How to build a coop (with ADHD)

[3KillerBs]

Sorry! -18F

That's pretty cold for sure.

 

[3KillerBs]

Oops, hit post too soon.

Best to go onto your state thread and get info from people in your area who know how to deal with your climate, but there is someone on here with a hoop coop in Upstate New York.

Here's a link for cold climate info:

Cold Weather Poultry Housing and Care​

 

[fuzzi]

Hello!
I am in need of a coop. I only have a budget of about $600 and I need advice!! My situation here is, I have 6 hens (1 silkie, 2 lavender orpingtons, 1 sapphire gem, 1 mottled Houdan, and 1 Easter egger)

They are currently in a coop way too small for them and I need a new one! I’ve read about building vs buying and am having trouble finding a used or new coop online.

But the issue for me is, I have severe ADHD and have no carpentry experience. My dad could help me but he also has ADHD and we can get lost and confused with big projects that don’t take a day.

If I can build a coop it’d be awesome but, can anyone help me figure out a way to put it all together easily enough to get it done in a few hours?

would this be too much to take on?
Should I just buy a coop?

I'm going to second the suggestion about making a hoop coop. I'm 62, not strong, arthritic, and have very limited experience with tools. I do own a drill which I have become comfortable using.

I'm making a hoop coop right now, and with only a little assistance. If you're interested in my journey check out my thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fuzzis-chicken-journal.1550586 (the hoop coop build starts about page 9, but there's TONS of information offered from the beginning).

 

[Raptor Chicken]

It wouldn't be my first recommendation but if you're willing to do some light modifications Lowes sells a metal shed for around $500 that would be suitable size wise.

But you would absolutely have to modify for ventilation, among other things.

 

[Bubblesunrise]

It wouldn't be my first recommendation but if you're willing to do some light modifications Lowes sells a metal shed for around $500 that would be suitable size wise.

But you would absolutely have to modify for ventilation, among other things.

Hello!
This is actually the option I’m going with. I ended up buying a metal shed, but my parents plan to cut out areas for ventilation at the top below the roof and I will be adding in roosting bars. It arrived yesterday but unfortunately it’s really cold and windy out so I haven’t had a chance to build!

I’m really determined to get this done so I’m hoping I don’t burn out! I will keep you all updated on my progress!

 

[FunClucks]

Hello!
This is actually the option I’m going with. I ended up buying a metal shed, but my parents plan to cut out areas for ventilation at the top below the roof and I will be adding in roosting bars. It arrived yesterday but unfortunately it’s really cold and windy out so I haven’t had a chance to build!

I’m really determined to get this done so I’m hoping I don’t burn out! I will keep you all updated on my progress!

I bought that shed and put it together. The box was so heavy I couldn't move it around well, so it sat out in the rain for a month or two before I finally managed to try to put it together. By that point I had lost the instructions which I'd removed from the box, and the rain had washed off the part numbers for half the parts (who puts water soluble part numbers on a shed???) so me and my sister had to lay out all the panels on the grass and guess which panels went where based on where the holes were. I actually contacted the manufacturer to get another copy of the instructions. Not sure what happened there, but half the part numbers that we did have were different than those listed in the instructions, and it was the most painful, frustrating build ever. A wooden shed, while more pricey would probably have been half the trouble.

Also, you should calk around the screws on the top of the roof as you build the shed - you'll not be able to reach them later because the roof can't support the weight of a person, and water will leak through those plastic washers after a few months. If you put caulk inside the shed, the chickens may eat it. Caulk around all the outside of your panels and the bottom frame, tops and bottoms of panels, and seams. That helped with some of my leak issues. I built my shed on an elevated framed plywood platform.

I used a skinny awl and a few stubs of 2"x4" and some wooden spacers as backing plates to add additional holes to the panels so I could secure them better to be metal framing. Thank goodness there were extra screws, washers, and nuts. Also, caulk everything as you build it, keeping the caulk away from the interior and therefore the chickens. For our shed, the water is coming under the door (that's going to be a problem long term I can tell). I wish I'd put down a thin rubber gasket or something, but I think my caulk cracked under that transition. An awning would probably fix that problem, but I have to find something light enough. Have to build a half wall or something to protect the door slides from getting clogged up with shavings, or do as others have and build/frame out a totally different door that opens outward instead of sliding sideways.