First coop build

[Machseven]

Got the nesting box installed. The nail gun was very helpful for the nesting box assembly and for mounting it to the frame.

 

[Machseven]

Got most of the wall done around the nesting box, but my wife wants a window over the nesting box so I'll have to get that done.

 

[Machseven]

Decided the window will have to wait. Got the latches and nesting box handle on. One more wall with the chicken door, then the wire. I want chickens before Christmas!

 

[aart]

Decided the window will have to wait.

Butbutbut.... you need light and especially ventilation.
Oh maybe your soffits are open, high and low?

It sure is pretty!
Chick or chickens coming on xmas?

 

[Machseven]

Chickens definitely. I will be adding holes across the tops for all-season ventilation and light.

Don't worry - this thing will be very breezy, with windows on two sides for now. I do want to add one to this side.

 

[Machseven]

 

[David61]

Looking good, top vent into the coop.
I got my day old chicks when I started my build. The chicks are fully feathered and can stay outside by five weeks. I had my coop wired by five weeks. When you wire your coop what kind of wire are you planning to use? How deep in the ground are you going and are you going to use an apron? Here is my build. (2) 10x6 roofed with a 8x20 run | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

And you are getting chickens? Buying a flock ? What kind of birds?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Continuing - the roof.

The plans really frustrated me here. I'm not a carpenter, and I didn't understand the plans for the roof. I understood making the frame, but the spacing pf the joists was tailored to the supporting frame, and I think it was intended that the joists would be screwed into the ends of the studs. You may have noticed I put a 2x4 on top of the frame. The plans didn't have a solid piece on top. Pieces were to be cut and screwed in between the roof frame and the studs. If that sounds confusing, it did to me too.

This video by Home Renovision made more sense to me. It's a shed roof on a slope, just like I was trying to do. I adapted this concept and followed it for the most part. I used hurricane strips to secure the frame to the top of the studs. Some videos out there will teach you how to cut birds'-eyes for the joists, which looked interesting and honestly not that hard, but this was simpler IMO. It's just a chicken coop!

I didn't take any pictures of the frame before I started adding plywood. I recruited some help to nail in the plywood. Notice I used 16" spacing for the joists, different than the studs. This was to help keep the plywood edges on seams.

View attachment 2436352
I used the rolling roof material recommended in the video. I also got a starter strip. I put the drip-guard around the perimeter. I was never quite sure if I should have put the drip-guard over the roofing on top side, ultimately I did it first.

So here is the good news. By framing the roof as you did, 2x4 on edge, 16" on center, you've created a large, easily screened eave which can be used for venting if you should ever wall the whole run as an even larger coop. You have 7 sq ft effective venting from the eaves alone, if I calculated the length of the building correctly. Also, you can walk on it, unlike things framed 24" on center, which can get a bit "spongy".

And there is a tremendous amount of dispute on drip guard placement. I put min over. So top to bottom its Guard, Shingle, Felt, Side Guard. and your side shingles should overhang the structure slightly. Side Guards go over the bottom Guard of course.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

follow up. Looks like you were using the really expensive underlayment, starting on the bottom course, then overlapping each higher course till you ran out??? and then used left over shingles to complete the top rows??? What did you put under them??? Shingle on bare wood is a recipe for disaster. Enough so that I would recommend carefully pulling them all up before they get too stiff, laying some paper, then re-nailing them!

 

[Machseven]

Looking good, top vent into the coop.
I got my day old chicks when I started my build. The chicks are fully feathered and can stay outside by five weeks. I had my coop wired by five weeks. When you wire your coop what kind of wire are you planning to use? How deep in the ground are you going and are you going to use an apron? Here is my build. (2) 10x6 roofed with a 8x20 run | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

And you are getting chickens? Buying a flock ? What kind of birds?

I am planning to put an apron of 1/2" hardware cloth around the perimeter. I'm using it for the screen around the sides too. I am getting chickens, probably six hens. I'll take what I can get - chickens aren't easy to come by these days, but there is one store nearby Hertzler Farm and Feed) that still has them available. As far as I know, only the Red Sex Link chickens are in stock, so that's what I'll get.