New to chickens...UPDATE!!! PIC HEAVY

[ddmiddle7]

Sueche, I'm glad you said something or I probably would have done the same thing. I will make sure today when I set the 4x4s that I add in the extra width of the 2x4s. THANKS!!!

I've figured out how to connect the Coop to the Dog kennel run but what I am not sure about is how to block the gaps that are around the door. Anyone done this before? If so can you post some pics on how you blocked them so no predators can get in?

Thanks again.

 

[NevadaRon]

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You can find it here.

ETA: Click on the pictures for the PDF file.

 

[NevadaRon]

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Sounds like a winner!

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I didn't do any notching of the roof rafters. One reason I didn't (besides it being easier

) is that it left gaps which became my venting. I just cut out small pieces of wire mesh screen and stapled them in the gaps.

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Your circular saw will work. You just have to do what is called a "plunge cut". Since the blade is round, the top side of the cut will be slightly longer than the bottom side. So do the cut from the back side of the plywood and then there won't be any "extra" cuts showing from the outside. Unless you want to get "fancy" and put trim around the window!

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[mcf3kids]

Thank you NevadaRon - they are printed out for DH to look at and see if he wants to build this style - this one seems a lot easier than the ones I had been picking out - we shall see. Thank you again!!

 

[ddmiddle7]

Thanks Again NevadaRon! See this is why BYCers Rock...plunge cut??? Never heard of it before. I looked it up online and I think I can manage it. I will be trimming out the windows....eventually. But first I at least have to get walls and a roof up before I even think about making it pretty.
Just looked out the window and ITS SNOWING!!!!!

ARRGGGG!

:I think I am just going to have to suck it up and get cold. It's supposed to be cold all this week so I better get the holes dug before the ground gets hard again.

 

[ddmiddle7]

Alright so we finally got some nice weather last week and I recruited my brother-in-law to help me build my coop...Neither of us have really done anything like this before and I didn't have set plans, so we were sorta wingin' it. We ended up making a few design changes along the way as I assumed we would. But here is what we got done on Sunday:

So, after looking at just about every coop on the design page I decided to build a base and then build off of that. Here is the base I built. It is two feet off the ground and one foot in the ground. I would have put it in further but i plan on taking it with me when I move. I read on one of the threads about laminating the floor before building the wall so the laminate doesn't roll up over time.

I couldn't find a door that I liked or thought would work for the front so I just framed out two windows instead. I put the nest boxes on the back like in the plans.

Hopefully I can get out there today after I get out of work and get the side walls framed and the rest of the roof up. It was getting ready to storm so I had to stop in the middle of putting up the roof.

Let me know what you guys think. Any suggestions or changes that you think should be made let me know.

Thanks,
Dereck

 

[NevadaRon]

That's an awesome start!

Very impressive for someone with no building experience. I think you're going to have a fine coop!

 

[ddmiddle7]

Thanks! I've been doing a ton of research and asking everyone I know about building. Hopefully I can get it finished this weekend, but it looks like rain again...

 

[Bees-n-Chickens-KY]

UGH! I want to read MORE!! Do you have pictures of the final coop? I'm already trying to retrofit my existing coop to accomodate 3 more chickens (already have 4).
I love the look of what you have going so far. I have some long 2x4's left by the previous owner and want to use.

Post. More. Pictures. Please.

Hello Indianapolis, Louisville KY here.

 

[DZR-Shodan]

You can download a PDF of the complete plans free from the Purina website.

I searched the Purina website but could not locate the PDF for the free plans. Any chance you could provide a link?
T.