I'm wondering if someone with more construction/framing knowledge can help me understand if I can do the modification to my coop wall that I'd like to do.
I have a HenGear Medium roll-out nest box. It's 24"w x 21"h x 20" deep. In an effort to maximize my internal coop space, I thought I'd inset the nest box by framing an opening in the wall and allowing the back of the box to extend outside the wall. Basically, just framing in the support/style that you see with the externally accessible nest boxes. In my case, the access to the eggs will still be inside the coop, I'm just "pushing out" the nest box so that instead of taking up 20" of depth space in my coop, it'd go down to about 6".
OK, so in my attached plans, I can make this fit nicely by only having to cut down one stud (see the diagonally shaded box). The nest box would go pretty much right below the bottom of the window. There is a 2x6 header above the window (that's W6 in the drawing) that supports the windows and wall.
What I want to know, is how far down does that header support? Structurally, am I messing up the original support by basically adding a second "window" below that first one? All of the original support studs will still be there, it's just that one in the middle that will be cut down. My thought was to simply shorten him the the height that I needed, and then add in a couple of additional cripple studs evenly spaced to partner with him.
If I can do this, I estimate that it will put the bottom of my nest box about 16" off the floor. They'd have about 18" or so to fly up off the floor and land on the support bar to enter the nest box.
Does this sound like a good plan? Obviously, the easiest would be to just build as spec'd and then hang it on the wall, but I thought if I could gain that extra space - it'd make it a little more roomy entering the shed through the person door - that I'd do it now while framing.
Thanks!
I have a HenGear Medium roll-out nest box. It's 24"w x 21"h x 20" deep. In an effort to maximize my internal coop space, I thought I'd inset the nest box by framing an opening in the wall and allowing the back of the box to extend outside the wall. Basically, just framing in the support/style that you see with the externally accessible nest boxes. In my case, the access to the eggs will still be inside the coop, I'm just "pushing out" the nest box so that instead of taking up 20" of depth space in my coop, it'd go down to about 6".
OK, so in my attached plans, I can make this fit nicely by only having to cut down one stud (see the diagonally shaded box). The nest box would go pretty much right below the bottom of the window. There is a 2x6 header above the window (that's W6 in the drawing) that supports the windows and wall.
What I want to know, is how far down does that header support? Structurally, am I messing up the original support by basically adding a second "window" below that first one? All of the original support studs will still be there, it's just that one in the middle that will be cut down. My thought was to simply shorten him the the height that I needed, and then add in a couple of additional cripple studs evenly spaced to partner with him.
If I can do this, I estimate that it will put the bottom of my nest box about 16" off the floor. They'd have about 18" or so to fly up off the floor and land on the support bar to enter the nest box.
Does this sound like a good plan? Obviously, the easiest would be to just build as spec'd and then hang it on the wall, but I thought if I could gain that extra space - it'd make it a little more roomy entering the shed through the person door - that I'd do it now while framing.
Thanks!
You will be fine, cut the stud and insert your nest box.
