My first coop...a pallet coop.

[auto5man]

Looks great, Flyboy, keep the pix of progress coming. I love looking at all the coop design and construction pictures but I especially love the pallet coop photos because that's what I'm building too. It seems like no two are alike and each builder adds a personal touch/idea that is clever and a little bit different from the rest. To make my coop I took the pallets apart and use the 1x4 pine boards for siding, rafters and flooring. Screws, four 2x4's for floor framing, and a linoleum scrap were the only purchased items so far. Windows, nest boxes, pop door, and clean out door still have to be added.

 

[Flyboy718]

Ok, here is this evenings work...capped of the top of each wall with 2X4's. Also, squared up the very back side wall with the other two walls and joined them. I strengthened both front and back walls by inserting a 2X4 inside the pallet and hammered it down and then nailed it in place and that join's them in the middle and by the 2X4's nailed as a cap on top. I also joined two 2X4's end to end and nailed short 1X4 pieces on each side to make a long 2X4 and that is what you see on the roof as my first rafter. The roof would be too steep if I left as in the picture, so I am going to cut three pallets down tomorrow and raise the back wall by 16" to make the roof a shallower angle and more head room for me. Then I will have to figure out and try my hand at birds mouth cuts for the rafters.

 

[WelshSpringChicken]

I'm considering using pallets to build my first coop - they are readily available just up the road - 99p per pallet

Would it be best to strip them down and use the boards, or leave them whole? I want it to look tidy and be easy to maintain (chicken-friendly protective woodstain/paint, etc) so am tempted to strip them, however I will be building an insulated coop so maybe it would be best to leave them whole?

How have you found it building they way that you have?

Ta,
Emma

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Everyone has a different way of using pallets. I think it's a personal choice . The pallet coops and other projects that we have built, were best used as boards. I prefer more ventilation, so we prefer open/air coops. Insulation is great but not really a concern for me and the area where I live.

 

[Keri78]

Good thinking with the slanted roof! It makes snow slide off much easier in the winter!

 

[WelshSpringChicken]

Open-air coops are not much good here... The last few Winters have been varied but on the whole cold and wet/icy/snowy. The Summers have been just as varied, so need something that is cool in the Summer but warm in the Winter. The ventilation in my design is going to be able to open/close depending on the temperature.

Shame the climate here doesn't support open-air coops, perfect solution for ventilation issues!

 

[auto5man]

Quote:
Everyone has a different way of using pallets. I think it's a personal choice . The pallet coops and other projects that we have built, were best used as boards. I prefer more ventilation, so we prefer open/air coops. Insulation is great but not really a concern for me and the area where I live.

WelshSpring, I like what kuntrygirl says, its a personal choice best made after a little hands on experience. If you decide the tear down method and using them as boards, I would first get one pallet and actually take it apart to see if it is manageable for you. The pine pallets I used were RELATIVELY easy to tear down, but I used approx 16 pallets, took about 15-30 minutes per pallet to put in perspective. Some pallets are nearly impossible to tear down and its almost better to saw them apart, but you get shorter boards. As far as looking tidy, you can get that with either method, see the pictures posted towards the front of this thread, you would never know whole pallets were the walls, you just see siding and all the lines are true (very nice erndbrt!). I think flyboys coop is going to look awesome. As far as insulation I would think using the pallets whole as flyboy is doing would be easier to insulate. The route I chose (take apart, use the boards) I think would be harder to insulate, it could be done but not necessary for my climate. Been 110 heat index here in the south for weeks, winters are average temps in the 30's with occas dips into the teens but not prolonged cold.

 

[Flyboy718]

Quote:
Emma, just going to re-iterate what 'Auto5man' said. It's a personal choice. I kinda need to get this coop done as soon as possible, hence the full pallets. I have cut a few in half to use to keep the walls at the height I wanted them. It will also be much easier for insulation purposes leaving the pallets whole. I would like to build one by taking pallets apart...but I don't have the time to do it on this one.... Mine will have sheathing on the outside when I finish and as was said before, you won't even know it was built using pallets until you open the door. So far it has gone well and quick...I have about 10 hrs of work into it right now and I can tell you that that would probably be around 15 hours if I had taken pallets apart.

 

[WelshSpringChicken]

Thanks for the info guys, it's all helping

My OH wants to build it so I'll have to see what he would prefer to do. I'm gonna keep checking back to this thread to see how your build turns out Flyboy!

Emma

 

[Flyboy718]

I have a new picture every evening so far this week...gonna work on it when I get home from work again. Today, I will increase the height of the back wall by 16" and then build more 2X4's to use for the rafters and also figure out a good way to attach the rafters.