Help: Chicken Coop Construction

Everything else
1

I am building a chicken coop and I’ve run into a snag. I’m not the most experienced builder, so I was hoping someone good offer me some guidance.

Here is the coop I am trying to build:

The problem is the roof. The plans call for eight 32" pieces of galvanized sheet metal, but I can only get the metal in pieces 34" or bigger. The gables I’ve created are designed for 32" pieces of sheet metal. You lay four of them out on each side of the roof, then put a cap down the middle seam.

How do I cut this stuff? If I can figure out how to cut it, I order four 64" pieces and make 4 cuts. All I have is a skill saw. I assume you need a special blade for metal (If only B.A. Barracus from the A-Team where here, he would know how to cut this stuff!)

My other option is to maybe bend the 64" piece, but then that might look pretty ghetto and so make using nice metal roof a poor choice. I could put plywood on it and cover it with shingles, but then it would be much heavier and I had hoped to be able to move this around the yard. I suppose I can just have two more inches of overhang on the roof, but then my little screen door into the yard might not open correctly.

Any ideas from you construction people would be much appreciated.

Here is a link to the plans on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Chicken-Coop-Plans--Playhouse-Coop-Hen-House_W0QQitemZ280338404380QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090426?IMSfp=TL090426114008r2638#ebayphotohosting

2

I really can’t help you but man, I wish I could build stuff like that.

3

A perfect cut would be tricky, but if you can hide the cut under the cap, then get an angle grinder and go to town. One of these:

H.

4

Use fiberglass roofing instead. It comes in corrugated sheets that look very much like the roof in your picture and you can cut it with shears or wood-cutting tools.

5

This is exactly the kind of thing B.A. Barracus would use, sparks showering down all around. I might just do it to have the experiance! I will have to get my kids to whistle the A-Team theme song.

6

Shit, that’s how I feel about this stuff. It helps to build low stakes stuff, like tree forts and chicken coops. If your wife complains about how it looks, you can always look at her skeptically and say, “What the hell kind of chicken farmer are you?”

7

I had thought about using this stuff, but I wonder how well it would look.

8

Tin Snips, buy them at HomeDepot or Lowes about $10. Wear gloves, you’ll get cut.

9

You need a “Keeper of the chickem coop” tag, Tim.

10

Google says you can use “a circular saw with a metal-cutting abrasive blade.”

Edit: And you should add wheels and turn into a chicken tractor.

Here’s a picture of the one my dad built for himself:

11

Make sure to get an E-Z catch harvester.

12

Yeah, they’re pretty frickin’ awesome. Of course, you need to cook up reasons to cut metal, but they rock when you do.

H.

13

Mr. T never used tin snips!

14

Holy moly! That’s pretty freakin cool tractor. I had heard about adding wheels, but was going to look into it once I got the roof in place. :)

15

As Popeye always said, “Well, blow me down!”

16

The good shepherd loves white meat.

17

OMFG. This needs a warning tag. Please.

18

Does sort of remind you of chickens going through a wood chipper.

19

20

Ah, I hadn’t realized that kind of tag. :)