Steps
//
How to Build a Chicken Coop
6
×
Join Posts and Sheathing
Step Six
//
How to Build a Chicken Coop
Join Posts and Sheathing
Align a gable end on top of two posts on the work surface. Use a rafter square to keep the tops and sides of each post even with the edges of the gable, then drive 1 5/8-inch deck screws through the sheathing and into the posts, as shown, evenly spaced along the length of the post. Repeat with the other gable end and posts.
8
×
Attach Sidewall and Roof Structure
Step Eight
//
How to Build a Chicken Coop
Attach Sidewall and Roof Structure
Working on the ground, use 1 5/8-inch screws to join a gable end to the sidewall without a door, making the bottom edges flush. Attach the other gable, forming a three-sided structure. Cut and attach a floor support between the sidewall posts. Add a wall support between the post tops, pivoted so it follows the angle of the miters, by screwing through the sidewall. Cut two 2x4s for purlins, to fit between the gable ends. Fasten one with 1 5/8-inch screws halfway between the gable's peak and an eave in line with the roof's angle. Repeat on the other side of the peak, then cut and screw in a 2x4 ridge beam just below the gable peaks. Stand the coop upright and add the fourth side's floor and wall supports, but don't add the sheathing.
12
×
Add the Pulley System
Step Twelve
//
How to Build a Chicken Coop
Add the Pulley System
Make a track for the door with 2x2s twice its height. Attach them to both sides of the opening with 1 5/8-inch screws fastened through the outside of the gable wall. Center the door in the opening and add 3-inch-wide plywood strips to the tracks with 1 5/8-inch screws to contain the door. Drill a 1/2-inch-diameter hole through the wall support above the eye hook, then hang a pulley on a hook from the beam above. Fish clothesline around the pulley, feed it through the hole, and tie it around the eye hook, as shown.
15
×
Add the Nesting Boxes
Step Fifteen
//
How to Build a Chicken Coop
Add the Nesting Boxes
Cut floors for the three upper nesting boxes out of plywood, then nail them in place through the sides and the plywood strip. Cut three 2x2s 4 inches longer than the frame's depth to support the perch. Add one under the floor of each upper box and attach them with 1 5/8-inch screws. Cut a 2x4 perch the width of the frame, then drive 3 1/2-inch screws through it and into the 2x2s, as shown. For added support, glue plywood blocking under the upper nesting box floors.
16
×
Install the Nesting Boxes
Step Sixteen
//
How to Build a Chicken Coop
Install the Nesting Boxes
Cut two 2x4s to support the bottom perch, screwing them to the coop floor with 3 1/2-inch screws. Attach the 2x4 perch to the ends of the supports with more screws. Place the nesting boxes on top of the perch supports. Screw through the box sides and into the posts, as shown. Install the egg-retrieval door, with its hardware, on the sidewall, then fasten the sidewall to the coop with 1 5/8-inch screws.
18
×
Nail on the Shingles
Step Eighteen
//
How to Build a Chicken Coop
Nail on the Shingles
Staple on a layer of roofing paper. Starting at the bottom, attach the asphalt shingles with roofing nails. From 2x12 stock, cut four 6 inch square blocks, beveling them to shed water, and four 14-inch lengths to use as pads. Nail the blocks to the ends of the posts, then slide a pad under each block to prevent the coop from sinking. Use the remaining 2x12 to build a ramp to the sliding door.
Tip: In colder climates, heat lamps can keep chickens comfortable when the temperature drops below freezing. Hire an electrician to run power to the coop, and secure the lamps so the chickens can't knock them over.