nails [ 8 ]. Next, make t wo 11-in.-wide x
43½-in.-long nesting boxes out of pine
1x3s. Set the boxes along the sides of
the roosting loft f loor and secure each
with two 15/8-in. decking screws.
STEP 7 Build the Ramp
Make a 47-in.-long ramp from a 1x6,
so the chickens can access the roost-
ing loft from the ground. Miter-cut
the ends of the ramp to 30°, then
attach 3/8-in.-sq. cleats, spaced about
4 in. apart, so the chickens can climb
the ramp without slipping. Fasten the
ramp to the center collar tie with a con-
tinuous hinge. Then cut an 8-in. length
of wire from a wire clothes hanger and
screw it to the center of the collar tie
directly above the entry door. Twist
a small screw eye into the edge of the
lower end of the ramp. When it’s nec-
essary to move the coop for cleaning,
raise the ramp and slip the wire into
the screw eye.
STEP 8 Add the Roosting-Loft Door
Take the door you cut out of the ply-
wood roof earlier and secure it over
the roosting loft with a 31¾-in.-long
continuous hinge [^9 ]. Then, lay an
12IF YOUR MITER SAW DOESN’T CUT TO 60°...
Building the chicken
coop’s three A-frame
assemblies requires
cutting the upper ends
of each rafter to 60°.
But what if your miter
saw only cuts to 45°?
Here’s a simple way to
retrofit your saw to cut
the 60° miters.Start by making a cut-
ting guide from a piece
of ¾-in. plywood or lum-
ber. Cut the guide about
4 in. wide and at least
12 in. long. Rotate the
miter-saw blade to 30°
and trim off one end of
the guide. Next, clamp
the guide to the miter-saw table, as shown. [ 1 ]
Now, to make a 60°
cut, rotate the miter-
saw blade back to 0° and
lock it in place. Hold the
2x4 rafter against the
30° mitered end of the
guide and make the cut,
as shown. [ 2 ] The result
will be a precise 60° cut.9November/December 2021 57