Update on Henry's Coop

[hungryhensfarm]

Quote:
I believe that diagonal is when something is set at an angle and straight up and down is vertical. Looks great either way.

 

[Suburban chick farmer 09]

Looks sharp.

 

[W.CharltonChickens]

Super nice build

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Thanks for the kind words. I planned it in my head as I went so I'd be at kind of a loss on how to go about writing it all down. I worked on a crew framing houses for a while but it was always the boss man reading the plans and doing the layout.

Basically I just started with an 8' x 8' treated deck with a sheet of vinyl flooring glued down, and then decided on a 30 degree pitch for for the roof. That is one of the default locking clips on my chop saw which helps keep the angles correct on the cuts. I built all four walls laying flat with a nail gun making sure to get the opposing sides identical and square, and then set the walls plumb with temporary bracing (leave the bracing attached until you put on the roof and start attaching the siding).

On the roof I wanted a generous overhang to keep the side vents out of the weather and in the shade, and to keep some of the sun off the walls in the summer. Since it was over an 8x8 deck it took 8 sheets of plywood to sheath the roof (all of the plywood on the deck and roof was recycled 5/8ths) and then shingled it with a 30 year architectural grade shingle.

The board and batten siding is made from the cheapest grade boards sold by Lowes (for shelving @ $8 each) and the battens are a 1"x2" furring strips. Nail the battens between the boards (to the framing) to allow for expansion and contraction.

The only other times I've used diagonal bracing is with steel bracing on wood stud walls in home framing to keep walls square, and with diagonal bracing on joists to stiffen floors before setting ceramic tile. I figured it would work here too, and it really did stiffen the walls up like a rock.

The window was $5 at a junk shop plus a replacement sheet of glass and the stone step was free

NOW ALL I NEED ARE SOME CHICKENS

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

It's so lovely! We're planning to use tongue-and-groove pine for our siding which I think will look a lot like yours so am very excited now!

Post pix of your chickens on the thread when you get them!

 

[OSUman]

Quote:
if tou have a local feed store you could look to see if they have any i know TSC are getting their last shipmets of chicks this week.

 

[DarkWolf]

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WOW.. That's flippin pricey... Next time find a local saw mill and see what kind of rough sawn you can get..

I picked up some rough sawn poplar for $1.25 a 8' board.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Quote:
if tou have a local feed store you could look to see if they have any i know TSC are getting their last shipmets of chicks this week.

Thanks OSUman, but I'm just making fun of my own impatience.

I have a couple of dozen Buckeye eggs on order from Dave at Buckeyechickens.com and I'm hoping to do a hatch at home and in two of the classrooms at my youngest son goes to daycare, all at the same time. They have incubated eggs before and two of the teachers have 'bators set to go. They also have better climate control than I do in my house, so I figure I won't be putting all my eggs in one basket

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Darkwolf, I just missed sheathing it in red oak at about a buck a board by showing up at the local farm consignment aucttion late. That's usually where I find cheap rough sawn wood. I was kicking myself on the butt for that one. I did look into the one mill I know of near me but he mostly cuts cypress that he trucks up from down south and it's pretty much tied to the price of diesel. I have a barn and a machine shed to renovate and have to figure something out cheaper than for that but for the coop I had to giterdun and bit the bullet. I'm going to need a lot of 16' 1x12 for that barn.

 

[briana1975]

I really like your coop. Now just get some chicks in there. They are gonna love it.