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A lightweight 8-foot A-frame tractor coop: chicken-wire run below, sided roost with a removable floor above, and a hinged picket door on the nesting end.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base sides Full boards — do not cut. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 96" | — | ☐ |
| Base ends | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 74" | — | ☐ |
| A-frame wall boards Both ends 30° off square, parallel, long point to short point — plus a perpendicular foot cut marked in the steps. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 75 1/4" | — | ☐ |
| Ridge | 1 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 96" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Floor joists Both ends 30° off square, NOT parallel, long point to long point. Two go on the nesting-box end. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 51" | — | ☐ |
| Roost floor pickets | 7 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 44" | Cedar fence picket | ☐ |
| Siding panels Each sheet cut in half. Gable ends cut to fit from pickets. | 4 | 3/8" × 48" × 48" | T1-11 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ft Base frame, A-frame walls, floor joists. Two of them must NOT be cut (96" base sides); cut the 51" pieces from the longer stock first. | 12 each | ☐ |
| 2x6, 8 ft (Cedar) The ridge. Cedar or treated — it's the most weather-exposed board in the build. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72" (Cedar) Roost floor, gable ends, and the door. | 12 each | ☐ |
| T1-11 siding, 3/8", 4x8 sheet The upper roost walls. Exterior plywood substitutes. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Chicken wire, 2 ft x 25 ft | 1 each | ☐ |
| Staples, 1/2" | 1 box | ☐ |
| Exterior hinges, 3" | 2 each | ☐ |
| Exterior gate locks or hook-and-eye Raccoons open simple latches. Get the kind that needs a thumb. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Exterior construction screws, #10 x 3", self-tapping | 60 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping screws, 1" Floor pickets, siding, and door parts. | 100 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Speed Square, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Exterior construction screws, #10 x 3", self-tapping
Screw the 96" sides and 74" ends into a rectangle with two 3" screws per corner, on flat level ground close to where the coop will live. It's designed light enough to drag, but 8 feet of coop through a garden gate is a puzzle you can skip.
Square it by matching diagonals — every angled wall board is about to inherit this frame's accuracy.
Tools: Circular Saw, Pencil, Speed Square. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft
The six wall boards are cut at 30° per the list; now mark each foot with the speed square at 90° to the cut end, per the diagram, and trim with the circular saw. This foot cut is what lets the angled board sit flat inside the base frame.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Exterior construction screws, #10 x 3", self-tapping
Screw the four outer wall boards inside the base corners with 3" screws, then the two center boards, centered on the base sides. Each opposing pair should meet cleanly at the top — if a pair doesn't, fix the foot cut now, not with shims at the ridge.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x6, 8 ft, Exterior construction screws, #10 x 3", self-tapping
Lay the 2x6 on top of the wall boards' peaks and screw down with 3" screws into each pair. The ridge ties all six walls into one structure — the coop should feel rigid the moment it's on.
Tools: Staple Gun. Materials: Chicken wire, 2 ft x 25 ft, Staples, 1/2"
Staple the wire around the lower walls and base now, while everything is still open and reachable. Staples every few inches, wire pulled tight, no gaps at the ground line — write 'a raccoon will find it' on the workbench if it helps, because one will.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pencil, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Exterior construction screws, #10 x 3", self-tapping
Mark the wall boards 44-1/4" down from the ridge and screw the floor joists across at the marks with 3" screws. The nesting-box end gets TWO joists — easy to miss in the diagram, and the nesting boxes need the double support.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Self-tapping screws, 1"
Set the 44" pickets across the joists and screw down with 1" screws — ONE per end, on purpose. This floor comes UP for cleaning, and over-fastening it defeats the best feature of the design.
Better still, the plan's alternative: screw the pickets to scrap 2x4s laid alongside (not into) the joists, and the entire floor lifts out as a panel.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: T1-11 siding, 3/8", 4x8 sheet, Self-tapping screws, 1"
Screw the T1-11 half-sheets to the wall boards under the ridge with 1" screws, about four per joist. This turns the upper triangle into the weatherproof sleeping box.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw, Pencil, Tape Measure. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Self-tapping screws, 1"
Working from the ridge down, measure, cut (30° ends), and fasten cedar picket gable boards over the triangular end above the roost floor. Cut-to-fit beats the list here — your real angles rule.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw, Tape Measure. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Exterior hinges, 3", Exterior gate locks or hook-and-eye, Self-tapping screws, 1"
Cut picket pieces to cover the remaining end opening — deliberately a touch SMALL, so the door clears its frame in wet weather. Cut four pickets at 16" and screw them across the angled pieces to make the door panel.
Hinge it in the opening, install the latch (the raccoon-resistant kind), and move the flock in. Drag the coop to fresh grass weekly — that's why you built the light one.