Help building my first coop

[mozza15]

Hey everyone,

Sorry if this has been asked before as i assume it will have been but I've used both forum and Google searches and they yield no relevant results.

Me and my girlfriend are looking into getting some chickens to look after and so we can use the eggs and next year maybe use the fertiliser to grow some vegetables. I want to build the coop to save money and because I enjoy putting together the pre-made huts for guinea pigs and rabbits and want to build my own for the fun. If after i build it we decide not to get chickens it will still be put to good use as her family has over 10 guinea pigs and a few rabbits and also offer boarding to small animals for families.

As i said i've never built a coop from scratch and don't know where to start at all. This is an example of the coop i want to build here. If anyone could help me out by linking me to a website with instructions and plans for this or if someone themselves could provide me with instructions and equipment lists it would be fantastic.

I want to build this style as i have already built a pre-made one and they are perfect for our needs and also for the guinea pigs/rabbits if we end up not buying chickens. It is also a very nice looking coop.

Any help you can provide at all is greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Uk_Stu]

is the one you already pre made still there?

if so you can take the measurements from that one.. btw are you in the uk?

also a uk based forum is here, some local knowledge..

Click

Stu

 

[BloominOrchid]

That looks like a great coop!
Did you try free coop designs? look above on this page an you will see coop designs, click on that.
I made my coop from an old garage. Just made it up as I went along...

But Coop De Ft Knox keeps the chickens safe and thats all I needed!
Good luck! Hope someone else has better advice!

 

[mozza15]

Thanks for the replies you two. I'll have a look at the coop design thread now

Yes i am from the UK and i'll check that forum out too

thanks a lot and taking the measurements is a good idea. I'll definitely use it as a starting point.

Thanks.

Edit: Just looked at the coops designs page and there are a few on there with the same design but the instructions aren't sufficient enough for me as a novice to wood working haha. Some great coops though.

 

[ducks4you]

You should also check out the suggestions regarding the BOTTOM of your new coop. Just because you're in the UK doesn't mean that somebody's dog or some other predators will not visit your birds and find them tasty. Most of us over here, either put their coops on cement or bury hardware cloth--bend it over and shape it like an "L", dig down 1/2 a foot and under the coop's run, put the horizontal portion down 1/2 a foot, and connect the vertical portion to the inside of the enclosure. Predators will tire of digging when they reach the metal cloth. Only a bear ( or a human ) will get in.