Woods-style house in the winter

[JackE]

No I am a proven over builder

I will use 2x8 joists and then lay 2x4's flat as a decking and lots of 3 1/4 galvanized nails. That should make for one heck of a sturdy floor.


I guess the only thing I am really thinking of doing different is instead of asphalt shingles to use metal roofing.

I guess that would be a lot easier to drag it? I will have to make sure the end is braced in the joist to do that. Might be easier than wheels?

Thanks for your insights.

How big is the coop going to be? 10X16'? 8X???' That could be a lot of 2X4s. What, do you get them wholesale, or do you have your own mill?

 

[vegaome]

Howdy Folks,

I was going to build an 8' by 12' shed for a coop but after seeing Jacke's and the others I like the open coop design. I had my wife order the book. I already had the lumber for the floor of an 8' by 12' and started putting it together but I have stopped because so far it looks like that is to small.

I have enjoyed this thread, thank you all for posting.

v/r

Mike

 

[Utard]

I am just going to make it 12'x8'.

It will be 41 2x4's for the bottom deck.

I will just get from Home Depot or wherever is cheapest. I wish I had a mill that would be fun.

 

[JackE]

I am just going to make it 12'x8'.

It will be 41 2x4's for the bottom deck.

I will just get from Home Depot or wherever is cheapest. I wish I had a mill that would be fun.

41 2X4s for the deck. Man, you must love to drive nails. So you are going with 12X8'. Remember, the back section HAS to be deeper than the front. So I guess you'll have a 4' front, and an 8' deep rear. I guess that will be good fro 24 or so standard hens. If you decide to expand, you can always bump out a side wall for more SQ footage.

 

[Utard]

41 2X4s for the deck. Man, you must love to drive nails. So you are going with 12X8'. Remember, the back section HAS to be deeper than the front. So I guess you'll have a 4' front, and an 8' deep rear. I guess that will be good fro 24 or so standard hens. If you decide to expand, you can always bump out a side wall for more SQ footage.

LOL Heck no I got a framing nailer just for this job. Plus I will have a lot of uses at the new farm for it also. Goat and sheep pens and corrals and whatnot.

Hum.....I was under the impression an 8 x 12 size would be good for 40-50 hens? Plus the reason for that size was just the simplicity of the lumber. Lots of cheaper 2x4x10's and the fact that the roof would be 8' wide for the plywood. My book is in Oregon and I am now back in Utah. Would my better option be 8x14 or 16 to be able to get the front a little taller and more birds or wider 10x12?

Sounds like I better sit my butt down and reread the wood's book word for word before I start buying any lumber. But that will be my max a 50 bird goal. More realistically 30-40 birds.

I'd like to do it right the first time and not do any redneck coop extensions

Now the next biggest decision is how close to put it to the house?

 

[JackE]

LOL Heck no I got a framing nailer just for this job. Plus I will have a lot of uses at the new farm for it also. Goat and sheep pens and corrals and whatnot.

Hum.....I was under the impression an 8 x 12 size would be good for 40-50 hens? Plus the reason for that size was just the simplicity of the lumber. Lots of cheaper 2x4x10's and the fact that the roof would be 8' wide for the plywood. My book is in Oregon and I am now back in Utah. Would my better option be 8x14 or 16 to be able to get the front a little taller and more birds or wider 10x12?

Sounds like I better sit my butt down and reread the wood's book word for word before I start buying any lumber. But that will be my max a 50 bird goal. More realistically 30-40 birds.

I'd like to do it right the first time and not do any redneck coop extensions

Now the next biggest decision is how close to put it to the house?

A framing nailer, yeah, I got one of those. It almost makes driving nails fun. In the book, the 10X16' Woods, is good for, according to the author, 40 standard hens, if I remember correctly. I don't have access to the book right now. I'll check it out later and see for sure. The Woods is designed to be easily expandable if needed, by bumping out a side wall. It would not be a "RedNeck' extension at all. You would just be expanding the coop in a totally acceptable way.

 

[sassione]

All excited after reading this information! I've got everything except the roofing wood and flashing. Managed to find some windows at the restore but need to figure out how to turn two of them into transoms. Laugh.... And mother nature is laughing at me because it's supposed to snow tomorrow after being in the 70s for the past two days. I'll try to take progress pictures but thanks for all the information and tips, JackE!!

 

[Arielle]

Good find-- I used mostly scrap materials for my coop too-- except for the important roof rafters. Lots of found windows when the warm weather comes and people are upgrading their windows.

THe snow will be soon be gone . . gives you time to plan the location or work on the pieces of the puzzle. I'll have to get some pic up on my thread and maybe we can compare puzzle peices!! lol

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Utard it is the 10x16 the book (I have it) says can hold UP TO 40. I always go with 1/2 to 2/3s the capacity recommended as most occupancy is figured on commercial rates (which are over crowded for the bird health and encourages feather pecking & disputes). I wanted max of 20 -30 birds so I went with the 10x16 based on that theory. If for a short period I had extra it would not be too bad then.

IMO anyway. And since my flock is full sixed birds and not Bantam I think it was best I did so.

Forgot to remind you it does say they can be built side by side (one wall in common to connect them) as long as the depth front to back is consistent with the pattern. Wish I had a spot conductive to that. Only way to expand mine now would be to move the shed or go onto neighbors property! We are good friends but won't risk messing that up.

 

[off-grid hen]

A trailer hitch will make it easy to hook up to something to pull it with....but won't make it move easier.

If you use skids on the bottom instead of wheels, angle the front of the skid sharply...more than 45 degrees...so it won't get stuck on soft ground.

Well of course.