Mavis Mail: Shaun Gives a DIY Chicken Coop Tutorial

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has sent in their photographs and stories. I hope by sharing other peoples pictures and stories here on One Hundred Dollars a Month we can all have a rock star garden this summer. Keep them coming!

Today’s submission comes to us from the brother of my East Coast friend, Heather {who kindly shares all of her garden chores from the East coast with us!}:

Hi Mavis,

My wife Kori and I recently bought our first home. As soon as we moved in I began to plan the backyard. First on the list was a chicken coop; after talking to my sister Heather  and doing a bit of research we dove into the job.

I’ve worked in construction in the past so building this coop was an easy job. I began with a basic wall framing with the sub-floor. The garage provided a warm working environment and also a level surface for construction. We began this project on the same day that the first snow began to fall in Denver.

Each wall was temporarily held in place by 2 screws so we could dismantle it and carry it from the garage to the backyard. We then reassembled the coop with a lot more screws, while adding additional support and making everything plum and level.

Next we have installed the plywood sheets over the framing with the addition of 2 windows and 2 vents. Also note we paid careful attention to angle the roof for snow removal. In colder climates its important to make the structure sound to support heavy wet snow.

Surprisingly, we spent more time at the “big box store” looking at roofing than any other part of this project. Shingles would have worked but we wanted something sturdy since we were housing animals, not storing lawn equipment. We chose green instead of the less expensive plain aluminum since we didn’t want the sun to reflect and cause beams of sunlight to blast into our neighbors windows. This is a little more expensive but much more durable.

The camera view is through the coop door to the inside and you can see the perch and nesting box.

Finally the chickens are in their new home. The screws in the ceiling hold the food and water containers. The perch has been sanded to a smooth finish to prevent injury to their feet.

For shingling the side we used pallets that I cut into uniform pieces. This was fun because my wife and I laid out all the pellet strips and decided what combination looked good since each piece had its own color pattern. We also completed the nesting box and added a double hinge to the roof.

Its important to note that the door has double locks to prevent clever predators from accessing the coop. We also added a wooden horizontal strip of plywood to the bottom of the coop. This is made of redwood since its resistant to rot. If you use pellet siding don’t allow it to make direct contact with the soil or it will rot. The plywood strip also helps with the height because recycled pellets are only 40 inches tall.

Coop was done, chickens were happy, but now it was time for us to build the run. For this project, we had built the frame on our back patio and then carried the sections to the coop.

The run is 16 feet long, by 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide. We also added a wide door for making cleaning easier. We now know the reason why its called a “run” since they seem to get a kick out of running full speed back and forth. Happy chicken equals happy eggs. We do allow the chickens free range on nice days, but the run is essential for the long winters.

The coop and run were strategically placed around 2 maple trees to give shade in the summer and built next to the shed to provide a wind break. We also installed a bamboo roof over the run which provides shade and prevents snow from accumulating.

Final notes and some things we have learned:

1. Our dogs don’t care about sharing the yard with the chickens and Mooney the cat seems to think she can catch them. Silly cat.

2. Total project cost was just under $1,000. When we researched building the coop this seemed to be the price that other chicken owners had spent. You should also prepare for the project by purchasing materials before you start building, such as when wood or other supplies that you will need are on sale. Most of the “big box stores” have a section for discounted wood and since this was for the coop, the savings in the materials was an important factor. We cringe to think how much more this project could have cost if we paid full price for all the wood we used!

3. When building a coop project, the first thought should be “ease of cleaning.” We chose the “deep bed method” to create an inside coop compost. When its time to remove the deep bed you want it to be as easy as possible. We open the coop door, rake all the bedding onto a tarp, and carry the tarp to our compost bin and dump it. The run will also need to be cleaned since they seem to take the coop bedding with them each time they go into the run. A sturdy metal rake makes this a quick chore.

4. If you use a metal roof, the other disadvantage besides cost is the sharpness of the metal on the edges. If you have children you should consider using shingles instead.

5. We found that diatomaceous earth, also known as DE {this can be purchased at your local feed store}, should be placed in the coop to prevent mites and other pests. We learned this lesson the hard way – infestation. Be sure that you are purchasing FOOD GRADE.

6. Its really nice having a predator proof run that is open 24-7. Some chicken owners don’t mind unlocking their coops everyday, but we didn’t want the hassle. On bad weather days, the chickens have the option to go in and out as they please and we stay inside warm and dry. Then on really nice days, we can open the run and the coop door and they have free-range of the entire yard.

7. When you complete the framing of the run, be sure to allow about a foot of overhang of the chicken wire on the outside at the bottom. Then dig a trench around the outside perimeter of the run and flare out the chicken wire into the trench. Place bricks or pavers on the chicken wire and then fill in the trench. In the last 6 months we have had skunks and raccoons attempt to breach this barrier. Our most clever was the red tail fox that returned twice but hasn’t been able to gain access. When the predator attempts to dig into the run it will encounter the wire/brick barrier and after several digging attempts in different locations it will decide that this is a lost cause and move onto an easier prey. DO NOT put chicken wire on the floor of the run – the chickens love to dig holes and you could injure their feet with the wire. Also, after attaching the chicken wire to the frame of the run, place another piece of wood over each section of framing to sandwich the wire between the 2 pieces of wood. These clever predators can remove staples, spending the extra time now to make the run secure will be worth it.

8. If you choose to add the bamboo to the top of your run, after you install it add 1 inch thick pieces of wood every few feet across the top of the bamboo and screw them down. This will help prevent the wind from tearing of the bamboo roof off.

Wow, Shaun! Thanks so much for sharing.

~Mavis

If you would like to have your garden, chicken coop or something you’ve made featured on One Hundred Dollars a Month, here’s what I’m looking for:

• Your Garden Pictures and Tips – I’d especially like to see your garden set ups, growing areas, and know if you are starting seeds indoors this year. If so,  show me some picture of how you are going about it.
• Your Chicken and Chicken Related Stories – Coops, Chicks, Hen’s, Roosters, Eggs, you name it. If it clucks, send us some pictures to share with the world.
• Cool Arts & Crafts – Made from your very own hands with detailed {and well photographed} pictures and instructions.
• Your pictures and stories about your pets. The more pictures and details the better.
• Garage Sale, Thrift Store and Dumpster Diving pictures and the stories behind the treasures you found including how much you paid for them.

If I feature your pictures and the stories behind them on One Hundred Dollars a Month, I will send you a $20.00 gift card to the greatest store in the world: Amazon.com.

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