- Jun 4, 2014
- 4
- 2
- 34
I first want to say thank you to all the folks here who asked all the questions I needed to build a coop and to all the kind and patient answers that were given.
I started out backwards and bought 4 very cute chicks and after I brought them home thought I would have plenty of time to build a quick coop and all would be well. The chicks grew fast and I had to move fast to get the coop built before they out grew their accommodations in my front room. We (my family and I) like how the coop turned out and wanted to share.
The coop/run is 4ft by 10ft. I started with 4 chicks and thought they would all be hens, but Woody turned out to be a rooster, who would have thought it? and now he is at summer camp. Where I live I can only have 5 chickens and no roosters. The coop is made of 2x4's, 2x3s, and 3/4 inch plywood I got for free. I love free! The roof is ply wood, tar paper and rolled asphalt roofing. Rolled asphalt may not look as nice as shingles but it was much cheaper. I attached the 1/2 inch mesh with roofing nails I had stuffed in the garage.They were 5/8 to 1 1/2 inch long.
This is how it looked when we moved the kids (the chickens) in. I built all the doors and window in place, as someone here noted, with a 1/8" gap that worked great.
This is an inside pic of the end bracing. The front of the coop is about 7ft 4in and I wanted to be able to climb on top to put on the roof. It was a bit wobbly and this stiffened it up very nicely. Both my son and I were able to be on top with no worries.
This is the back side of the coop with the one window complete.
This is the inside with 33 cent tiles pasted on with liquid nails. Note the small door below the one that is open. I call that the chicken door and that is the only door I let them in and out of. It has worked really well so that when I open the large people door they do not try to rush out. When I approach the coop they line up at the small door when they want out to play.
The opening to the lay boxes. Note the bracket for the roost overlapping the window. I have since lowered it to be just above the lay box opening and have placed a 'bomb box' underneath to catch the poo as they sleep.
The pop door. I had intended to make a working lock, and most of it did work, but decided if some animal can get through the run's locked doors and open the pop door they deserved a chicken dinner. So far the kids have been very safe. The angled 2x2 is the roost. Above it is the other bracket.
The outside of the pop door,
For mothers day I put on some flower boxes for my wife and a fenced yard to keep the kids from eating the plants in the garden.
Another view. Note the small rake and snow shovel leaning against the coop for cleaning out the run.
The kids so far have been very happy with their new home.
I started out backwards and bought 4 very cute chicks and after I brought them home thought I would have plenty of time to build a quick coop and all would be well. The chicks grew fast and I had to move fast to get the coop built before they out grew their accommodations in my front room. We (my family and I) like how the coop turned out and wanted to share.
The coop/run is 4ft by 10ft. I started with 4 chicks and thought they would all be hens, but Woody turned out to be a rooster, who would have thought it? and now he is at summer camp. Where I live I can only have 5 chickens and no roosters. The coop is made of 2x4's, 2x3s, and 3/4 inch plywood I got for free. I love free! The roof is ply wood, tar paper and rolled asphalt roofing. Rolled asphalt may not look as nice as shingles but it was much cheaper. I attached the 1/2 inch mesh with roofing nails I had stuffed in the garage.They were 5/8 to 1 1/2 inch long.
This is how it looked when we moved the kids (the chickens) in. I built all the doors and window in place, as someone here noted, with a 1/8" gap that worked great.
This is an inside pic of the end bracing. The front of the coop is about 7ft 4in and I wanted to be able to climb on top to put on the roof. It was a bit wobbly and this stiffened it up very nicely. Both my son and I were able to be on top with no worries.
This is the back side of the coop with the one window complete.
This is the inside with 33 cent tiles pasted on with liquid nails. Note the small door below the one that is open. I call that the chicken door and that is the only door I let them in and out of. It has worked really well so that when I open the large people door they do not try to rush out. When I approach the coop they line up at the small door when they want out to play.
The opening to the lay boxes. Note the bracket for the roost overlapping the window. I have since lowered it to be just above the lay box opening and have placed a 'bomb box' underneath to catch the poo as they sleep.
The pop door. I had intended to make a working lock, and most of it did work, but decided if some animal can get through the run's locked doors and open the pop door they deserved a chicken dinner. So far the kids have been very safe. The angled 2x2 is the roost. Above it is the other bracket.
The outside of the pop door,
For mothers day I put on some flower boxes for my wife and a fenced yard to keep the kids from eating the plants in the garden.
Another view. Note the small rake and snow shovel leaning against the coop for cleaning out the run.
The kids so far have been very happy with their new home.
