chickens and chicken coops

new coop (to see earlier stages of building and the chickens, scroll down the page)

I have built a new coop for my chickens. I usually try to buy used lumber or re-use materials but since I lost my adult chickens to predators, I decided I would buy new lumber and build something structural and attractive and predator proof before I move my chicks in.

I searched the web and looked at lots of books and found a design that looked easy to build, easy to maintain, predator proof and decent space for the chickens.

this is the basic design I am using: low-cost predator proof coop



I love the colors of this coop and might copy them. it looks a bit small for my 9 chickens. it looks like it is about 3' x 6' or so. I will need a bigger coop.









I found another similar coop design and it is closer to the size I am building. 

the basic idea is the same with both coops: an enclosed coop for the chickens to sleep in and a screened-in area where they can forage and get some fresh air.

there are some common building mistakes with both designs. with a small coop, the structural problems aren't a huge issue, but if you wanted to build something larger, say 10' x 20', it will be more of an issue. most of the weight is being borne by the wall studs. the weight needs to be distributed from the roof, down the walls and into the ground. if you were to build a larger coop, you would want to get a book on framing or shed building and learn a few basic building methods.

I chose to make my coop 4' wide, 8' long and 7' feet tall in the front and 6' tall in the back. there is an additional 4'x8' run. I chose these sizes for ease of building and to keep costs down. I purchased 2"x4"x 8' studs to frame out the walls and roof. 

ideally chickens need 3 square feet of coop and 10 square feet of run. my coop will be 4'x4'= 16 square feet, and the runs will be 8'x8'= 64 square feet. I have 9 chickens so not enough room if they were to confined 24/7. The coop has enough room for 9 chickens to perch at night and I will let them free range during the day when I am home (which is most days), and then close them up for the night. I plan on building an additional fenced run so that they will have access to pasture when I am not home during the day.


oct 16 2013

my chickens love veggie scraps and I try to give them greens and fruit every few days.

sept 17 2013

the chickens love their new coop and love free-ranging during the day and today I got my first egg! ok, so this is a bit silly, it's just an egg after all, but I had to proudly display it during dinner and I had the perfect prop for it.

a small egg but that's because it is from a young hen. as they age their eggs get larger.

I'm not sure if she was the one who produced the egg, but it was one of the three dominiques. they are the oldest at 20 weeks. they have been very interested in the nest boxes and squawking up a storm the past few days.

I used 5 gallon buckets as nest boxes. they are screwed onto the inside wall of the roosting coop. I also put some wooden nest boxes on the outside of the coop in case they didn't like the buckets. I don't want them to get in the habit of sleeping in the nest boxes. though they seem to like their perches just fine.

one of the wyandottes likes to sleep on the top of the 2x4 in the top of the coop. she won't be able to do that much longer as she gets bigger.

august 5 2013

the coop is finished enough for the chickens to move in. I have a few modifications planned for later but I am leaving the states until august 20 and I need to get the chickens into their new home. they love their new home.

august 2 2013

I sanded and painted the coop walls with primer. I also primed the 2x3's that are at the tops of the walls and will be under the roof once the roof is put on. the plywood for the coop and the 2x3's are not pressure treated so needed to be sealed to moisture. I used pressure treated plywood on the side walls of the run as those are closer to the ground and exposed to more moisture and the chickens will have minimal contact with the wood. pressure treated wood is not recommended for chickens. if you can afford 1/2" plywood siding that would be a better alternative.

I wanted to get the paint on before I put the roofing up. I still need to put a final coat of finish paint on but I am going away for 2 weeks and need to get the chickens in their new coop asap! I haven't decided on a final color yet - something bright and bold.

I went to the local metal scrap yard and purchased roofing. they had some 36" wide by 9' and 10' lengths. the coop roof is 4'x8' so I will need to cut about a foot off of three 9' pieces - easy to do but very noisy! I use an old dull circular saw blade and put it on "backwards" and it cuts very well. the run roof it is 4'x5' so I will cut a 10' piece in half and cut 4' off of a 9' piece. I purchased 5 (got one extra) 9' pieces and one 10' piece for a total of $40. these were un-used panels, had a little dirt on them and cost a fraction of buying new. big box stores sell roof panels for $20-50 each. I am fortunate to have a scrap metal yard within 10 miles of my house.

the dimensions of the coop and run are 8'x8' footprint, 6' tall on the back wall, 8' tall on the front wall, about 30" tall sloping down to 12" tall on the run. there is a 6' tall door for human access and the rear wall of the coop has a 48"x48" door.

july 31 2013

the extra run is attached to the coop and roof rafters cut. I added hardware cloth and the trim over top before I nailed down the roof rafters. this made it much easier as access was better without the rafters in the way.

to get the proper cutting angle for the rafters, I clamped scraps of wood in place and set the rafter on top. I used a scrap piece of 2x4 to make the initial cuts and checked those before I made the final cuts in the actual rafters.

when the roof is attached there will be a gap between the rafters and I will fill that space in with 2x3's. I set a 2x3's in place before I drew the cut lines. I wanted to make sure the 2x3 was below the top of the rafter.

once the rafter was cut I checked it for fit. this one was near perfect and will prevent critters from squeezing in between the roof and top of the run.

july 29 2013

I finished and hung the door - still need to seal the wood though. I started on a detachable run that will double the chickens floor space when they are confined to the coop/run. here the bottom and back wall are framed. I still need to make the front and side walls. the top will be covered with the same roofing material as the rest of the coop - metal.

I will need to fill in with more dirt so its not off the ground. I did not attach hardware cloth to the lower wall under the solid panel of the coop so the chickens will be able to access the additional run.

I used a hasp hinge to latch the door shut. I slightly beveled the edges of the trim around the hasp for appearance and for better clearance.

july 24 2013

most of the hardware cloth is attached and the wall panels are installed. I cut the coop opening 10"x12". I wasn't sure what size to make the hole but that seemed big enough for the chickens to get in and out of the coop. I saw somewhere online that a 12"x15" size hole was big enough. if I need to I can cut the hole bigger.

the wood has black mold on it from all the rainy weather we had earlier this summer. I had all the lumber on a trailer with a tarp over top and the moisture collected underneath and mold started growing.  I thought that the sunlight would kill it and bleach it out but not yet. I will scrub it with 10% bleach and see if that clears it up.

back wall almost complete. after stapling the hardware cloth up, I screwed 1"x2" boards on top to sandwich the hardware cloth.

close-up detail of 1"x2"'s mounted over top of hardware cloth. I predrilled the screw holes to prevent the wood from splitting.

I used 1"x1" hardware cloth, 48" wide. I think it is 16 gauge. I need 25' of it. it cost 60.00. a little pricey but sturdy and much better protection than chicken wire.

to attach it I hung it from nails at the top, but stapled from the bottom up. that seems to keep the wire nice and flat.

interior view of the coop area. I will install perches and nest boxes.

 july 19 2013

here you can see the framing of the walls is complete and back door of the coop is in place. I ended up adding 3 horizontal pieces at a height of 6' on the front, side and the interior walls. this was done so that I can attach the wall panels (~48" x 48") and then leave ventilation space above. during the warmer months the top sections will be covered with hardware cloth and during the winter I will put plywood over them to keep temps higher inside the coop.

the back wall is a door that I will use to access the coop and retrieve eggs, add nesting material, clean out, and such.

view of the back door. it is flush with the 2x4's so that critters like raccoons with their little hands can't pry it open. also I think it looks better when flush. I discovered a slight issue when opening the back door - the top of the door will not clear the roof and therefore not open all the way. I ended up changing the hinges from the side to the top of the door. this way I can open the door fully. another way to accommodate an extended roof would be to make the door shorter. I had already made the door and didn't want to shorten it. 

to hang the door and leave an allowance on the bottom so the door won't stick, I placed roof shingles under it to create a gap.

 after the hinges where screwed in, I removed the shingles.

the door is made from plywood that was cut about a 1/2" smaller than the door opening and then I cut 1x4's to trim it out and a diagonal support to help keep the door from warping.

to get the correct angle of the diagonal, lay a 1x4 across the corners and draw a line where the cut will be. cut one end first and then lay the board across the other corner and draw where the cut will be.

make sure that the board is in the proper position before drawing the cut mark. in this photo, the edge of the diagonal is flush with the inside of the corner.

the diagonal needs to run from the bottom of the hinge side to the top of the latch side.

hardware cloth stapled onto coop floor and top of wall for ventilation.

side view. I used the full 8' length of the 2x4 as I want them to extend so that I can be under cover when it is raining and maybe build a storage unit under the roof eave. 

to make the bird's mouth cut on the rafters, I clamped scraps about 1 1/2" below the top of the wall and then I set the rafter on top of the scraps.

then I was able to trace the cut into the rafter. this cut is called a bird's mouth cut due to its shape and shouldn't be more than 1 1/2" deep.



I put 2 cross pieces on the floor of the coop. then I covered it with hardware cloth and in the winter I will put a plywood floor down to keep it warmer.

july 7 2013

the walls are framed out and temporarily held in place. I am placing the door on the end wall. 

notice the construction of the walls. the wall studs are in between the bottom and top boards or plates. the roof rafters will sit directly above the wall studs. this will distribute the weight down to the ground. typically you want no more than 24" inches between the studs. I have 46" between them. my roof is not going to be heavy and we don't get much, if any, snow in this area in the winter.

end wall where door will be. I am re-using the doors from my other coop and they are about 33" wide so I needed to add another wall stud to accommodate the door. if you made the door 48" wide you wouldn't need the extra stud. I think 48" is a bit too wide for a door.

the walls sit on bottom boards, or plates, that have a 4' x 8' footprint. to attach them, I used scrap pieces of lumber and screwed them onto the corners after I squared them.

 and then I flipped it over and hammered mending plates and then lifted each corner up and drove 3" screws to hold the corners together.

to check that the base was square I measured the diagonals. the measurement of the top left corner to the bottom right corner should be the same distance as the top right corner to the bottom left corner.

it was pretty close to square, about 1/8" off. I tapped the long corner a bit to shorten it. if this was my house, I would get it perfect but for the coop an 1/8" off is fine.

I removed the scraps that were put on to hold the corners square and stapled 1" x 2" hardware cloth to the bottom to keep animals from being able to dig under the coop.

I wanted the ground under the coop to be higher than the surrounding ground for better drainage. I have piles of topsoil from construction of the driveway on my property so I was able to use that soil to build it up, then I put some hardwood mulch on top of the soil to keep it from getting too mucky if it rained. the mulch will help with drainage as well.  then I took half blocks and laid down a foundation to set the base on and added drainage tile. it is difficult o see in these photos but I graded the ground to slope down to the left and bottom of the coop. the drain tile is along the lowest side.

july 6 2013

I had a couple of tragedies with the chickens. 2 of the hens died from disease and then I lost the 2 remaining chickens to predators, probably a raccoon. they got into the coop at night and carried them off and ate their heads and neck. that is an indication of a raccoon.

so now I am building a new coop that will be predator proof. I will let them free-range while I am on the property but will make sure they are secure in their coop at night.

I had purchased 3 dominique chicks on may 1st to add to the existing flock so that I would have a total of 8 chickens: 1 rooster and 7 hens. but with the deaths and attacks, I was left with the 3 chicks. they were in a shed separate from the adults and not harmed.

here are the girls a few days old. the females have white spots on their heads and dark legs. the males have yellow legs and not as distinct white spot on their heads.

they are about 3 weeks old in the above photo.

3 hens in not enough for me and my family so I wanted more chickens. I bought 5 chicks and 1 rooster on june 19th. they are all doing well and the dom chicks are ready to live outside but the coop isn't finished yet.

I bought 2 ameracaunas, 3 wyandottes and a rhode island red rooster. I think the wyandottes are gold-laced.

this is a portable coop I built for the 3 dominique chicks. I can roll it out into the yard in the am and then back into the shed in the evening. the wheels were purchased used and were training wheels from a kid's bike. they ended up not being large enough and so I took apart an old wheelbarrow and mounted the wheel onto the bottom.

here is the newer version with wheelbarrow wheel. it is much heavier but it rolls in and out of the shed much easier.

view from the side with door open.

 interior view with original wheels.

the first perch was from a 1" x 1" piece of lumber. they outgrew that perch quickly and I changed it to a wider perch. I had an old broom handle that I cut down. I attached the ladder with cable ties so that I could change its position. I am able to flip it over and slide it to the other side.

covering the sides with hardware cloth. I used scraps that I had laying around.

I kept the framing simple. not very structural but it is strong enough to do the job. I determined the size by measuring the door opening to the shed and subtracting a few inches. the height was based on the scraps of wood I had on hand.

the base made from scraps. I covered the bottom with hardware cloth.

march 29 2013. R.I.P.  chickens.

I finally got some chickens. they are a lot of fun to watch. the other day my dogs were howling at who knows what and I looked at the rooster to see what he would do. of course, he started crowing! that seemed to shut my dogs up. it took a few days for my dogs to get used to the rooster crowing. they would bark every time he crowed. thankfully the dogs have gotten used to him and no longer bark at him.

I thought a rooster would be annoying but because I have way too many predators here, I need him to protect the hens. they are very social animals and talk to each other constantly. when the rooster comes across some tasty bugs or succulent weeds, he makes a particular sound and the hens come running over and start grabbing bugs or vegetation.

I have them in a fenced in area with a coop I built. I will move the fence so that the chickens will get fresh pasture. there is a tree stump in their yard that they spend hours scratching away at.

this is the frame of the coop I built. it is 6'x6' and 6' tall at center. I had enough scraps on hand to build this, except the pvc. each bow is made from two 6' piece lengths of 3/4" pvc connected with an elbow. I set the 3/4" pvc into larger pieces of pvc mounted onto the base. this enabled me to make adjustments on the bows so that the center of the bow is at the same height of the others. once the bows were all at the same height and centered, I screwed them into the base and frame. 

I have 3 hens and 1 rooster, so plenty of nesting boxes. I plan on getting 2 more chickens later this month. 3 nesting boxes will still be enough for 5 hens. they like to sleep in them at night. which is fine except that they poop in the box and I have to clean it out every am before they lay their eggs. the box dimensions are 42" long, 28" high in back, 18" high in front, 12" deep and each box is 14" wide. I used the nest box plan from the book "Barnyard in Your Backyard", page 29. all of the wood was scrap I had on hand. the plan is below.

2 perfect eggs for me. 

perches made from small cedar trees that I cut from the woods. I picked trees that were damaged and needed pruning.

I ran out of metal roof material, so until I get some more, the top is covered with a tarp.

view from the other side. not the prettiest coop, but it does the job quite well.

I set an old doghouse and a leaned a piece of plywood against it to add some extra shade for hot days. the chickens enjoy going into the doghouse and lying in the shade under piece of plywood. the chicken yard gets afternoon shade which makes their life much more enjoyable. they can be outside eating weeds and scratching around keeping cool in the shade.

I added a dust bath yesterday. I took an old lid from a beehive and a hive body box and set the lid on the ground with the box inside and put some screened ash from a wood stove.

they were quite curious about it and gave it a peek.

they were waiting to see who would go in first.

they decided they would try it later. it was going to rain that night, so I put the box under cover and the next day, the plymouth rock hen was laying in it much to her delight.