Helpful hints for building coops

[aart]

Not buying chickens, just checking out the rabbits. But yeah definitely quarantine.

Goes for any animal...but you knew that.

 

[jvls1942]

good morning,
I am up,,,,again..
I got up at 4:3o and took a shower.
I think I got stung by a bee right at the top of my stocking line on the ankle. It itches like crazy so I figured since I couldn't sleep, might as well be the first in line for the bathroom.
put some lotion on it.

I have a 20 minute drive to Menard's for the 2x4's. trying to think if I need anything else.

I think the dog house I built is plenty big enough for the two dogs and myself.
I always try to plan ahead..

I have not commented much on anybody else's build, but I am following you and am interested in your progress, too.
keep taking plenty of breaks from the heat.
tomorrow is another day..
I used to go at a job in a frenzy, but not anymore.. now I spend more time psycing myself up to go at it than the time I actually spend on the job..

 

[CapricornFarm]

good morning,
I am up,,,,again..
I got up at 4:3o and took a shower.
I think I got stung by a bee right at the top of my stocking line on the ankle. It itches like crazy so I figured since I couldn't sleep, might as well be the first in line for the bathroom.
put some lotion on it.

I have a 20 minute drive to Menard's for the 2x4's. trying to think if I need anything else.

I think the dog house I built is plenty big enough for the two dogs and myself.
I always try to plan ahead..

I have not commented much on anybody else's build, but I am following you and am interested in your progress, too.
keep taking plenty of breaks from the heat.
tomorrow is another day..
I used to go at a job in a frenzy, but not anymore.. now I spend more time psycing myself up to go at it than the time I actually spend on the job..

I know exactly what you mean about psyching yourself up. Same here. Some days i practically drag myself out there, and it may not happen until noon. But i am happy with any progress i can make. I try to set myself goals. I want to get the rest of that siding on the side of the coop i was working on yesterday. Just plain tired, but i am hoping a cup of tea will help get me going. One of the chickens was making a racket so i thought maybe she laid her first egg. I went up there and nothing happening. Who knows? But i put a nest box in the run just in case.

 

[jvls1942]

I know exactly what you mean about psyching yourself up. Same here. Some days i practically drag myself out there, and it may not happen until noon. But i am happy with any progress i can make. I try to set myself goals. I want to get the rest of that siding on the side of the coop i was working on yesterday. Just plain tired, but i am hoping a cup of tea will help get me going. One of the chickens was making a racket so i thought maybe she laid her first egg. I went up there and nothing happening. Who knows? But i put a nest box in the run just in case.

I might be wrong, but you are putting slab wood on for siding ?
vertically or horizontally?

 

[CapricornFarm]

I might be wrong, but you are putting slab wood on for siding ?
vertically or horizontally?

Yes, horizontally. It looks more like a log cabin that way, which is what our house is.

 

[jvls1942]

this is my pick up truck "table"
that is a full 12 foot wall.

this is the second wall with the rough window openings.
after the roof is on I will finish the windows and whatever inside work needs to be done. then it won't matter if it rains.
I attached the vinyl siding directly to the studs. I put it on only to protect the studs from any rain.
the rear wall is 5 1/2 inches shorter than the side walls. the double 2x6 bean will rest on that wall. there is a beam pocket at each end of the long walls.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Wow, that looks big! What are the dimensions?
Here is the side of the coop i am currently working on.

 

[jvls1942]

Wow, that looks big! What are the dimensions?
Here is the side of the coop i am currently working on. View attachment 1142810

that is going to be a real nice looking coop.
after the coop is finished, you can go into business building play houses..

the shed I am working on is 12 feet the long way and 7 feet wide on the window end.
the end opposite the windows will not have a wall.
my tractor will fit in there if I back it in.
I have inches to spare on each side.
I am going to cantalever the roof past the next wall to cover the sidewalk next to the chicken coop.
I will send pictures of that after I get the roof rafters framed up.
it will have a 6/12 pitch steel ribbed roof

so in all, the roof will be just under 12 feet

.........jiminwisc.......

 

[jvls1942]

this is what I started with.
the lean to is fastened to the garage on the left. that is the chicken coop on the right.
there is a sidewalk between the lean to and the chicken coop.
I ripped the lean to out. much of the wood was rotten . there was a dirt floor.
I poured a 12 foot x 7 foot concrete floor.
that was all the wider I could go.
the back corner of the lean to caved in from the snow load.
and when I built the lean to, I should never have made it pitch toward the chicken coop. all the snow slid off the roof and onto the sidewalk..

.......jiminwisc.......

 

[jvls1942]

the top picture is the wooden frame I built out of red oak. there is not a nail in it.
all mortise and tenon and some wooden dowels.

the middle picture is the pllucker tipped on it's side showing the chain and sprocket drive I designed. that is a 1 HP motor with a #40 chain.
I can adjust the tension on the drive chain by moving 4 nuts up on down on the bolts holding the motor mount.

the bottom picture is the 99% complete plucker. the wheels came off of an old wheelchair . I used the large wheels on my 2 wheeled garden cart that I built.

.......jiminwisc.........