Helpful hints for building coops

[Fluffyflufffluff]

I am currently building my biggest coop ever and thought about how many newbies are trying to build their first coop ever. Thinking of all you struggling to learn the use of tools and with questions on your mind about planning, i thought it would be helpful to share what i have learned and let others do the same. Even small tips can ease frustration in the building process. If you just want to share pictures of your progress, have at it. Let's share and encourage each other.
The usual back yard chicken rules apply. Please play nice, no need to be rude. Everyone has to learn sometime . Welcome to my coop building thread.

My tip is to use chicken wires for the chicks coops flooring. for the manure droppings, and excess food and water to drop and clean easy.

 

[aart]

My tip is to use chicken wires for the chicks coops flooring. for the manure droppings, and excess food and water to drop and clean easy.

Chicken wire is too big(1" hexagonal holes).......1/2" hardware cloth might work.
But wire is hard on their feet.

 

[aart]

5+" on the deck and it's still pouring down!

 

[Molpet]

My tip is to use chicken wires for the chicks coops flooring. for the manure droppings, and excess food and water to drop and clean easy.

Dogs, coyotes, Racoons and Opossums tear up chicken wire, weasels and mink go right through holes bigger than 1/2" by me.

 

[CapricornFarm]

My tip is to use chicken wires for the chicks coops flooring. for the manure droppings, and excess food and water to drop and clean easy.

You have to be careful if predators can get at the bottom, they will rip their way in. And chickens feet might fall through. Better to use hardware cloth.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Sorry guys, having a hard time getting motivated.
So here is the roof I had to fix. I had one long piece of used roofing tin. Cutting it in half, a was able to cover the top of the packing crate coop.

If you look closely, you can see the seam. Because the coop is level, water tends to build up on top. So I caulked the whole seam.
There were holes in the tin, and before I got them caulked as planned....it rained. And got wet inside. Therefore I searched around the workshop and found a few roofing screws. I put silicone over the holes and then put the screws in the existing holes.

 

[CapricornFarm]

The edges of the tin did not overlap the wood all the way, so I caulked the edge where the metal meets the wood.

 

[aart]

If you look closely, you can see the seam. Because the coop is level, water tends to build up on top. So I caulked the whole seam.

So no slant/slope at all on roof?

 

[CapricornFarm]

So no slant/slope at all on roof?

I usually don't need a slope on the coop roof, since the ground is so hilly!

 

[aart]

I usually don't need a slope on the coop roof, since the ground is so hilly!

So the whole coop is slanted enough to shed rain?!