Mother's Mini-coop
(Page 2 of 3)
February/March 2003
Story and Photos by Steve Maxwell
Next, assemble the rafters, cross ties and end spacers. Join each truss frame with glue and screws at the bottom joints, but use just a couple of small nails and a temporary, 3/4-inch-thick spacer at the peak (see photo in the Image Gallery). The nails help hold the truss frame together and keep the parts accurately aligned. Later, you'll need to take this joint apart so you can slip in the ridge board. Bring the peak together first (with a spacer sandwiched between the rafters), then add the cross tie at the bottom. Since the truss is a triangle, you can be sure all angles are accurate if you follow this procedure.
RELATED CONTENT
THE HEALTHY PLATE: Recipe for chicken and shiitake mushroom lo mein...
With this unique design, anyone can keep a few chickens, even in small back yards....
The best chicken varieties for MOTHER's Mini-Coop, including buttercups, brown leghorns, hamburgs a...
How to mix your own chicken feed, including buying mixed ration feed in bulk, feed ratios, protein ...
Install the Wall Sheathing
Add wall sheathing on the two end walls and the inside partition wall that divides the coop in two. I used 5/8-inch textured exterior plywood sheathing for its looks and durability. It's a bit beefier than necessary for this application, but we wanted to make sure all parts of the coop are durable and long-lasting.
To keep the doors simple, inexpensive and bind-free, we opted for a hinge-free design. The two removable end-doors are held in place with swiveling butterfly fasteners, while the middle door simply slides to keep the chickens in or out.
The plans show important details on how the sheathing attaches and how the doors work. Take a look before you decide on your own approach. Trace your truss frames on the sheathing to determine layout lines, then saw the sheathing to shape. Sheath the three walls that need plywood, and get the sliding door working. A vent on top of the roost's exterior door, together with the inner sliding door, assure ventilation for the birds during hot weather. When the weather gets cold, you can block the vent with a piece of cardboard and close the sliding door each night.
Bring the Trusses Together
While the glue on the truss frames is drying, grab the two floor-frame sides and the ridge board you cut earlier. Clamp them together and mark the location of the truss frames you'll be fastening to them. The floor-frame sides are longer than the ridge board, so be sure there's an equal amount of overhang on each end before you clamp and mark.
Temporarily prop up the two end trusses on a level, flat surface. Use a builder's level to get everything plumb. If the frame is brought together with any kind of twist, that defect is there to stay. Connect the two outermost trusses with the floor-frame side members, then add the ridge board. Next, fit the remaining trusses in place, following the layout lines you drew earlier on the side-frame members and the ridge. As you work, use screws and an adhesive to fasten the pieces together. It takes a little longer, but it will make the structure more rigid and sturdy.
Complete the main frame by adding the two handle braces, the plywood floor, the roost bar and the nest box. Leave the nest box loose so you can lift it out when you clean the interior.
