Coop Inspiration 10/3: A Carport Coop
By Jason Pugh, Texas — My family and I thought you might like our idea of repurposing something for a chicken coop — a carport. We had this 20-foot by 20-foot metal carport, where we parked the cars. After building a garage, we decided to move this one out into the pasture, which was quite an experience. Next, we put 4-by-4 treated posts on the corners eight feet toward the inside. The vacant space under the carport we used for storing four-wheelers and is big enough to park a car under.

We stretched small welded wire around the entire coop and also buried at least four inches down to ward off digging varmints. We also put wire at the top but did not enclose so that hot summer air could escape. The next step was to enclose the top half with cedar planks and batten it down. Our thought was that the chickens would need the wall on the top half for a wind break during winter.

After fabricating our doors out of the same material and with black hinges and clasps, the project was almost complete. We put a sheet of Oriented Sanded Board (OSB) for a divider, complete with a closing arched door, so that competing roosters could not see each other. Finally, we added nesting boxes and a perch and the job was done.

My son, Jacob, and I did the work. He learned about construction while having a blast building the coop. Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
Originally published in the June/July 2015 issue of Backyard Poultry magazine.