need to build a coop- buy plans?

[kittykorat]

We need to build a coop. We plan to get 5-6 pullets in the spring.
We were thinking about a 6X4 coop and 6X10 total run including under the coop.
This will fit behind our garage.

Do you think it would be worth it to buy coop plans, or just build it without?

We have been looking at plans, but nothing is exactly what we want...

 

[patandchickens]

You don't need no steenkin' plans

At most, if you are fuzzy on engineering details, you can run from plans of a basically-similar structure (I highly recommend SHED plans rather than coop plans per se, as your library will have books that contain 'em for free)... but really, if you just look at peoples' coop pages here on BYC, many/most of them have enough interior and during-construction photos that you can see for yourself how they are constructed.

As far as dimensions, just do it as you go along, you know? The worst that can happen is that you waste a leetle bit of material on miscuts or on the belated realization that a wall that is 4' long on the inside will take *more* than just a sheet of plywood to cover it

But you'll be fine, and that way you can make it however you want

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Luvin Life]

I researched the coops here, to get ideas. Drew my coop the way I wanted DH to build it. We made any changes along the way. Good luck!

 

[BroomFarm]

Hey there, Brownsburg...we're down in Mooresville!

We built our coop based on designs we looked at in the coop section of this website, but if I had it to do over again, I tell you what I would do, instead.

If you have the room, I would buy a used mini-barn approximately 8'x8'. After you have either poured a concrete slab for a floor, or attached it to 4X4 runners, you will have spent considerably less time/money than building one yourself. It also will give you the luxury to stand up in your coop, section it off for various things, like storage or a broody pen, and be quite a bit easier to clean and maintain.

It won't be as fun as building one yourself, but a 4'X6' coop is only big enough for maybe half a dozen hens and, if you're anything like most of the people who get into this hobby, you'll find that you would really prefer a few more than that. Also, you can put your effort into customizing the preexisting structure, as opposed to building one from scratch.

That's my thoughts, anyway.