Questions – Learn More About The Garden Coop

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CONSIDERING THE GARDEN COOP PLAN:

How skilled do I need to be at building?

It would help for you to have used a circular saw and a cordless drill before. You should also know how to use a tape measure. And a hammer. If you have those skills down and you work safely, you should have no problem building this coop. All the cuts are simple and straight. . . come to think of it, there are only two cuts in the whole plan that are not at a right angle. There are no complicated joints either. There is some digging involved, and some wrestling with rolls of hardware cloth, but you won't need any special skills there, just maybe an extra pair of hands. You can do it.

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How much do the materials cost?

Prices will differ by area, by store, and, it seems, by the time of day. What I can tell you is that if you bought what's on the plan's materials list new at Nov. 2012 Home Depot prices, you would pay around $750 USD pre-tax. This does not include wood treatment, paint, or any kind of sealer as your choice of what to use will vary, but you can budget around $50-75 for that if you are buying it new. Also, add in your local sales tax.

Here's the approximate (late 2012) cost breakdown by category, in USD:

There are many ways to save on — or add to — this cost. I chose polycarbonate roofing at around $21 per panel. Clear PVC is much cheaper. You could even build an economical roof out of plywood decking and asphalt shingles if the transparent roof is not critical to you. You can make decorative door pulls and handles out of wood scraps or hardwood branches, instead of buying the metal ones new. You could use sheet siding instead of individual siding boards; OSB instead of plywood.

I also offer a Quick Kit for The Garden Coop (U.S. only) that includes everything you need to build the coop except for the bulky stuff (wood, hardware cloth, roofing, paint, pier blocks, etc.). It's priced competitively with what you'll find locally, but it's pre-shopped and pre-packed in one easy box. It also ships free with no sales tax added.

There's no easy way around the cost of hardware cloth, but that's something you DO NOT want to skimp on. Also, you certainly have some of these materials, like fence boards and two-by-fours, that you can recycle from other projects, neighbors, and so on.

What will save you money on your coop for sure is having a clear idea of what you're building, not overbuying, and not mis-measuring and making costly mistakes. A solid, time-tested plan will help you with that. And when you factor in the time you save by working from a well made plan, the materials cost seems like "chicken scratch." (Sorry. . . trust me, I'm holding back.)

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How long does it take to build The Garden Coop?

If you've read through the plan, have your materials together, and allow time for treating or sealing the wood, you could build The Garden Coop in 2 to 3 weekends. Past customers have told me this is about right, while others take their time with it, making adaptations, and for them it was a little longer.

As with any project worth doing, hopefully you'll learn some things as you go along. There's a good mix of steps too. That is, there are steps that are easy but give you a dramatic result, like framing the coop. There are some, like digging, that are just mindless. There are some that require more attention to detail, like the doors. Then there are those steps where you are just so excited to see it all coming together that you get into a groove and go, like installing the wire mesh or the roofing panels or whatever finishing touches you dream up. Click over to see how others are making The Garden Coop their own.

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What tools will I need to build this chicken coop?

We designed The Garden Coop walk-in chicken coop and plan for someone with beginner-level skills. The cuts are all straightforward (no tricky angles to measure), and the tools are pretty common ones that you likely either have or can easily borrow or buy. Here's the list from the plan:

• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Circular saw
• Jig saw (OPTIONAL, for special curves, e.g., windows)
• Handsaw
• Pair of sawhorses
• Hammer
• Cordless power drill/driver, with various bits
• Level
• Wire snips
• Leather work gloves
• Shovel
• Ladder
• Combination square or speed square for marking crosscuts. (See picture, above right.)
• An extra pair of hands, on occasion (best if attached to a strong body)

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What are the approximate dimensions of The Garden Coop?

The coop measures about 10'w x 6'd x 8'h at the frame. Add a foot or two all around for the upper dimensions, including the roof overhang. Click here for metric dimensions and questions specific to the metric versions of our plans.

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Why did you design The Garden Coop to be nearly 8-feet tall?

It's a matter of preference, for you and for your birds. The Garden Coop lets you stand upright and move around without banging up skulls and elbows. Remember, the coop is not just for your chickens — you'll be in and out a lot, changing water and food and tending to the birds. We also just enjoy watching our chickens perch up high!

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How many chickens will The Garden Coop house?

The Garden Coop will house up to 8 hens, or you can customize it for more. This number is based partly on the minimum space recommendations in Barbara Kilarski's book Keep Chickens: 2 sq. ft. per hen in the henhouse and 4 sq. ft. in the run. As designed, The Garden Coop offers 15 sq. ft. in the henhouse and 48 sq. ft. in the run. That would be 7.5 chickens in the henhouse (for the sake of that seventh-and-a-halfth chicken, let's say 8) and 12 in the run.

What a lot of minimums you'll read don't take into account is how the space is designed. The Garden Coop is an integrated henhouse/run, so your hens are free to move between the henhouse and run as they please. Since they're never confined solely to the henhouse, floor space in that part of the coop is less of an issue than it otherwise would be. More critical is that your hens have adequate roost space (10-12 inches per hen), protection from the elements, and proper ventilation.

I've kept 8-9 hens (standard breeds) in my Garden Coop successfully for years. In 2011, I asked customers on our Facebook page how many chickens they keep in theirs. Of the 39 responses, it was a pretty even distribution:

• 8+ hens: 12
• 6-7 hens: 11
• 4-5 hens: 11
• Less than 4 hens: 5

As with any sub-/urban backyard flock, it helps if you have only hens (no roosters) and that they have all been raised together. If you have an extra fenced-in day run to provide, your flock will appreciate all the foraging/grazing space they can get. And if you want your Garden Coop to be larger or smaller for any reason — by all means go for it. It's a flexible design, and you're in control!

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The Garden Coop looks so open, which seems like it would be great for the spring and summer. But will my chickens get cold in the winter?

More than anything, chickens need good ventilation and fresh air — all year. Damp bedding or trapped moisture and condensation from their exhaled breath can encourage mold and disease. Keep in mind that most medium and large egg-laying breeds are cold-hardy. That said, the henhouse section of The Garden Coop does offers refuge from a bitter cold snap. It's open-air at the top, but you can easily slip in a panel to regulate the amount of ventilation.

The henhouse is also double-walled, creating an insulating pocket of air. (Peek inside the henhouse on the Swivel Latch video here.) And the inside panels of those walls are designed to be removed seasonally, in case you want to insert a sheet of Styrofoam insulation in the winter. You get a glimpse of how this is designed in the free preview of The Garden Coop plan.

For lots more information on preparing your chicken coop and flock for the winter, see the winter-tagged posts at our blog, Coop Thoughts.

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You say "360-degree" protection from rodents and predators. What does that mean exactly?

The predators and pests you have to deal with will vary, but let's stick with two for now: rodents and raccoons. Rodents will look for any hole to crawl through to get to the chickens' food, and they can squeeze their bodies really small to do it. The Garden Coop is completely enclosed, top and sides, with 1/2-inch (13 mm) hardware cloth. Anything wider, like poultry netting or rabbit fencing, will not keep rodents out. Anything smaller, like 1/4-inch, could be too brittle. The mesh is buried a foot or more down in the ground on all sides, making tunneling a tough prospect for even the most determined rodent. (There is also a "no-dig" method for preventing tunneling in The Garden Coop plan.)

Raccoons are a different story. They will dig, pry, and even undo a latch to get into your coop. Unlike rats and mice, they don't want your chicken feed. They want your chickens. That's why it's important to staple the hardware cloth properly and to use the right kind of latch on the access door and the egg door. In many cities and suburbs that require a permit to keep chickens, a rodent-proof design is a must.

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Does the plan include instructions for nesting boxes?

Yes. The plan does include specs for two nesting boxes, which fit inside the henhouse at the front. Each is accessible from the egg door. You can also reach them quite easily from the access door. Two boxes should be enough for up to 8 hens (they only go in them to lay eggs). If you wanted more for some reason, you could add a couple more in the henhouse. It's quite roomy. You might then want to modify the dimensions of the egg door or add a second one to give you access.

If you're interested in adding external nest boxes to your chicken coop, see our free exterior nesting box plans for guidance. (Review these plans before framing your coop, as it will alter how you frame the left wall of the henhouse.)

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How do you clean out the henhouse, and how often?

Cleaning the henhouse is done simply from the waist-high door inside the coop. Just brush the litter down into the enclosed run and add fresh bedding. How often depends on the season and how often your chickens roost in the henhouse. You can paint the henhouse floor or top it with a layer of vinyl flooring to make cleanup easier.

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What about cleaning out the yard?

We use a deep-litter method in the enclosed yard. Basically, just adding additional bedding as needed and letting everything compost in place. I may get in there and turn the stuff once a week, then remove it entirely every 2-3 months, taking it to our compost pile to finish decomposing. This happens more often in the summer to keep the odor down.

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Is the coop suitable for raising baby chicks also? Can I use it as a brooder?

If the weather is warm enough, and/or you can provide ample warmth with a heat lamp, you can use the henhouse part of the coop as a brooder for chicks. You'd have to cover the hole leading to the downramp, and you could care for the chicks from the access door inside the coop. We've done this, and it works quite well. You could also fashion a brooder from a cardboard box, set it up in the garage, and keep your chicks in there until they are fully feathered.

Chicks need warmth (from a heat lamp), water, food, and fresh bedding. Don't give them too much space at first, because they get used to it and come to expect it. So if you're using a large box, insert a divider when they're small which you can remove as they grow. Also make sure they have room to get away from the heat of the bulb. That's how they regulate their temperature. If they're cold, they'll move closer. If they're too warm, they scoot farther away. You can search for "chick brooders" online to get some more ideas.

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Can I get the lumber pre-cut at my local hardware store, Lowes, Menard's, or Home Depot?

In my experience, the cuts a hardware store will make for you are often not the most precise. Also, there are many cuts in this plan, and while they're simple to do with a circular saw, you'll need to do them on site as you assemble the coop. That said, you can certainly get the store to make some cuts for you so that your materials will fit in your vehicle.

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Can you send me printed plans instead of the eBook (PDF file)?

We only offer plans as eBooks in the PDF format. This lets us get them out quickly (and always in perfect condition), and it keep costs down for everyone. Some past customers whose computer setups were not ideal told me that they forwarded the file to a friend or relative to view and print. You'd be surprised how much help a dozen fresh eggs will get you.

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Will the plans work on my iPad (or other mobile device)?

Yes. Because our chicken coop plan eBooks come as PDF files, they are fully compatible with the iPad and any other PDF-friendly mobile device. Learn more at this post on our blog.

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Is there a metric version of the plan. And do you accept international orders?

Yes to both! You can learn more about our metric plans for The Garden Coop and The Garden Ark here. You can purchase your chicken coop plans on PayPal using most international currencies and credit cards. Click here to buy and download the plans.

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ALREADY HAVE THE GARDEN COOP PLANS:

I am curious about why you attach the front (the inside window/door of henhouse part) before the inside parts (floor and walls) of the henhouse. I haven't started yet, but it seems like it would be easier to do the inside parts before the outside.

You can switch the order of assembly here if you prefer. Because the inside walls and floor are designed to come in and out anyway, I measured, cut, and put them in after the walls were finished. Doing it this way let me be sure that everything would fit. But if you follow all the measurements, you should be fine either way.

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Why does the plan call for two different sizes of cedar fence boards for the siding?

You could choose to use one size all around, certainly. The narrow width looks better, I think. The reason the wide boards are also in the plan is that I wanted the diagrams to represent what my coop actually looks like, so there would be no confusion when you look at the pictures. We chose the wider boards for the two sides that are not visible from our home and garden because we had some left over from another project and because it took fewer screws to put them up!

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I'm confused about which wall is being framed on page 19. Do you have additional images?

Page 19 starts the "framing the henhouse" section of the plan. The wall being framed on that page is not the right wall of the entire coop, but the right wall of the raised henhouse. This wall will include an access door for cleaning and maintaining the raised the henhouse from inside the coop. Here's a simplified sketch of the coop as seen from the front/upper-right perspective. It shows (in blue) the wall you're framing in on page 19:

You can also look ahead in the plan to the "henhouse walls and floor" section to see how the raised henhouse will ultimately take shape. I've taken some more detailed images of this area to include in the next update to the plan. If your plan does not include those images, and you think they'd help, email me, and I'll send them to you.

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How much working room will I need between an existing fence and the back/sides of the coop?

Leave at least 2-3 feet (0.6 - 0.9 m) between the frame and the fence. I was tempted to make it closer, because that area seemed like wasted space, but I'm glad I didn't. If you have the room, I'd leave about three feet. This will make construction easier, particularly the trenching and wrapping of the hardware cloth. And it's just nicer all around after the fact since you can access all areas of the coop exterior should you need too. 

I helped a friend build a Garden Coop that had to be positioned less than a foot from a fence because of limited space. He chose to use siding on the entire back wall, which I think actually made it easier to build than if he'd done hardware cloth, but it was still a challenge. For the buried hardware cloth barrier on the back side, he did that on the inside of the run instead. 

Some people have even chosen to use a fence as the fourth wall. I can't speak to how well that's turned out in every case, but I have gotten specific feedback that it makes the construction harder rather than easier. 

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Questions about ventilation, changing seasons:

Any idea of the temperature extremes inside the henhouse? Wondering if it gets hot like a greenhouse.

The coop does not trap air or heat like a greenhouse at all. In the summer, you can put some thin boards up over the hardware cloth above the henhouse, arranged like slats. This shades the sun coming in through the roof without cutting off ventilation. Also, while the roofing panels we chose are translucent, they do block 70% of the light, including UV. You might even prefer to use the white panels to block even more direct light. No matter your climate, you want to make sure that in the summer your hens have shade from the afternoon sun. Ours prefer to spend most of the summer on the roost in the run, going into the henhouse mainly to lay eggs.

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What have you noticed about about sun and shade?

The chickens love the warmth of the sun when the air is cool. When it's hot out, they seek shade. Because of the higher angle of the sun in the summer and how the coop is in our yard, they get some shade from the roof, but the afternoon sun comes in hard from the side. Something to think about when you position your coop. You can grow a vining plant (e.g., beans, jasmine, hops, etc.) up that side to give shade in late summer. We also slip a thin panel of plywood over the henhouse, under the roof, to keep the sun from beaming in there.

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For the winter, I considered closing off the roof of the henhouse, but then it seems like the ventilation would be compromised. What should I do to keep the hens warm in the cold weather?

There are plenty of good tips available both online and in books about caring for chickens in cold climates. From our experience and research, the standard laying breeds are quite cold hardy — bred for New England winters. Ventilation is very important, as is fresh, unfrozen water, exercise, and extra grain for scratch. There should be plenty of room in the enclosed run for them to stay active in the winter.

As for ventilation in the henhouse, between the hole at the top of the ladder and some space left open at the top, you should get plenty. You can slide in a sheet of plywood between the hardware cloth and the roof to limit drafts, but do not seal it off completely. You may also add Styrofoam sheets inside the double walls of the henhouse, if you think that would help. I have not had to do this, though the coop is designed to make it easy. For the enclosed yard, you can wrap plastic sheeting around the bottom half of the run (on two or three sides) to provide a wind/rain/snow break. Make sure to leave plenty of ventilation, though.

For lots more information on preparing your chicken coop and flock for the winter, see the winter-tagged posts at our blog, Coop Thoughts.

NOTE: As I write this, the highs in Portland have been below freezing for about two weeks. Our hens look as good as ever. When the wind dies down, some of them still prefer roosting in the run and not in the henhouse, even at night.

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How did you decide to put the chicken access hole in the floor of the henhouse instead of in the wall?

We liked the look of it. So we decided to build it this way first, knowing that if we wanted to change it later, it would be easier to do. You can have the ladder come up into the wall of the henhouse, if you prefer. This leaves you with an uninterrupted floor in the henhouse, which is nice if you have more than 6 or so hens. Make the ladder a little narrower, then position it against the back wall, going up into the inside wall of the henhouse (right of the access door, as you face it). It works just as well, and looks good too.

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Questions about the roofing material (e.g., What is the snow load of the roofing material you recommend? Should I use clear, solar gray, or another shade? Where can I learn more?):

The roofing panels indicated in the plan are called SunTuf® and are made by Palram Industries. The plan follows the manufacturer's installation guidelines, which you can download here. (This is a general download page, so scroll down for the SunTuf® installation guides. There should be a consumer version and a more detailed "pro-sumer" version.) The panels as attached in this design are rated to support 20-30 lbs. per square foot (about 100-150 kg per square meter). As for colors, SunTuf® panels come in different shades. Avoid Clear unless you are locating the coop in full shade. Solar Gray has been great — it cuts all but 30% of the sunlight. It may look dark in the store, but outside you really see how much light comes through. White works nicely too, diffusing the light even more.

We have not noticed dirt/leaves/fungus accumulating on the gray or white roofs and have not had to wash them. If you have lots of leaf litter or little sunlight, maybe you'll see more of that.

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Any suggestions for expanding the size?

There are infinite ways you can modify the design to make it a little smaller or a lot bigger. And the plan makes a good jumping off point for your own creativity. A few of ways to expand the coop come to mind immediately.

The first, and maybe the simpler, way would be to increase the width towards the right (as you face the front of the coop) by another section. That would give you about 60 sq. ft. (5.4 sq. meters) of grazing area, which would be comfortable for 12 hens (at 5 sq. ft. per bird). The door could stay next to the henhouse, or move over a section. You'll probably need some extra brackets to extend the top/sole plates (upper and lower horizontal framing members) to that length.

Introducing. . ."The Garden Limo!"
* This sketch is for the purpose of discussion only and is NOT part of the plan.

To create some extra room inside the henhouse. I'd suggest moving the ladder so it leads up into the side of the henhouse, not the floor (so the opening would be on the inner wall). This would give you more functional space inside the henhouse for the hens to maneuver, since the floor would be uninterrupted.

You could also external nest boxes to your chicken coop using our free exterior nesting box plans for guidance. (Right now, the nest boxes are inside the henhouse space.) Be sure to review the external plans plans before framing your coop, as it will alter how you frame the left wall of the henhouse.

External boxes are not necessary, but would open up the entire henhouse for perches to accommodate more birds. They would also allow you to add a nesting box, though 2 should suffice. And if you built the external boxes out far enough, and clad the sides below it, you could create a nice covered cabinet for a bale of straw. (Just an idea, not in the plans!)

Another way to build The Garden Coop larger is to extend it further back (as you face it). You just have to be careful with your materials then — you'll need longer, wider boards for rafters to keep the right slope, longer roofing panels (they do come in longer lengths than what the plan calls for), and some of your siding lengths will change. Here's a post with more details on this type of expansion.

Of course, you'll need more hardware cloth no matter how you expand it. Click here to see other ways people are making The Garden Coop their own.

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What thickness plywood should I use?

I used 7/16" OSB (oriented strand board) for the plywood pieces. I think anything around a 1/2" (13 mm) should be fine for the henhouse floor and nesting boxes. You could get by with thinner for the interior wall panels.

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Can you tell me more about the non-toxic wood treatment you mention in the plan?

It is called Internal Wood Stabilizer, and it's made by Timber Pro UV, a company right here in Portland, Oregon.

Click here to learn more and to get a discount code for direct orders from the company.

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We're happy to answer any questions you might have about our chicken coop designs and plans.

Just click here to send us an email!

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