Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You’re Not to Read 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 3
Part 1: All Cooped Up 4
Part 2: Constructing a Coop 4
Part 3: Checking Out Coop Plans 4
Part 4: The Part of Tens 4
Icons Used in This Book 5
Beyond the Book 5
Where to Go from Here 5
Part 1: All Cooped Up 7
Chapter 1: Flocking to Your Own Chicken Coop 9
Understanding the Basics of Housing 9
Looking at the Gear You’ll Need 10
Choosing Coop Materials 11
Getting Up to Speed on Carpentry 12
Constructing a Coop: The Nuts and Bolts 13
Readying the site 14
Framing 14
Putting up walls, a roof, and more 15
Adding special touches 15
Building a run 16
Hooking up electricity 16
Checking Out a Few Coop Designs 16
Chapter 2: Beginning with Housing Basics 19
Providing Basic Benefits with Your Coop 20
Analyzing the Anatomy of a Coop 21
Making Your Coop Convenient for You 23
Selecting Your Coop’s Location and Size 23
Before you begin: Considering zoning and covenant concerns 24
Looking at proximity to houses 24
Utilizing utilities 25
Digging into drainage issues 27
Understanding that yes, size matters 27
Choosing a Coop to Fit Your Needs (and Skills) 28
A-frames and hoops 29
Chicken tractors 30
All-in-one coops 31
Walk-in coops 31
Chapter 3: Gathering Your Gear 35
Putting Safety First with Essential Equipment 36
Digging Up Dirt on Garden Tools 37
Measuring and Marking Lumber for Your Coop 37
Measuring up tape measures 38
Making your mark 38
Sizing Up Saws and Supports 39
Putting In Posts 42
Digging postholes 42
Setting the posts 43
Mixing and pouring concrete 44
Framing Your Coop 45
Honing in on hammers 45
Nailing it with a nail gun 46
Pressing a screw gun into service 47
Leveling and Squaring As You Build 48
Just level with me 48
It’s hip to be square 48
Working with Wire 49
Cutting wire 49
Fastening wire 50
Checking Out Other Miscellaneous Tools 50
Chapter 4: Deciding on Materials 53
Before You Shop: Considering Recycled Materials 53
Lumbering Through Boards for Your Build 54
Sizing boards 54
Figuring out what type of board to buy 55
Knowing what to look for in a board 56
Shopping for Sheet Goods 57
Sizing sheet goods 58
Checking out plywood and OSB 58
Steering clear of certain sheet goods 59
Getting Attached to Fasteners 60
Notes about nails 60
Stuff about screws 63
Figuring Out Flooring 67
Wondering About Walls 68
Getting to the Root of Roofing 68
Researching Your Run 70
Finding your fencing 70
Picking your posts 72
Adding It Up: Estimating the Amount of Materials You Need 73
Chapter 5: Building Your Carpentry Skills 75
Measuring and Marking Materials 76
Reading the tale of your tape 76
“V” marks the spot, and “X” marks the trash 76
Chalk it up 77
Cutting Wood Safely 78
Selecting saw blades 78
Cutting board lumber 79
Cutting sheet goods 84
Assembling Materials 85
Nailing it down 85
Screwing it in place 86
Joining Pieces at Tricky Angles 88
Toe-nailing 88
Pocket hole joinery 89
Plates 90
Using Levels and Squares 91
Carpenter’s level 91
Specialty levels 92
Speed squares 93
Part 2: Constructing A Coop 95
Chapter 6: Preparing the Site 97
First Things First: Clearing the Site 98
Checking the Level of the Ground 98
Installing Posts in the Ground 99
Digging holes for footings 99
Bracing your posts 102
Mixing and pouring concrete 103
Securing Posts Aboveground 105
Mounting posts on top of concrete footings 105
Using concrete pier blocks 106
Topping Your Posts 107
Chapter 7: Laying the Lumber: Framing 101 109
Building a Subfloor 110
Framing the joists 110
Installing the decking 113
Framing the Walls 114
Laying out studs 115
Assembling wall panels on the ground 116
Framing Doors and Windows 118
The extra parts needed to frame doors and windows 118
Walking through extra framing steps 118
Raising the Wall 120
Fastening Walls Together 122
Framing the Roof 123
Getting the pitch perfect 123
Analyzing a roof’s anatomy 124
Building a roof frame 125
Cutting and attaching rafters 126
Chapter 8: Adding Walls, Doors, Windows, and a Roof 129
Putting Up Walls 130
Fastening plywood in place 130
Cutting out openings 132
Working with other materials 133
Building a Basic Shed Door 136
Making Your Own Window 139
Topping Off Your Coop with a Roof 140
Hanging out your shingles 140
Conquering corrugated panels 145
Venting Your Coop 146
Chapter 9: Building Creature Comforts 149
Finalizing Your Flooring 149
Coming Home to (a) Roost 150
Location, location, location 150
Roost requirements: Making your roost out of different materials 152
Securing and supporting your roost 153
Feathering a Nest Box 154
Designing nest boxes 154
Building nest boxes 156
Other options: Buying or repurposing nest boxes 157
Ramping Up 157
Chapter 10: Assembling a Run 161
Framing a Simple Run 162
Working with Wire Mesh 164
Sizing up, measuring, and cutting the wire 164
Fastening the wire to your posts 165
Adding even more wire 167
Chapter 11: Plugged In: Basic Electricity for Your Coop 169
Calling a Pro to Run a Line to Your Coop 170
Buzzing About Outlets versus Switches 171
Receptacles (also known as outlets) 171
Switches 173
Letting There Be Light 173
Deciding whether to include artificial light in your coop 173
Properly placing the right amount of lighting in your coop 174
Choosing fixtures 174
Warming Up to Heaters 176
Falling for Fans 177
Part 3: Checking Out Coop Plans 179
Chapter 12: The Minimal Coop 181
Vital Stats 182
Materials List 182
Cut List 183
Shelter floor 183
Front wall 184
Back wall 184
Right and left walls 185
Roof framing 186
Nest boxes 186
Assembling the Coop 187
Chapter 13: The Alpine A-Frame 191
Vital Stats 192
Materials List 192
Cut List 193
Shelter floor 193
Gable 1 (nest box side) 194
Gable 2 (run side, interior) 195
Gable 2 (run side, exterior) with run door 196
Roof panel 1 (fixed side) 197
Roof panel 2 (hinged door) 198
Nest boxes 198
Roost 199
Run panel 1 200
Run panel 2 with door 201
Run gable 202
Assembling the Coop 202
Chapter 14: The Urban Tractor 205
Vital Stats 206
Materials List 206
Cut List 207
Tractor base and shelter floor 207
Left wall 208
Right wall 209
Front wall 210
Rear wall and chicken door 210
Run posts and framing 211
Cap plate and roof rafters 212
Roof, fascia, and gables 212
Access door 213
Nest boxes 214
Run door and chicken ramp 215
Assembling the Coop 216
Chapter 15: The All-in-One 221
Vital Stats 222
Materials List 222
Cut List 223
Skids and floor skirting 224
Shelter floor 224
Right wall framing 225
Front wall framing 226
Left wall framing 226
Back wall framing 227
Exterior wall sheathing 228
Run framing 229
Roof framing and rafters 229
Roof, gables, and fascia 230
Shelter access door and slam strips 231
Chicken door, slam strips, and ramp 232
Nest boxes and roost bar 232
Nest box door and slam strips 233
Front wall trim 234
Back wall trim 234
Right wall trim 235
Left wall trim 236
Run access door 236
Assembling the Coop 237
Chapter 16: The Walk-In 243
Vital Stats 244
Materials List 244
Cut List 245
Skids and floor 245
Front wall framing 246
Back wall framing 247
Right wall framing 247
Left wall framing 248
Front wall sheathing and trim 249
Back wall sheathing 249
Right and left wall sheathing and trim 250
Roof rafters 250
Gable ends and soffits 251
Roof, gable overhangs, and fascia 251
Access door 252
Chicken door 253
Nest box door 253
Nest boxes 254
Roost 255
Assembling the Coop 255
Part 4: The Part of Tens 261
Chapter 17: Ten or So Things Novice Coop-Builders Would Have Done Differently 263
Make the Coop Bigger 264
Make the Coop Taller 264
Consider the Location More Carefully 265
Don’t Cheap Out on Materials 265
Use Screws Rather than Nails 266
Elevate the Coop Off the Ground 266
Make the Doors Wider 266
Consider How to Clean the Coop 267
Make the Nest Box Easily Accessible 267
Paint the Coop Before Assembly 268
Reinforce the Run Underground 268
Chapter 18: Ten or So Cool Ideas to Trick Out Your Coop 269
Electricity 270
Solar Power 270
Running Water 270
Storage Space 271
A Quarantine Area 271
An Automatic Feeder and Waterer 272
A Removable Droppings Pan 273
Wheels 273
A Retractable Roof 273
“Air-Lock” Doors 274
Automatic Door Closers 274
A Wireless Weather Station 274
Index 277
