Building the Coop *Finished*

DWyatt · November 04, 2019, 06:22:46 AM

Sawed up a whole mess of cottonwood this weekend, with two logs being made into 2x4s. These 2x4s were for building the real chicken coop because what we have now isn't making the cut. Let me tell you, I never want to use a store bought 2x4 again. These ones I cut are so straight and they never split out, it is delightful to work with! After sawing a bit over 1000 bf Saturday, I started building the coop Sunday. Here is the progress I made yesterday.

It is 4' x 8' and 4' walls. It will sit on 2' legs and have 2 windows, a door, and 6 nesting boxes. I'm planning to have it all assembled this week and next weekend I will saw up some white oak and use it for b&b siding.

firefighter ontheside · November 04, 2019, 07:16:36 PM

Chickens are fun. I didn't have my mill when I built my coop. If I had, I would have built the whole thing from my own wood.

Chuck White · November 04, 2019, 07:34:22 PM

Nice looking design, DWyatt, I especially like the separate nesting section!

DWyatt · November 05, 2019, 08:05:42 AM

Little more progress made last night on the coop after loading the 1000 bf I sawed this weekend onto the trailer to take back to my parents. 4:12 roof pitch with about 1' of overhang on all sides. I'm doing a full test assembly in the shop since i'll likely be assembling by myself outside, I want to make sure everything fits so I have less problems when I put it on legs.

A-z farmer · November 05, 2019, 06:41:49 PM

Very nice build dwyatt
Do you plan on solid floor or slatted floor.
Looks like you are almost ready for the birds new home.
Zeke

Oddman · November 05, 2019, 07:49:36 PM

I'm with you on not wanting to use store bought lumber. We've been building stuff with oak off our farm lately and the stuff from town feels like junk now. It's amazing how strong a stick frame building can feel when it's framed with 2x6 oak.

DWyatt · November 06, 2019, 06:12:08 AM

Quote from: A-z farmer on November 05, 2019, 06:41:49 PM
Very nice build dwyatt
Do you plan on solid floor or slatted floor.
Looks like you are almost ready for the birds new home.
Zeke

I am going to do a solid floor. I like the idea of a slatted floor but since the coop will be on 2' legs, I am worried about the wind blowing through the floor during the winter. Being semi-new to chickens and outside type animals as a whole, I am not sure if that is an unfounded worry.

firefighter ontheside · November 06, 2019, 07:46:31 AM

I've been worried about my chickens in the cold. I put a 60 watt bulb on them in the coop when it's really cold. I have had chickens spend every night of the winter roosting on a rafter out in the run area in the coldest MO has to offer. They can tolerate some very cold weather if they have something to roost on that allows them to cover their own feet with their feathers.

bwstout · November 06, 2019, 07:50:51 AM

you might want to make a sliding bottom that will pull out be much easier to clean one thing about chickings is not only do they provide meat and eggs but they supply you with a lot of fertilizer (poop) ;D

K-Guy · November 06, 2019, 08:47:10 AM

OH NO!!!

I can already hear @Southside getting started on chickens!!! ;D :D

Looks good thought.

Southside · November 06, 2019, 09:13:44 AM

Our portable coop floor is about 30" off the ground, the whole thing is on a hay wagon frame, and the floor is covered with hardware cloth for ventilation with 2x6 runners to walk on. In the winter I throw about 4" of sawdust over the floor to seal off the air flow and it keeps the birds nice and warm. Have to add a layer a couple times over the winter to keep it fresh but by spring it's a nice compost that heads to the garden.

Skipper11A · November 06, 2019, 10:50:21 AM

DWyatt, You are in for one heck of an education about building with green lumber. Don't get me wrong, I'm not any smarter than you, I've just already learned the lesson, and cottonwood is the best teacher.

Gere Flewelling · November 06, 2019, 07:46:33 PM

That is going an awesome chicken coop. Building it out of hardwood will make it as secure as a bomb shelter. Definitely should keep the foxes out. Happy chickens for sure.

DWyatt · November 07, 2019, 06:18:15 AM

Quote from: Skipper11A on November 06, 2019, 10:50:21 AM
DWyatt, You are in for one heck of an education about building with green lumber. Don't get me wrong, I'm not any smarter than you, I've just already learned the lesson, and cottonwood is the best teacher.

I've had my worries but this thing will be completely sheeted and in use by the chickens before anything starts to dry more than just surface moisture. and everything is screwed together with 3" deck screws because I've read so much about the concern of nails loosening as the lumber dries and shrinks. Time will tell

DWyatt · November 07, 2019, 06:21:17 AM

@Gere Flewelling The chickens will be happy, but more importantly, my girlfriend and her daughters will be happy and hopefully won't make me go out and check on the chickens every time they hear a loud noise outside. Living in a woods near a river means there are a lot of coyotes and they are always worried about the chickens, but hopefully a bulletproof coop will help.

GDinMaine · November 07, 2019, 06:48:07 AM

Nice looking coop there. Put in a few vents at the top under the eves. You would be surprised how much moisture is produced by the chickens, their poop and the water you will occasionally spill on the floor. They need proper ventilation even in the winter. Don't worry, they will be plenty warm. Our chickens got through -15 F weather just fine. I give them a bit of cracked corn before bedtime and that supposed to help them keep up their body temperature. Unfortunately we can't let them free-range much because we have a LOT of eagles and ospreys around who like to eat chickens.

thecfarm · November 07, 2019, 08:04:40 AM

Cottonwood? Never built with that. ;D But have built with green hemlock twice,so far. And I mean green. From stump to building in a few hours. One was a Woman Cave and a horse run in. Horse run in was built with snow on the ground. I do use galvanized nails and so far the nails are not moving.
I like to give the chickens something to scratch in,in the coop. Keeps the bedding dry and fluffy,for no better word. Table scraps works,but I buy Scratch and Feed and that really gets the scratching going. Makes cleaning so much easier. I would also just throw in some leaves throughout the summer too. Anything to keep them busy and not fighting.

ManjiSann · November 07, 2019, 09:07:46 AM

DWyatt, good looking build!

After a bit of time has passed be sure to let us know how the cottonwood is working out! I'd like to build a drying shed or something and I'm thinking I might used green lumber, cottonwood is a big possibility and I'm curious how it plays out when it drys

Brandon

DWyatt · November 08, 2019, 06:57:18 AM

The lumber has been behaving, the biggest concern I have is the lack of rot resistance, but all of the cottonwood will be completely covered by either roof metal or white oak siding.

Man I hate this time change thing. I got the floor and walls of the coop all put up last night, worked with a headlamp on the whole time, finishing up at about 9. What a miserable dark time. The wall with the nesting boxes was HEAVY, it took everything i had to get it up 2' to the floor of the coop.

Going to pick up the logs tonight after work. Getting them sawed up tomorrow morning and start putting on some siding.

ManjiSann · November 08, 2019, 10:02:13 AM

Lookin good!

I have a love hate relationship with the "Daylight Savings" thing... mostly I love to hate it >:(

Brandon

DWyatt · November 11, 2019, 06:23:01 AM

I had a very productive weekend with the coop! Spent Saturday morning sawing up the Burr Oak logs I got from my neighbor who is a logger. I told him I needed 200 bf and I ended up with 460 bf

so more of the coop is getting sided than originally planned and we can get rid of the tarp on some of the fenced in area. I cut all 8" wide boards and 3" wide battens just doing 1" drops on the saw and ending up with 7/8" boards. I had some real problems with a resharp blade from Woodmizer, it was like it was not set and I got some bad waves. It was cold and windy and cold so I pushed through it when I shouldn't have. But I knew I had plenty of material so I wasn't too worried but I wasn't real happy.

Sunday I worked for about 11 hours wrapping everything in heavy tar paper and then put up nailer boards. I ended up getting 3 sides completely covered except for the battens. I didn't get a picture because it was dark, I'll get one tonight after work. Here's one after I get the nailers up.

jbjbuild · November 11, 2019, 12:28:58 PM

Looking Good!

DWyatt · November 12, 2019, 06:37:06 AM

Well apparently Ohio decided we needed a 4" snowfall on the 11th of November >:( so I didn't get a picture of the progress made on the coop. I did get the doors made that will cover the 6 nesting boxes. These doors are beautiful, I almost feel guilty for making a chicken coop with it. I probably won't make much progress on the outside portion of the coop until Thursday when the weather is supposed to turn around again.

ManjiSann · November 12, 2019, 08:57:56 AM

That is gonna be one fine looking chicken coop! I like the doors you built, very nice looking. Given the attention to detail you're putting on something which most people wouldn't consider needing such detail, makes me wonder how nice everything else is you put your hand to

Keep up the fine work and the posts!

Brandon

DWyatt · November 12, 2019, 01:05:20 PM

Quote from: ManjiSann on November 12, 2019, 08:57:56 AM
That is gonna be one fine looking chicken coop! I like the doors you built, very nice looking. Given the attention to detail you're putting on something which most people wouldn't consider needing such detail, makes me wonder how nice everything else is you put your hand to

Keep up the fine work and the posts!

Brandon

My attention to detail will be my demise. I'm so far behind on projects right now because I keep trying to make myself happy with my work that I never get anything done!
Thank You for the compliments!