We've been promising these chicken coop plans for months now! They are finally here. We used this coop for over a month and we love it! This chicken coop design is a modification of a few different ones found online. We changed the original plan to meet our municipalities requirements for chickens. It provides approximately 45 square feet of run and coop space for your chickens. Our city required 10 square feet total space per chicken, so this is perfect for 3-6 backyard hens.
Tools Required:
Miter Saw (We have since upgraded to this miter saw and it is worth the extra money!)
Level
Air Compressor
Brad Nailer w/ staples and finish nails
Tape Measure
Oscillating Tool
Jigsaw
Wire cutters
Exterior paint of your choice
Exterior spray paint of your choice
Painting supplies
Hammer
Purchase List:
(3) Sheets of ⅜” Plywood
(2) Treated 4x4x8
(4) Treated 2x4x8
(12) Untreated 2x3x8
(2) Sheets Corrugated Plastic Roofing
(1) Roll Butyl Tape
(1) Box 1 ¼” screw with washer
(1) Box 2 ½” Wood Screw
(1) Roll of Chicken Wire
(1) Roll of ¼” Hardware Cloth
Step 1: Base Sides
The bottoms of all 4 sides need to be treated lumber because they will be in contact with the ground. Secure the treated 2x4x36 to the face of the treated 4x4x26”. On the opposite end, attach the 2x3x36” to the 4x4. Repeat this step for the other side.
Step 2: Long Base Sides
As in step 1, the bottoms of the sides need to be treated as well. Attach the 2x4x60” to the side of the base you created and attach to the center of the 4x4x26”. Next attach the 2x3x60” to the top side of this frame. Repeat these steps to complete the base frame of the coop.
Step 3:
Take a 2x3x36” and secure it to the top of the center of the frame for added stability.
Step 4: Floor Supports
These boards will act as the support for the removeable clean out tray. The spacing of these (5) 2x3x38” boards can vary.
Secure the first board even to the edge of the short frame.
The second support is 9 ¾” from the front edge.
The back of the 3rd board is 22” from the front edge.
The back of the 4th board is 37 ½” from the front edge.
The back of the 5th board is 59 ½” from the front edge.
Step 5: Coop Walls
The profile of your chicken coop can be whatever you want.
Step 6: Attach the Wall
The base of the walls will be screwed directly into the floor support pieces.
Step 7: The Perch
The perch will act as supports for the walls, as well as a place for our hens to sleep. I created a simple frame of 2x3x43 ½” on the sides and 2x3x35” boards on the center and either end. You can add additional perch spaces by placing scrap pieces in between the boards.
Next take a 2x3x38” and attach it between the peaks of the coop walls. This serves as your ridge beam for the roof.
Step 8: Roof Supports
Next cut (4) 2x3x29 ⅝” with a 45 degree angle on both sides. Attach these along the roof line and secure to the inside of the coop walls. These will be the nailer
with which to secure the plywood roof.
Step 9: Plywood Walls
Take a scrap piece of plywood and cut it to 7 ⅝” by 38” and secure to the chicken coop walls.
I also used 2 pieces of scrap plywood to act as the back wall. I put 2x3 scrap pieces on the walls as nailers to add stability to this wall.
The nesting box door will also be made out of scrap plywood from the walls. This will be 12” x 34 ½”. I used standard hinges and latches to secure this door.
Step 10: The Roof
The roof is made up of (2) 31”x39” pieces of plywood. Secure these to the nailer you made in step 8. There will be a slight gap at the top where the two pieces meet. That is okay, it will be covered with butyl tape or synthetic underlayment.
The nesting box roof is a 16”x39” piece of plywood. Secure scrap pieces of 2x3 to the walls of the coop to create a nailer to attach the nesting box roof to.
After all plywood roofs are attached, it is time to install synthetic felt underlayment or butyl tape. I used butyl tape to cover the sections of the roof where I was going to sink screws through to secure the corrugated plastic. If you have synthetic felt laying around that will work too.
Cut the corrugated plastic to 40” sections. This will allow a slight overhang on either end. Spray paint the desired color for your roof. Once dry, overlap each section to allow for approximately 1” overhang on either side. Be sure to include this overhang if you are going to attach trim. Attach these plastic panels with 1” hex head screws with a rubber washer.
Step 11: Clean Out Tray
The tray will measure 59 ½” x 37 ⅝”. Take a sheet of plywood and cut it to 59 ½” x 37 ⅝”. Then take (2) 2x3x 37 ⅝” and (2) 2x3x56 ¼” to create the sides of the box. I screwed these in from the bottom of the tray. Next take a jigsaw or circular saw and cut a 12”x 12” hole in the tray. This will be the entry point for the chickens.
Step 12: Trim
This is an optional step. Depending on your style, you may not want to include the trim.
For the sides of the coop, take the 1x2 furring strips and cut 4 to size and cut a 45 degree angle on both sides. These can be attached using a nail gun or screws if you do not have a nail gun. The back wall I just framed in the wall.
Step 13: Nesting Box Insert
Hens like a private area that feels safe to lay their eggs. I created a small insert to give them their laying space. I cut a 2x4 to fit the inside of the cleanout tray. This piece will be the front edge of the nesting box. To create the walls between each box I cut 2 2x4’s and cut a scrap piece of 1x6 to the same length to act as the wall. I then glued and nailed them together as seen below.
Step 14: Ramp
The ramp needs to be long enough to create a 30 to 45 degree angle. I again used some scrap 1x6’s, but you can use any wood laying around for this piece. My ramp is approximately 40 inches long. I used some of the left over trim pieces to give the hens treads to walk up. Place these about 4-6” apart. If you do not have any left over trim, you can use chicken wire to give the hens a better footing on the ramp.
Step 15: Chicken Wire and Apron
Next you are ready to install the chicken wire. You will need some sort of wire cutters and a finish nailer/stapler or other style stapler. I covered the top section first and overlapped onto the sides about 5 inches and secured with staples. Next I wrapped the wire from the ground to the top and secured it with staples. The final step was creating an apron around the bottom of the coop. A local farmer told us “If you want to eat it, so does something else”. So to protect the hens from digging predators we installed a simple apron. Take the hardware cloth and bend it in half at a 90 degree angle. Staple the hardware cloth to the bottom of the coop. Then secure the other side to the ground using landscaping fabric staples.
Step 16: Paint
This is the last step and the chickens will be ready to move into their new home! Paint the inside, outside, ramp and coop. Welcome home hens!
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