Construction Notes
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing these plans! I really hope that you will create and enjoy this chicken
coop. While these plans will let you replicate the chicken coop shown, please feel free to change
whatever part you want to make your coop, your own. I have included a full set of scaled and
professionally drafted plans as a PDF file. This can be viewed using any freely available PDF
reader. I also included pictures of each of the plans in case you are having troubel opening the
PDF file. While all the information is correct on these, they will not be to scale and so you should
try to measure anything off of them. Also included are 10 images of the chicken coop framing. I
made these using my computer because its a lot clearer how everything is connected than in my
existing coop with chickens. If you need help deciphering how something is connected, just ask!
The Material List is an Excel spreadsheet. If you have trouble opening this, or want it differently,
just ask!
I have also added a full material list that details exactly what you need to get to build the coop
down to the screws. I encourage you to find alternatives! Either materials that you find more
aesthetically pleasing, or simply using salvaged materials to decrease costs.
This document includes detailed instructions to help you with construciton of your chicken coop.
With the help of these notes, in conjunction with the detailed/scaled plans and material list, you
should be able to construct your own coop! I am a professional carpenter by trade and I designed
this particular coop to be cheap, portable, easy to maintain and easy to build. I am confident that
this design can be built by pretty much anybody. Please ask if you have any questions about
these plans!
The coop you will build can house up to 5 large breed chickens or 9 smaller breed chickens. Your
birds are provided with a nest box, roost space and an outdoor run. This design has been used as
described in climates ranging from extreme heat (Phoenix, Arizona) to extreme cold (Ashburn ,
Virginia). If you are worried about your birds during any type of weather, you can attach plastic
sheathing (or a tarp) around both long walls to provide extra shelter.
Before building, please double check all dimensions and material list. I have built a couple of
these and I think they are complete but always double-check. If you find something, tell me as I
would like to make these plans as complete and correct as possible. Same goes for the material
list. The material list includes exactly what you need. That means if you undercut a piece or make
any changes to the plan, you will need to go shopping again. You may want to buy extra materials
(don’t cut the lumber) to keep on hand. If you shop at a big-box, you can return these easily after
completing the coop. It may save you a trip or three...
The main door and roosting door is shown higned and swinging like I like them. This is really easy
to change and I encourage you to choose before you start laying out the pieces.
Materials
Carefully examine the Material List you have been given. It includes everything you need to build
this coop. The idea is you should be able to take this list to any big box building supply store (i.e.,
Home Depot, Lowes) and get everything you need in one trip.
Roofing: The roofing shown is standard corrugated metal panels. I have found these at my local
bix box retailer but if you can’t, then contact a local roofing supply company.
Lumber:
All framing members are cut pieces of cedar deck boards. If you have a table saw, you can cut
and rip each of the pieces yourself. If you don’t want to, ask your lumber provider to cut them for
you. After cutting, wait a few days before assembling since cut boards will often change shape as
they dry. Cedar is a good wood to choose in this respect as it tends not to warp as much.
If you want a cheaper design, use douglas fir lumber but make sure to wait after cutting. If you
don’t mind the price and want convenience, then use standard dimensional lumber (2x4 and 2x6).
You will be overbuilding but will save the time of cutting the lumber.
Properly seal all your lumber before assembling them using the wood preservative called out in
the material list.
You may be tempted to use pressure-treated wood for some or all of the framing. I advise against
its use in any part of the coop if you plan to consume or sell the ggs or meat from your birds.
You can use any type of plywood for the gable ends and around the roosting area. The roof pitch
shown is 8:12. Do the math for your roof slope 3 times, measure it out 3 times, make sure both
ends match before cutting. Then start cutting them. It’s important that they at least match each
other.
Construction Notes
Making the frames
The easiest way to do this is to tackle one wall at a time. Lay out all the framing lumber as they
should be connected. Double-check that you have all the pieces there and they are at the right
place. All framing lumber is connected to each other through the use of gussets, a form of bracing.
For this project, our gussets are 7”x7” triangular pieces of plywood that you cut from your plywood
scrap. You glue these gussets in wherever two pieces of lumber cross each other, then screw
them in using 1-1/4” galvanized screws. Look at the pictures enclosed and you will see gussets all
over the framing. Make sure you check for square each time you attach a gusset.
After the wall is assembled, you next attach the wire fencing. This goes in all places that will not
be covered by plywood siding. Now is a good time to attach the plywood siding as well, both
around the roost area as well as the two gable ends on the short walls. Also attach two additional
pieces of 1”x2-1/2”x1’-6” lumber to each gable end that will be use to hold up the roof nailing
plates (see pictures of gable ends for example). Repeat to assemble all 4 walls.
You can now start attaching each wall to each other. This is done using the 2” galvanized deck
screws. Attaching additional framing at the floor, as shown in the pictures, will help secure your
walls. Note that the final roofing will also help stabilize your coop.
Finally, you will attach two long roof nailing plates (1”x2-1/2”x7’-4”). These are put on top of the
lumber you attached to the gable ends. Try to place them about halfway down each gable end
(see picture 5). These will serve as support and a place to attach your roofing material.
Building the Roost Box
The roosting area is essentially a raised wood floor where you can place nesting boxes (see
picture 1).
To make this, you will lay a piece of cedar siding on top of the 4 braces (3 from the walls and one
in between (see picture 11 and 13). Make sure to measure and cut this accurately as it needs to fit
in but also rest on top of the 4 braces. I would recommend not attaching this flooring to the braces
with screws. Simply leaving the siding unattached is sufficient as this is already an enclosed and
wind-sheltered area. It also allows you to remove the piece for deep-cleaning once in a while.
Optionally, you can use vinyl flooring on top of this as it makes it much easier to clean.
The front of the roosting area is made from 2 separate pieces of siding. One will have a entry cut
out form it for the birds to enter from the ramp. Attach this part on all sides using 2" galvanized
deck screws. The second part will be a door that you can use to gain more access to the roosting
area mostly for cleaning. Attach this side using two 3” galvanized hinges (see pictures 11 and 12).
You can choose to cut this front piece all the way up to the ceiling, making diagonal cuts on the
top (not shown). While this is a quicker way, I recommend making a real top as shown in the
pictures. This way you can use the space above the roosting box for storage.
Once compelted you can place nesting boxes in this area (I use about 1 for every 4-5 layers). You
could also build a nesting box from your scrap wood. I use a 10”-12” square that is 5” high.
Attaching the roof
With corrugated metal roofing, simply purchase strips that are precut. This way you can simply
place the two strips on the roof and screw them in on the nailing plates you prepared. The same
applies for the ridge cap. Place the pre-cut ridge cap where the two sides of the roof meet and
attach using galvanized roofing screws.