Hello my fellow posters. I am feeling extremely overwhelmed. I have 4 chicks (6 weeks old) and we are moving August 1st to our new place. Right now, they are in a halfway house at my boss's since my landlord now won't let me keep them here. Anyway, I am feeling so overwhelmed with building a coop. I will have to borrow tools (drill and some sort of saw) and my bf doesn't have any real construction experience. He said just provide him with the plans, and he'll build it. So I went to the resource place here for recycled construction materials - as if that would calm me - WRONG. They have TONS of EVERYTHING, windows, doors, hinges, lumber, cabinets, gutters, JUST EVERYTHING you could possible need. I'm thinking a 4 x 4 coop, ~2 feet above ground, and roughly a 12 x 4 foot run including under coop. But who knows? DO I build it tall enough to walk in? Do I worry about vinyl flooring? do i build a slanted roof so water/snow doesn't accumulate? Do I buy sand for the run? ARGHHH! So I'm just at a loss. I don't know what to do. THe guy at resource said I could bring in some plans and he'd help me out, and I do have SOMEWHAT of an idea, but two things (1) i'm on a TIGHT college budget. (2) I don't know how long we'll be living at the place we're moving two. At least a year, but probably not more than 2... So I feel like if I put a ton of effort into making a decent coop, will it all go to waste if we won't be able to take it with us when we move? I'm still juggling the little tykes playhouse because that won't create some much construction and building. And of course, like many others, ours has to look nice sine we are RIGHT next to our neighbors. I don't know, just so many ideas and concerns - Just wondering how you all overcame this hurdle of how to get started.
Keep looking in this section, and do a search on runs, sand, etc. You will learn a lot here, I know I did. I would also build a little bigger than for the number of chickens you have in case you get more. Also, with four chickens, IF you can keep yourself to that, you may want to make a chicken tractor- they are moveable, and relatively easy to make. Again, do a search here on that topic, you will see all kinds! Good luck.
First things first just breath. Now go to the coop section click on small coops look through them find one you like alot of them tell how they built them. Or goggle pallet coops you should find plenty probably even free plans .Calm down , I have anxiety attacks also just remain calm itwill be fine.
I felt the same way at first - My dh said he could do it (even though I found a carpenter who said he could do it for $300 which included materials!). I found a coop posted on the tab for design coops that was very similar to the one I envisioned in my mind. Printed off photos - now dh & I are using that as a guide. We got the base and floor done this weekend! You can do it!
Check out my self built Coop on my BYC page, it was mostly salvage material for the bricks, frames, windows, gutters. I did buy the plywood for the sheathing and it has lasted for over 15 years now. Plans---what plans, just had the general concept in my head and started, use what you got and can get and modify as needed. My concept was of a sub-ground level dirt floor with deep litter, a roost I could pivot up for cleaning, nest boxes able to reach in from outside, overhanging roof on all four sides (durability), rainwater collection. All the wood off the ground to prevent rot, ventilation, windows able to open in summer (hardware cloth for varmint protection), close in winter. Chicken pop door forms the ramp when opened, people door has scrap angle iron on the threshold frame to prevent varmints chewing their way in (seen that in my grandparents coop). A run with free food falling from the mulberry trees (planted Illinois everbearing mulberrys), have since planted apples, persimmons, stone fruits, and yearly plant tomatoes in cages to grow up and drop food to the chickens.
I know how you feel...I initially just built a totally enclosed run (pvc hoop run) with a tarp over the top for rain protection. It is working great for now, but winter is coming and so is egg laying time so I feel like I need to get on with the coop. I had it in my head to build a 4x8 coop with 3/4" plywood my husband already has in my garage. I started thinking about construction methods and that is when I had my anxiety attack. Anyway, I went to the coop section and looked at small and medium coops. If found a coop in the small coop section called the Blue Coop that was built similiar to what I had thought about in my head. One of the great things about it is it includes a materials list and pretty detailed directions, not just pictures like some. I am going to use this plan but making it 8'x8' and not have a little porch. I am going to make it 5' tall in the front and 4' in the back. Originally I was going to make it 4'x8' but I have 12 chickens and one is a roo, so I may have chicks someday, so I decided to enlarge it. If you go with the 4x8size you wont have to do as much sawing since plywood comes in 4x8 sheets. I initially was going to have a drop down door in the back (the width of the coop, 8 ft.) that I could open for cleaning with nest boxes on the 2 sides (the 4 foot sides), but now that I am going for the 8'x8' size that is 5' tall I might put a door on the side instead. I am only 5'4" tall so I think it would be ok. If you make yours 4'x8' you can do the drop down door in the back and be able to rake it out for cleaning. Raise it off the ground about 3 feet then when you go to clean it you can drop the back down, put your wheelbarrow or tub right by the back and rake the old bedding right into it. Just cruise the small and medium coop section and you will find a coop you can copy or adapt to what you want. You will find some that will fit into the back of a truck if you have to move. Good luck and don't stress...it will be ok!
If'n you wanna go with the Little Tykes Playhouse coop, here's one I just set up this past weekend for two banties and two large fowl chickens. The playhouse is 41 inches deep by 48 inches wide. That's JUST under enough space for 4 chickens, so I'm glad two of its occupants are bantams. It helps that their waterer is a nipple waterer and uses NO floor space.
