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

[herechicky]

My landlord is cool with it. I'm not exactly sure how many hens I'll have. I have 7 chicks right now (4 Easter Eggers, 2 Barred Rocks and 1 they claimed was a RIR but I'm pretty sure that's not correct). I got them at the feed store so I'm guessing at least 2-3 of them will be roosters who will have to be re-homed. I'm in Southern California so winter is not a problem at all. I want to give the ladies plenty of space so now I'm leaning toward something I can disassemble.

I was planning to use the hardware mesh but I figured that would be just as difficult at the chicken wire. Maybe not...

I was kidding about the dumb girl thing. I just assumed that would get more responses than "chicken coop questions."

I'm all about girl power!

 

[Gonzo]

Quote:
You can do this! I'm blond.... and I built one!

 

[Lorije1]

Tell ya .... first go at my chicken run my dad came up and helped me. We used chicken wire and it was a nightmare. We finally got it done, but it wore us out. Today, I installed 25ft of hardware cloth by myself (for the bottom half of the fence). What helped me was to unroll some on the ground and walk on it to get some of the curl out of it.

If you end up with 7 chickens, the minimum run you can have is 70sqft. So at under 3' wide, it would have to be over 23' long. Your henhouse would need to be 28sqft minimum. So I think being able to dismantle it would be in your best interest - so you can do what you want with it!

 

[dirtsaver]

Just my opinion,but some of the best setups I've seen incorporate a dog kennel. Build your coop to fit through the gate and then put up a dog kennel as the run. That way the coop can be inside the run where it will have more protection. The kennel panels are easy to assemble and to take down if you move. Just add some fencing to cover any gaps between kennel sections and over the top. Also easy to stretch a tarp over the top for winter protection!

Larry

 

[907chicken]

1. get a How to build sheds book. Black and Decker has one called Contemporary Sheds which is a nice book. This will give you some general knowledge.
2. When you build it use screws. And dont go over board with them either. this will make taking it apart easier. Not to mention screws are nice to build with anyway especially if you are as bad at hammering as me!
3. You will be able to dismantle it for moving once you build it cause you know how it went together.
4. Lastly line it with Linoleum or something like that so you can clean it easier if desired for the move.

 

[crosbygroup]

Would something like this work for you?

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/grd/1707987459.html

 

[sashurlow]

If you don't have to worry about cold temps than maybe one of the three sided coops would be better? Check out the desert coops or the florida coops. That way you would be building a run and enclosing one end with plywood. If you intend to disassemble it ever, then definitely use screws with a square head or a star head screw (not phillips or flat).

 

[nzpouter]

1) build it in 6 sections, 1 front, 1 back, 2 sides, 1 floor and 1 flat roof.

2) tack 1 side then strech lightly on one of the perpendicular line to it, then you can strecth it harder on the other 2 sides.

3) depending how close your coop is to your neighbour's window, you might not have to soundproof it.

4)a tin snip will cut through corro iron easily.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
Frame one wall at a time, then connect the four walls together using nuts/bolts and pre-drilled holes. Use plywood for the walls and floor using screws to attach to attach them...the plywood will add (much) rigidity to the structure. Again use screws to attach your roof joists to the top plates of your walls and then insulate and screw down your tin. On the smaller screws I would opt for one of the square headed screws rather than the traditional "phillips head"...they don't round-off as readily or maybe even one of the hex-headed roofing screws (definitely use the roofing screws with rubber o-rings to screw your tin on with).

Welded wire is *much* better than chickenwire. Chicenwire will not keep much of anything out except maybe your neighbor's tomcat. 1/2" is what is used mostly on the coop windows/doors and along the bottom 2-3 feet of the run fencing.

1/2" or so plywood for the sides will help on the soundproofing. The problem is that you've got to have adequate ventilation and where air can enter/exit so can sound.

Maybe if you explain really well to your hens to keep the racket down.

I know that the Lowe's closest to me (30 miles) will cut the tin for you...HD will probably do the same.

Pre-drilling the holes, using nuts/bolts and screws, along with a little creativity you can definitely build a nice size of a coop that can be broken down rather easily.

I know you were joking about the "girl" thing...you can do this... I've got two daughters....one's in the medical field and the other in education....my three year old granddaughter is a rocket scientist (smartest one of the bunch...including me!).

 

[herechicky]

Thank you all so much for the tips. I feel much less lost now. Here's my progress this weekend:

Two side frames with the beginnings of the nesting boxes.

Front and back frames leaning up against each other:

I started off painting everything to begin with and then decided just to paint it at the end. It was taking too long. So that's why there are multi-colored boards.