'll try. Instead of building a frame and then attaching pieces of plywood each piece of plywood has its own "frame", 4 2x's screwed to the back. then all the sides are screwed together. When you move you can just unscrew it all and move it panel by panel. Maybe someone else can explain it better. I'd advise against building a 3 foot wide coop, it will make life difficult.

 

[Dogfish]

1. Chickens don't care, skinny or wide, etc. Home is home. Build your first coop, then experiment with a break down model. Walke before you run, then sell your first coop on Craigslist. Build on your skills by building. The more things you build, the better you get.
2. Use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. It is easier. If you insist on CW, then attach one side first, then attach the other, stretching tightly before you secure it. Work from the factory edge.
3. Get some of that styrofoam sheet insulation. 4x8 sheets, or 2x8, or 2x4. Cuts with a box cutter. Insulation and soundproofing.
4. Usually it is 2x8. buy two sheets, use a large overlap or cut with tin snips.

Most important of all, please don't discount yourself because of your gender. Build the coop, show your friends and be proud. No matter what, the chickens will like it.

 

[rancher hicks]

Oh and the metal you can cut with tin snips but I expect HD will do it for you. Same w/ all your plywood and 2x4's. Just go in with a list of what you need and the sizes. Personally folks I buy the cull lumber if it will work.

 

[wingman2008]

i didnt read all the post but my suggestion would be to make the floor what ever size you need then make the walls and screw them to the floor and then screw walls to each other....to make sure everything fits then unscrew....move it in the back yard.... then use cordless drill screw it back together
and screw top on (metal i would assume)

 

[FiveHens]

I'm not that knowledgeable myself, but I would say...
1) skinny is ok as long as the chickens can move around
2) hens aren't that loud, I wouldn't bother soundproofing it
3) chicken wire isn't that sturdy--like other people have said I would go for hardware cloth

Good Luck!

PS. I agree with what Dogfish said--build a coop any size you want, sell it on Craigslist, build a new one. Or make it dissemblable.

 

[Mucky]

Everyone will have a different idea but I would suggest you build the coop so that it will fit through the gate. Personally I think its more work trying to design it so that it can be disassembled easily.

I would just build the coop so it fits through the gate. The run you could build in panels though. The run you could build whatever size you want and should be able to disassemble easy enough.

Also, there are alot of mini-coops here on BYC that only take up about a 4' by 8' area, you could just resize it to suit your needs.

Then there are the warnings.. Might want to talk to the city, landlord, neighbors...

Good luck to you!

Edit- Might want to figure out how much space you have to use for your chickens. The folks here could help you figure out the coop size, run size, and number of chickens you can keep if they have more info