AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Hi all,
I thought I'd add some photos of my new project. I decided to build my own coop for some new barnevelder arrivals due soon. I got the picture from the web of one that I loved (from Planet Poultry I think) but decided that I would enjoy making my own so I used it as a guide and created my own plans. In hindsight the one I saw probably would have worked out cheaper than the one I've built but I've enjoyed the process a lot and it caters to my nurturing nature for the new chickens when they arrive.

Here's some photos of interest: ( I hope this post isn't too big for the amin to allow but here goes :-) )

0. As strange as it sounds I decided to use Google Sketchup to draw out my coop before I started so I could make some of the mistakes I was going to make on a model before starting in real life. It also helped me decide on the right sizes and angles.


1. Laying out all the frame for the front and rear. I rebated all the joints so they would glue and screw to a tight hold.
The width is 840mm and eventually I cut the tops down so the height was 1200mm below the frame for the roof.


2. finished putting together the rear panel and fixed the tongue in groove wall. and started working on the front frame. Completed height is just around 1500mm


3. Completed a bit more on the front frame with mitred doors cut and glued using my old framing equipment and sash clamp that I had when I was into making picture frames. I made the doors the same way. This shot was just me checking that they fit correctly between the uprights (there was a little bit of planing and sanding to get them to fit just right)


4. The front and rear now finished with doors hinged and drawer handles on the drawer front. Now on to making the sides (and I've staplegunned on the aviary wire)


5. I attached the front and rear to the sides using basic frames of the sides and then started working on the first of the sides, starting with the hen box side. Made the frame the same way rebating the corners for strength, incidentally I used pronged T-nuts and M6 screws on all the corners for the added strength the T-nuts give pulling the work pieces together. (1m wide)


6. This was the beginning of the cantilever system for the hen box that I thought would also double as the support struts for the drawer when it was in place.


7. (I took the front back off to make getting to everything easier) Here's the basic frame of the hen box completed. I used a scrap of ply from the shed that just happened to fit perfectly for the base.


8. This is the hen box nearly complete with the lid cut to size and sitting in place. I still need to attach the hinges. I put a baton underneath to stop it sliding off and to make closing it in future a better fit.


9. I cut some extra pieces of pine to cover the ends of the ply (purely for aesthetics) and cut a rebate into them so they slid over the ends. They're not actually attached yet as I have to varnish the ends of the ply first to waterproof it before I can put the end pieces on (which I will also varnish)


10. Here's the hen box pretty much finished. Hinges are now attached to the lid (which I should mention that I made the lid a bit longer so that it slid up inside the coop by an inch for added water resistance, so I mitred the horizontal support strut that I attached the hinges to by 45 degrees inside so that the lid sat nice and flush when shut - if that makes sense) I have a photo somewhere of it if anyone is really that interested. Oh and I also screwed some roof panels. (more photos available of that too if anyone is interested)


11. Now onto the other side which was simple as it was just a frame with the tongue in groove attached with a space for a door. I framed 2 sides and screwed them on from the inside and made a little door for it with the top cut to fit the other sides. I also attached a baton on the inside bottom of the door to keep it in place when sliding up and down - so it didn't swing outwards.


12. Here's a picture of the door open so you can see what I mean about the framed edges.


13. The last bit was the drawer. This was just a case of making one large frame, cutting a rebate into all four pieces and sliding in the MDF that I'd cut to size. Then I glued and screwed it from the inside to the drawer from. I added a couple of extra thin pieces down each side to fill the gap (19mm gap to the edge on each side)


14. And here's where its currently up to. I have the capping for the roof to put on and some fascias that I've cut for the roof ends but I can't put them on until I've varnished and I can't do that till this rain stops.... hopefully this weekend!


This is just some proof for my skeptical workmates that yes, I actually do love woodworking when I'm not an auditor, and yes I even like all my nifty power tools. :-) (But what a dag!!! - please excuse trackies etc - I'm not usually this bad)


Next steps for me are to finish building an enclosed chicken run that attaches to the coop and to ook after the new little ones when they hatch (they're currently sitting under my broody bantams. And then I have to find homes for 14 bantams (3 roosters and 11 hens) - which I'll post up in the other forum topic.

Thanks for looking. I hope you've enjoyed the photos.

Regards,
Cris

Fantastic!!!

Thanks for posting the in-progress photos and the detailed commentary explaining what you'd done and why.

Hi Cris,
All I can say is WOW!!! Wish I could build something like that. Well Done.

Love it, Want it, you are very clever Chris
Excellent job

That is just amazing!!
Love how you've taken your time and done it properly with all the right screws and glue and stuff.
Great to see another gal who loves woodworking and who's not afraid of power tools.
Well done Cris!
Look forward to seeing it when it's finished.

thank you ChrisU

this work in progress is just what was needed here to show that it isnt that hard you just need to think - think some more and then 'do'

ever thought of going into business making these wonderful little houses??

A absolute masterpiece, the pictures were super, can't wait to see it all painted up. I've always worried about using pine outside due to rot and little nasties(termites), but what a great project.

I thought I'd better put in an update: This is the finished product.
For the base of the wood that touches the ground I've used "Diggers Non-toxic Inground Timber Protector" to keep those little nasties away. And for the rest of it I used 3 coats of Jarah stain and varnish and on the roof and hen box lid I also put on a coat of marine grade clear varnish. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I just hope it lasts and keeps the water out.

Here's some shots:




I put this little drawstring system on it as eventually when I build the chicken run it will attach to this side so i'll still be able to open and close the door without any problems












The new little arrivals checking out the new home


And with their surrogate mums showing them where the food is. How cute. I love chickens


Thanks everyone for your positive comments. I've really enjoyed this project - I still have to finish the ramp and chicken run - not to mention the entire backyard so they have somewhere to roam around. Maybe that was the bigger ambitious project!

regards,
Cris

Looks great Cris. How many birds are you going to keep in it??

We're planning on keeping 3 hens. My husband is keen to have chickens that lay 'full-size eggs' and our lovey neighbours are interested in the two bantam hens as one of them got through the fence once and spent a couple of days in their yard and they really enjoyed having her, so I have an old A-frame coop that I knocked up with scrap and I've offerred that to them with the chooks.

I'm not sure how many hens will have out of this little bunch of 7 chicks, but as soon as we can tell (and I'm sure there's plenty of people on here who could tell me how to tell so please go right ahead) we'll be offerring the other ones up to new homes. I get the feeling that we have 3 hens and 4 roosters as 3 are darker and 4 are more yellow and the larger barnevelder hens are black and brown while the roosters have the lighter feathers (red) on their heads - I'm probably completely wrong, but fingers crossed. :-)