Want to put in your own DIY dog door? Check out this project where I show you how I built a DIY dog door for my pups at the house!

Today I’m showing you how I cut a hole in the side of my house and installed a dog door! This was surprisingly easy and has made my life, and my dog’s life, much easier. Check out the video above to see how I did it.

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Thinking about building your pups their very own Insulated Dog House? Check out this project where I walk you through how to build your own!

In the video above, watch how I built a Dog House with two doors and a lift top!

I have three pups. I built a dog house for them 3 years ago that is big enough for all of them. But one of the dogs will get inside the house first and not let the others in. I could just cut another opening, but since my one dog is territorial about his space, I decided to build a completely different design to keep everyone happy.

This new dog house has two rooms with a dividing wall in between. I’ve incorporated heating pads so the space is nice and warm in the winter. And a roof that is on a hinge, so I can easily get inside to change their blankets, beds, or just check in on them.

I have a set of plans Dog House Duplex Plans here if you’d like to build your own, including a full material list, cut list and step by step instructions!

Dog House Duplex Plans

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Also, check out the previous Insulated Dog House I built HERE in this other video, as well as plans for original Insulated Dog House here.

Insulated Dog House Plans

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Things I Used in This Insulated Dog House Project:

• ISOtunes Ear Protection
• Armor Mobile Workbench
• Armor Pocket Hole Jig
• Triton Tracksaw
• StealthMask Respirator
• Brad Nailer
• Rockler Bandy Clamps

I hope you enjoy this Dog House build. I’ll see you on my next project!

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up at the top of this page for my newsletter so you don’t miss new projects!

(Most of the links listed above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me in this way.)

Thinking about trying to build your own DIY automatic chicken coop door? Check out this project where I show you how I built automatic chicken coop doors!

I built this chicken coop last summer and have been loving my chickens but I don’t like having to come out first thing every morning and every evening to coop and uncoop them. If you don’t know, chickens will go inside their chicken coop every evening on their own around dusk. But I still have to be here or come out here to shut the door and keep them safe. 

So this week I finally tackled building my own automatic chicken coop door. It’s on a photocell so when this device here senses light, it will open the door and let the girls range.

Then when it no longer senses light, it will shut. I was worried about cloudy days but so far there hasn’t been any issues with it!

Let me show you how I made it.

Things I Used In This DIY Automatic Chicken Coop Door Project:

• ISOtunes Ear Protection
• Linear Actuator
• Clamps
• Battery
• Door Hinges
• Solar Sensor
• 12V Relay

If you’re interested, I have a set of plans available that has a full material list. You can find the plans for this Automatic Chicken Coop Door here and also the plans for my Compact Chicken Coop here (or at the bottom of this page).

Automatic Chicken Coop Door Plans

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Ok, I started by making the door. For this I’m using scraps from my shop and just gave them a few good coats of paint.

All of the components for this build will be hidden under the chicken coop itself then also under the nesting box so I’m not overly worried about using untreated wood.

The door itself is very simple, it starts as just a simple box. Next a door is added with two hinges. 

The linear actuator is one of the main components that makes this whole thing work. You can go cheap on these guys but if you’re shooting for quality and something that will last then I recommend going with this brand called Progressive Automations. They have a huge variety of not only linear actuators but also other electronic items. Also, it’s worth noting that they have great customer service that are happy to help pick out the item needed for a certain job in mind. 

I added in a few more painted scraps to the top, to create a cubby for the actuator to go in. 

The actuator will extend out and contract in, which is what controls what opens and closes the door. To attach the two components, I used an L bracket.

I screwed it to the top of the door first then positioned the actuator.

For attaching it correct, the actuator needs to be fully extended. I’m using a transformer temporally to give it power. This is such low voltage that you don’t have to worry about getting shocked. If you hear clicking but no action then reverse the connections and you should see it work. 

Perfect, with that done, I clamped the door firmly shut as that’s the position I want to establish when the actuator is fully extended. Once slight pressure is applied to the bracket, the back of the actuator can be screwed down and secured. 

Lets test it out and make sure it’s working as it should. 

Ok so when installed on the chicken coop I’ll be using a solar panel and battery to power the operations, but first I wanted to wire everything together on my workbench to make sure it worked before going through the actual install.

With that, I added in a relay which is the switch to extend and contract the linear actuator. Then also a photocell which is the component that will sense light and trigger the switch from open to close or visa versa. 

With the concept proven and the how to figured out, next it was to install it on the chicken coop. I’m placing all of my important pieces under the chicken coop to keep it out of the rain, which includes the linear actuator, the battery and the relay.

Oh, I also added in a fuse between the battery and the actuator….to add in the door, I cut into my chicken coop wire, added in two studs then slipped the door right into place. 

For the photocell to work, it’s placed higher up on the coop and facing West to catch the evening light.

The chickens start going home around night fall and the door stays open until a little bit past that.

If relying on the sun makes you uncomfortable then another option would be to have a timer placed in the system. I didn’t go this direction because I didn’t want to change the settings when the time changes. 

I really hope you enjoyed watching this project come together and if you have a coop then I hope you’re inspired to make your own automatic door.

Be sure and watch the video above for an even better tutorial.

I’ll see you on my next project.

Automatic Chicken Coop Door Plans

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• Find Plans to the Automatic Chicken Coop Door here.
• Find Plans to build my Large Coop here.
• Find Plans to build my Compact Coop here.
• Find Plans to build my Chicken Run here.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up at the top of this page for my newsletter so you don’t miss new projects!

Thinking about building your own dog food dispenser? Check out this project where I built a dog food dispenser for my own dogs, to make feeding time more fun!

Man, it’s crazy how fast time flies. It was five years ago that I started making videos and showing people how I was figuring out how to build things I needed. And one of those things was a dog food dispenser. It was a simple shape and at the bottom I placed a blast gate to release food into a pouring container. It worked great but there was no way to regulate how much food was being dispensed. 

Well, in this project, I’ll show you how I remade the dispenser with a mechanism inside that releases a set amount of food per pull of a lever. Pretty cool huh?

Dog Food Dispenser

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Let me start at the beginning and show you how I did it. 

Things I Used In This Dog Food Dispenser Project:

ISOtunes Bluetooth Hearing Protection
Armor Mobile Workbench
Armor Hold Down Clamps
Triton Circular Saw
Triton Jigsaw
Miter Saw
Wilker Do’s Miter Saw Stand
Wilker Do’s Ultimate Workbench
Armor Pocket Hole Jig
Bessey Quick Clamps
Triton Large ROS
Triton Router
Infinity Round Over Bit
Wilker Do’s DIY Drill Press Stand
Titebond II
Titebond Instant Bond
Titebond Quick and Thick
Router Table
Wilker Do’s DIY Plywood Workbench Modifications
Infinity Mega Flush Trim Bits
Bessey Clamps
Bessey KlikClamps
Cross Cut Sled
Trim Router
Track Saw
Plug Cutter

Ok, lets start with making the body.

I kept the overall shape of it the same as before, because honestly the shape is the best for the application I think, but this time I wanted to soften the shape some by adding in some curves. Instead of messing with bending wood, I cut out a template on my CNC then traced it onto a sheet of plywood wood, then cut it out.

What I’m doing is building up the sides to the height needed by stacking identical parts on top of each other. Once I had the needed amount of parts cut and shaped, I started gluing them together. I’m using Titebonds fast drying Quick and Thick here and also using a brad nailer to hold the parts to the previous one.

For the body I’m using a construction grade plywood because I’ll be painting it later on. If you would rather stain it, then you can do the same process from any solid wood as well. 

As I was laminating the sides, I did my best to keep things aligned so it would minimize sanding and shaping in the next step. Once the glue was dry, I gave both sides a good sanding with 80 grit to smooth out any slight unevenness between layers. 

If you use plywood, unless you use a really high end grade there are always a few voids in the plys. My method for filling these in for a seamless paint surface is to apply some joint compound to it. Once the joint compound is fully dry, I again sanded but this time with 120 grit, just until the compound filled in areas were leveled out. 

Alright, that is the body done for the moment so lets start work on the mechanism.

My little dogs eat 1 cup of food each a day so I started off building a mechanism that would dispense that amount. I grabbed some PVC pipe and cut two lengths at the miter saw. This is what will store the needed amount of food.

Next I grabbed some 1/2 scraps and started making a few circles. I used a compass to draw the circle, a bandsaw to cut them out, then a forstner bit to cut out the smaller needed circles.

If you don’t have a forstner bit, you can instead use a drill bit to punch a through hole large enough to get a jigsaw blade into, then use a jigsaw to cut it out. This whole assembly creates the inside portion that holds the food and rotates about when the lever is pulled.

Now to make the top and bottom parts that will open and close off the holes and stay stationary while the inside moves.

I’m again using scrap to make these parts and started by cutting a few rectangles at the tablesaw. Then I clamped them to my Armor Tools workbench once again and punched a few holes.

In one of the plates, after the two holes were cut out, I used a jigsaw to cut a curved pathway between the two. This simple cut out drastically cuts down on the food getting stuck and crunched when moving the lever and cutting off the flow of food.

After drilling yet another circle in what will be the bottom, where the food drops out from, I piled all the parts on top of each other and drilled a center hole through. This will give me a way to connect them all. 

I started with the top of the assembly which has a circle cut out, and two square pieces, being held together with a carriage bolt and two nuts to lock it in place.

I also put something on this assembly to agitate the food. In my case this is a paint stirring stick cut to length. This part will knock the food around when moving the lever, to keep it flowing nicely into the pipes below. 

Next I flipped it over and started assembling the bottom, first attaching the circle with two cutouts. Oh, and I again used Titebond’s Quick and Thick to glue the PVC pipes to the wood. This is an interior multi surface glue so it’s perfect for sticking different material together quickly.

Then lastly I threw on the bottom rectangle where the food drops out of and tighten everything down. 

Let me see if I can show you how it works….. When I attach the lever, I’ll be able to rotate the inside circles to one side which opens one of the pipes while closing the other. This is the top so one will always be filling while one will always be closed off. When rotated the other direction, the opposite one will fill.

Then on the other side, where there is only one hole, one pipe is always emptying while the other is closed off. The closed off pipe is the one filling so that when the lever is pulled, and things shift, it is then emptied while the other is filling. 

In theory you can resize the device to hold any amount of dog food, cat food, cereal, coffee beans….really anything you can think of. Just be aware that the larger in diameter of pipe you go, the larger the entire dispenser will become. After putting this one together I actually downsized because while my dogs eat 1 cup of food daily, they eat it over two times in the day so next I made a device to dispense just 1/2 cup of food at a time. 

And you can see here the size difference in the device, which will determine how big the body needs to be. 

Before setting that aside to build the front, the last thing I did was stick a handle on. I made a simple shape then again used some Titebond to attach it to the device itself. 

**And a side note: if you are interested in building this mechanism, I have a set of DIY Dog Food Dispenser Plans for it here!

Ok, and now onto the face. Remember that this can be something as simple as a sheet of plywood but I thought it would be really cool to use some live edge, and do a clear epoxy pour in the center to be used as a sight glass so that one can see inside to read the level of food remaining.

Evener cooler, I’m using a piece of mesquite I personally milled up myself a year ago with my chainsaw mill.

It just happened to be the perfect height for this project and it was actually wide enough to use as is, but I thought I would make a much cooler piece if I cut it down the middle, resawed it to book match, and point the two live edge portions towards one another. 

I used my Track Saw to rip it down the center but even doing this, it exceeded the cut capacity of my bandsaw to resew it. So I took it to my neighbors shop and used his to get two boards that are about 3/8” thick.

I quickly ran each one over the jointer to get one side flat, then through my Thickness Planer to get the second side flat. 

Next I set up a station to do my epoxy pour. First figuring out how my boards were going to lay and how far apart they needed to be.

Next I laid down tape to cover up the bottom of the board and the intention here is to create a surface that the epoxy won’t stick to. However, I will tell you that this painters tape ended up sticking really bad. I hear house wrap tape releases much better, but I didn’t have any on hand. 

After the tape, I cut a few scraps to length to create some walls. These will build a form around my two mesquite boards to keep the epoxy in.

I again used tape on the bottom edges of these boards since that will be the portion in contact with the epoxy.

Next is attach the boards and seal around it to prevent the epoxy from leaking out while it cures. I’ve seen people use silicone before but that has a long dry time and I was trying to get the pour done that day…..so I used a fast setting adhesive from Titebond called Titegrab.

I laid down a decent bead under the side walls, then mushed them down on top. It is an adhesive so this will attach the walls to the bottom, then I took the squeeze out and used it to seal off where the bottom meets the walls and the corners where the walls meet each other. 

With the form done, next I set my boards in place then started to mix together the epoxy. My goal is to use this as a sight glass so it was really important to use an epoxy that would end up crystal clear. This brand Total Boat has always amazed me as how clear it comes out, so that’s what I used.

Be sure to read the instructions on how long to spend on mixing the two throughly together. Also, if you are needing epoxy, you can use the code AprilW to get 20% off anything TotalBoat. 

Ah, Ok time to pour!

This is my first big-ish epoxy pour so I was a little nervous, but honestly there was no reason to be. I poured it down the center until it filled up to the surface, then waited for it to settled, then poured more.

You’ll see there are lots of bug holes in the sap wood of the mesquite and I really didn’t want these to get filled in because I think they look cool as little tunnels. Once you are done pouring, you can use a quick flame to pop all of the air bubbles in the epoxy, then make sure your form isn’t leaking, then just let it sit until cured. 

The next day, I used a mallet to bust open the form and expose the pour. The sides came off easily enough but that tape….nope, that was stuck pretty darn good.

Instead of spending the time it would take to peel it off, I ended up sanding it off which wasn’t a big problem since the next step was to sand the front side and clean up all the excess epoxy. For this job I started with 80 grit and I used the more aggressive setting on my 6” triton ROS and this made quick work of the epoxy and the tape. 

By just hitting it with 80 grit though, the epoxy is pretty scuffed up so the next step is to run through the grits and remove all the scratches further and further until it’s back to crystal clear. I used my ROS to go through all the grits I have pads for, which I only keep up to 320 in my shop….then I switched over to hand sanding and continued to 500, 800, 1000, 1500, then 3000. 

The goal is to remove the scratches you made from the previous grit. After getting through 3000 the last step to really make it shine is to add some polish compound and buff it.

Alright, after adding polish compound, I took the piece to my grinding wheel, which has a buffing wheel on one side and used it to polish up the epoxy. This was kind of hard to do because of it’s size and middle placement, but I made it work on both the front and the back.

Annnnd now that all three components are made (the mechanism, the body, and the front) we can join them together. The front is really the main part that will be seen, because my dispenser will end up in my kitchen pantry so I picked out a brown that would compliment the mesquite wood.

Then for the mechanism, I painted it whatever sort of brown I had in a rattle can. : ) I didn’t think about it too much because you honestly can’t see it as the sight glass narrows where it is. 

After attaching the body to the dispenser, I set it on a piece of ply to trace out for a back. I quickly cut that out then attached it using Quick and Thick once again.

For a lid I cut a piece of piano hinge to size, then threw it on using a few short screws. 

Before attaching the top, I first squared up one edge, the top edge, over at the table saw using a cross cut sled.

Once I had that edge sorted, I measured down in two different places to the final length I needed the piece, this way I could use a Track Saw to cut it square. 

Ok, so good so far! 

This main piece of the front goes all the way down but top above the handle. Next, I used the table saw to rip off another small strip of the epoxy pour to attach right underneath the handle. After squaring both pieces up to the body and also making sure they were in line with each other (even though there is a gap in between them), I used the smallest drill bit I own to punch through the front face and into the body. My intention is to attach this face by using dowels but I don’t want to see them in the front at all…I’m calling them blind dowels but I don’t know if that is really a term or not. 

After punching a few holes through the face and into the body, I could remove the top and have an exact location in both pieces to enlarge that would fit a dowel but also line up to one another. I used a piece of tape on my drill bit to mark a depth and make sure I wouldn’t go through the face. 

I threw some Titebond and some 1/4” dowels in the holes, then crossed my fingers and hoped this method worked…..

I did throw it in clamps until this glue was dried. But then I used my favorite bit, which is the Infinity Mega Flush Trim bit, to match the shape of the body to the front.

I also used the Infinity round over bit after to soften it a tad by getting rid of those 90 degree edges, then ran over the entire front with 220 grit paper. 

Now on to finish!

This is my first time working with mesquite but what a beautiful, beautiful wood. Not only the red brownish of the heart wood, but also that brilliant yellow sap wood. I also love that the majority of the bug holes stayed hollow.

After letting three coats dry, I hung it up. This will end up in my kitchen pantry but since I can’t easily get a camera in there, I hung it on my shop wall to show you how it works.

Dog food goes in the top……then pull the lever to have the set amount dispensed.

When I’m serving the dogs, I’ll place their food bowls under the dispenser but for testing purposes I was using a measuring cup. 

What do y’all think!?

I wasn’t too sure about the live edge front when I started, but I’m really loving the way it came out. I think the sight glass is neat and I love being able to just pull the lever, the right amount of food fall into the bowl, then set it down for the hounds to start in on. 

If you are interested in building your own DIY Dog Food Dispenser Plans, I do have a set of plans for the mechanism. You can find those here!

Dog Food Dispenser

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If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up at the top of this page for my newsletter so you don’t miss new projects!

I’ll see you on my next project. 

(Most of the links listed above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)

Thinking about building your own DIY chicken coop run? Check out this DIY project where I added a run to the chicken coop that I built recently!

A few weeks ago that I built this chicken coop and in this tutorial I’ll be showing you how I made this run to go with it. Lets get into it. 

Things I Used In This Chicken Coop Run Project:

• ISOtunes Bluetooth Hearing Protection
• Titebond III
• Miter Saw
• Wilker Do’s Miter Saw Stand
• Framing Nailer
• Pneumatic Stapler
• Bessey KliKlamps
• Cut Off Saw
• Hardware Cloth
• Poultry Watering Cups
• Barrel Bolts
• Armor Tool Moblie Workbench

Chicken Coop Run Plans

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I started off by flipping the wings out on my Wilker Do’s miter saw stand and cutting some 2x4x to length on my miter saw in order to build a wall.

You could, of course, build the wall on site but it will be much easier to build on the flat floor then transport them afterwards.

After cutting each of the studs to length I quickly marked off where each one needed to go, used a speed square to transfer the location to the top plate of the wall, then started attaching the studs with a framing nailer. I’m using a nailer because I have one but you could also go with a drill and screws. 

After I built the first wall, I repeated the steps to make a second the same way. In order to have the rain run off, I made the front wall a few inches taller than the back wall. We don’t get snow in my part of Texas so my angle is really shallow but this can easily be changed by just making the studs of the wall taller in one wall. 

With the walls put together I next paused to paint them. The entire run is wrapped in hardware cloth to keep chicken-eating-critters out. And take my word that it’s muuuuch easier to paint before any screening goes down. So I propped the walls up with some scraps and gave everything I could reach a good coating. 

Keeping myself busy while those were drying, I started making the door to the run. I used up a lot of the off cuts from making the walls for this. Again, since I have a nailer that’s what I used to make it go quicker.

Then once the framing was done I also gave it a coat of paint. 

Alright and now on to screening it.

I’m using 1/2” hardware cloth for this and it’s job is to keep anything that can eat chickens, away from the chickens. I would start off at one end of the wall and throw on a few Bessey clamps to hold the cloth securely while I unrolled the needed amount to stretch to the other side then start so a few more clamps could be placed and hold it down.

Next I could start stapling it down. I started on one end and worked my way towards the other while using my hand to work out any folds or extra material as I moved. I’ve done this job before with an electric stapler and while it did work, I was blown away at how much quicker and easier this pneumatic stapler made this job. So if you have one, I recommend pulling it out for this. 

Once a panel was stapled down I would use a right angle grinder to cut off the excess. This one is overkill, but my small 3 inch grinder had a dead battery. 

At this point all the work I could do inside the shop was done, so next I loaded the two walls and door on a trailer and moved to the chicken coop to start putting the walls in place. 

To do that, I first started digging holes to place a few pavers for the walls to rest securely on. I started with getting the depth of the paver closest to the coop figured out first. After getting the depth about right, I also leveled it in both directions.

With that one set I just worked my way out, moving over to where about the center of the wall would land, and set another paver level with the first.

Chicken Coop Run Plans

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When I tried to put a level across the two stones, the dirt in between got in the way. To skirt around this issue I just place another block on top of each existing block to build up the height to place the level. 

After getting the main depth of the stone right, I moved to a shorter level to make sure it was sitting level. I did this by picking it up and just tossing a few handfuls of dirt into the low side, until it had a perfect bubble. 

Once I had three on one side complete, I moved to the other side and repeated with three more. Now making sure to read level not only off the first paver I set, but also the paver across from the one being set. 

Oh, and a quick tip for you….my local store only had foot long pavers which were much longer than I needed. I wouldn’t care if I were having to dig a hole to accommodate it, so instead of using the full length I broke them in half…. caveman style

Pavers are set and level, time to move in the walls.

Remember that I have a short wall and a tall wall to create a slant in the roof, if you build this project make sure you note the wall you’re picking up and placing.

Once in place, I secured them to the chicken coop with my framing nailer.

Next was to make some rafters which will join the two walls together. I set up a quick work station right there on the job site with a mobile workbench and a battery operated miter saw, then started cutting some 2x4s to length. 

For the roofing system I tried to keep it nice and simple so these rafters span between the two walls instead of sitting on top.

I would place a few Bessey clamps on the studs before setting the rafters and these acted as a third hand to hold up one end while I was predrilling and securing the other end with screws.

Note that if you don’t want to duck in the run you can easily adjust the height to however tail by simply making the studs in the walls taller. 

After getting all the rafters attached I went back to my nailer and attached a few cross braces in between each rafter. 

Chicken Coop Run Plans

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And now to deck it!

Depending on the type of roofing you go with for your run, you might not have to deck it. I’m using the same shingles that I used on the coop, which is much easier to install if the roof is decked. So next I threw up some plywood.

I cut the first sheet to land half way on a rafter, then cut a short section to cover the rest of the roof. Now to hop up and nail it down then move on to shingles. 

I used some flexible flashing that also has a peal and stick underside, to span over the gap in between the deck roofline and the existing coop. This will prevent water from getting in between the two.

Then I started screwing down the shingles.

When roofing you always want to start at the lowest point and work towards the peak this way when water runs down hill it always stay on top of the material and not have a way under.

This particular shingle has corrugations in it which requires a screw to be placed into each one. The screw has a special washer on it to seat around the hole that is punch through the material to prevent water from getting in.

You can see when I lay a new shingle I’m using a tape to make the right of the shingle is the same distance off the previous row as the left. This is a simple way of keeping your rows straight. And that’s it for the roof. Little roof takes little time. 

Back down to the ground to do some dirt work and prepare to install what’s called the predator apron.

Chicken killers will come knocking on the walls to get in and can’t, they will try and dig under the walls. To prevent them from being able to do that, wire meshing is also placed around the perimeter.

I wanted to frame in the underside of the coop to give the girls a little more room so a few more framing members were added in to give me something to attach this meshing to.

Then I placed the same hardware cloth I used on the walls, all the way around the coop and run.

Quick note on this: when I built my neighbors chicken coop I used hardware cloth for the run but wire meshing for the apron which does keep foxes, raccoons. And bobcats out, but not snakes. So lesson learned: use the smaller holed hardware cloth for both. 

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Ok don’t laugh. Ok, go ahead if you want to, it is pretty funny. .I screened myself out! I realized when I went to put in the door next that I screened over the panel it belongs. No problem though, I grabbed my small grinder (see this is a much more appropriate size for this job) and cut out the screening in the far right panel so I could pop the door in place. 

When installing the door I of course use a few hinges and a handle, but I also placed two barrel bolts. Again, I was thinking about critters being able to get in. I placed one at the top as well as at the bottom of the door. 

Alright and that’s it for the build portion of the run.

Next was to bring in some dirt and start covering up the predator apron and also grading a little bit. I used my tractor to bring in a buckle full then a hard rake to spread it all around. Making sure to get a nice coat on top of the apron to hide it.

Before calling it quits, lets make a few accessories that girls will need.

First a food dispenser. I grabbed about a 3’ section of 3” PVC pipe and a 90 degree elbow. I inserted another 3’ section into the elbow and figured out how long I wanted the feeder portion to be….maybe depending on how many chickens you have should determine this?

After cutting it to length, I used a hole saw bit to cut out a few holes along this length.

I used some sand paper to make the edges nice and smooth then threw an cap on the end to compete it.

I angled this holes slightly so the food inside wouldn’t want to spill out but will hopefully shield it from getting water into it.

The idea is this can be secured to the inside of the coop then chicken feed can be dropped in from the top to fill up the container, giving the chicks multiples access points to feed from.

If you have more chickens you can always make the PVC larger in diameter to hold more, or make the runs longer. You can also use another end cap at the top to cap it off. I cut a slit in mine and made it hinge open and closed for easier access. 

Alright last thing was a watering system.

I kept this one just as easy as the feeder. I bought a 5 gallon bucket and lid, which I then drilled a few holes around the perimeter.

I bought these automatic chicken waterers where the chicken can use their beak to push again the yellow part which opens a valve and lets fresh water into the cup.

So a few holes along the bottom of the bucket, thread in the waterers, and cap it with a lid. I set this up on a paver stone then placed it inside the coop where it had access on all sides. To prevent from having to bring a hose inside the coop to refill it, I quickly drilled a hole in the lid of the bucket, then grabbed some more PVC, which I routed outside of the coop.

I made sure the elbow fitting on the end was large enough for a hose to fit inside of so that I can simply bring the hose over and top them off when needed. 

Now I just need to put shavings inside the coop and introduce the girls to their new home!

My neighbor, who you might remember I built a massive coop for, actually hatched these baby girls for me which is why it’s been so long for me to get some.

I do intend for them to be free range but I wanted the run because new chickens need to be kept in the coop for about two weeks when first being introduced to it and I wanted them to have more leg room other than the coop itself.

Also, we occasionally get predators like bobcats and packs of coyotes in the area, so again this will give them more leg room should I ever need to stow them away while these predictors move about. 

Interested in building your own? Check out these plans!

• Find the Chicken Coop Run Plans here
• Find the Smaller Chicken Coop Plans here
• Find the Larger Chicken Coop Plans here

Chicken Coop Run Plans

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Compact Chicken Coop Plans

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Large Chicken Coop Plans

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I hope you enjoyed this one! I’ll see you on whatever I’m building next.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up at the top of this page for my newsletters so you don’t miss new projects!

Thinking about building your own DIY Backyard Chicken Coop? Check out this awesome DIY project where I built my own in my own backyard!

Alright, if you missed Part 1 of building this chicken coop then check it out HERE to get caught up to the in the build.

In Part 1, I went over the framing, making the windows, building and attaching the roofs and making and installing the nesting boxes. Lets pick up where we left off which is making the roosting bars. 

On the last coop I built, I ran dowels across the coop and in a ladder formation coming up from the ground and leaning into the wall.

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I took a different route for this coop just because I forgot to get dowels and I didn’t want to make another trip to the store. : ) I ripped a 2×4 down at the tablesaw, then turned my blade over and cut in a chaffer on both sides of the rectangle board.

A chicken is flat footed then wraps it’s toes around like this. This chamfer will just make it more comfortable for the bird. 

Of course these bars will get covered in poop, like everything else, and I liked the idea of making a holster for them to nest in where I could take them out and clean them when I clean the coop. You can see I used some 2x4s to make this up, taping them together before cutting out the slots so that after one pass, both are done and identical.

I moved them to the inside of the coop and attached them up the wall above the lower window. I read if you place them on the same level as the nesting boxes the birds will want to sleep in the boxes instead, so these are placed just higher. This does put it out of the range that the chickens can flap up to it so later on I show how I built a ramp for them to access it. 

Next major step was siding and it will save you a ton of time if you are able to paint the siding before installing it. So that’s what I did.

I went with T1-11 siding and I went with the 4” on center panels since this is a smaller coop. I first used my larger ROS to give all the sheets a quick sanding. I’m not trying to get it buttery smooth, just take down the majority of the roughness. 

I applied a coat of primer then two coats of paint. For a paint choice, I love the traditional colors for the coop so I’m using a red. I found the best way to apply the paint to the T1-11 is to use a roller and just apply a good amount of pressure to get into the grooves.

My mom was also kind enough to be priming and painting the part on the coop that needed color, while I was doing the sheets. 

After letting everything dry for a bit, I started cutting the sheets into their needed panels. This job is made super quick if you have a track saw to use, but if you don’t then setting up a fence and using a circular saw works as well.

My folks dropped in so I grabbed my dads set of hands for a bit as this part does go easier with two people. I used a few Bessey quick clamps to hold a ledge in place for us to set the siding. Then dad helped hold it in place and move it around so that it was plumb with the coop’s framing.

Once we had it where it needed to be, I used a few more clamps to hold it down. 

Oh but before attaching it, which I was about to do….Dad suggested we use it as a template for the other side. He’s more than just a handsome face. So we took it off, flipped it over, then used it to trace out for the other side. 

When it came time to attach them, I first laid down a line of Titebond construction adhesive then set it back in place and used my nailer to attach it to the studs. After that was set, we repeated the steps on the other side. 

When I’m siding I always start with the largest pieces. With those two sides knocked out I moved to the back and started piece mealing it together. You might notice here that I messed up. See where I’m placing that piece of siding? That’s on the wrong side. I should be placing it over on the open side of the window but I had chickens on my brain and didn’t realize my oops until later in the build. Like embarrassingly long time later in the build. 

More on that later!

I designed a big removable panel in this back wall so I can easily access the inside of the coop and clean it out. I attached siding all around this panel, then started working on the panel itself. I can’t complete it until the trim step though so after getting the parts cut I set them aside and continued on the other sides of the coop with siding. 

I again start with the largest pieces and if you’re using tongue and groove sheets like I am, just pay attention to how you are cutting your parts so when you line two up to one another, they will overlap correctly.

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I used my framing nailer when attaching to a stud, but switched to my brad nailer when attaching to the nesting boxes. Again, using some construction adhesive on the backside of all these parts. 

Before moving on to trim, I crawled inside the coop and cut in the main door (with my router) for the chickens to enter and leave. You could always cut this before hand, but I find it easier to do once it’s up.

I also did this for the lower window on the opposite side. I just used my small Triton recip saw to cut along my lines. 

Again, something you can do to simplify things…you can just make this a big square or rectangle. I added a cute roof shape to give it flare but that means angles for the trim which is the next step. 

I always find it amazing how much trim fancy something up.

You can see how that added bump out on the roof and the chicken door adds some additional work…and angles….it’s worth it to me, but both can be taken out if you want to simplify the work. 

I repeated these same steps on the other sides, saving the front drop door and the back panel for last.

Moving to the front drop door first, I grabbed my siding that will make up the door and added trim to it. As you can see, I’m attaching the trim to the siding where it’s in contact but I also left trim overhanging. This is so the trim acts as a stop for the door and also make the door look complete when it’s in the closed position.

You can see what I mean here when I dry fit it. 

Making sure the fit isn’t too tight, I move to the bottom with a few sections of piano hinge and give it a way to pivot up and down. It won’t stay closed on it’s own, but I’ll come back later with some hardware to shut it. 

It was when I moved to add the trim on the back of the coop that I finally saw my window mistake! In order to fix it, I cut another piece of hardware cloth and attached it on the correct side then threw trim on top of it.

Since I had already trimmed out the other two sides I had to rip off the trim to fix the mistake but its part of it. And it truly is, I’ve been at this for years now and I still make mistakes obviouly. It’s ok to be frustrated by it, but don’t be discouraged to the point of not fixing it and moving on. 

Alright, lets make the back panel.

I did the same as the front drop door. I set the siding in place and placed trim on top of it making sure to attach part of the trim to the panel, and leave an amount overhanging so it will catch on the surrounding siding when it’s set into place.

The last thing needed to make this functioning is a few barrel bolts. I went with four, one in each corner but another option would be to put this on a hinge and have it swing out. I liked the idea of it being completely moved out the way when it comes time to clean the coop. 

With that, I think the body is done! So now lets move onto the roof!

I climbed up with a few panels and starting at the eve of the roof, I worked my way up to the peak. Instead of precutting my panels, I just left the one side run wild then I came back after it was all done to rip one line down to cut them. I’m using left over corrugated panels from my old shop roofing job but of course you can use any material of your choice.

Ok, and now for the big job of moving this thing outside!

First some framing members were temporarily added to the coop so it could be lifted up and set on movable dollies. Then even more were temporarily added to the base so a tractor could pick it up on one side and a high boy jack on the other.

The goal is to get the coop high enough so a trailer could be slipped in underneath it. Once it clears the height of the trailer, it can be lowered back down, strapped on tightly and then delivered to site.

When I was picking out my location, I wanted it to be in shade most of the day (its hot in Texas!). I also wanted it close to the house so I could easily go out and retrieve the eggs.

I’m going to be letting my chickens free range, so I don’t currently have a run built on to my coop. However if you want to build this coop and add a run, you could very easily butt it up to the side where the door is.

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My neighbor is hatching me chickens, so I should be adding them in about a month! Follow me on Instagram, if you aren’t already, where you can follow along on that progress.

Don’t forget you can get a set of smaller chicken coop plans here if you are interested!

That’s it for this project! Thanks for following along, and I’ll see you on the next one.

Thinking about building your own DIY Backyard Chicken Coop? Check out this awesome DIY project where I built my own in my own backyard!

It was over year ago now that I built my neighbors a massive chicken coop…because they have a ton of chickens. I’ve finally given in and decided to get chickens of my own. Which means I need a coop for myself! I only want about 10-15 chickens (ha, I say that now). So I built my coop a little more compact.

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I built it off the ground to keep snakes out. Four nesting boxes, three roosting bars. A removable panel in the back that can be taken off, then a drop down hatch up front so that I can quickly and easily sweep out the coop when changing the litter.

Ok, lets jump into the building process. 

Things I Used in This Project:

Armor Tool Mobile Bench
ISOtunes Bluetooth Hearing Protection
Mitersaw Stand Plans
Mitersaw
Framing Nailer
Titebond III
Titebond Construction Adhesive
Bessey Ratchet Clamps
Triton Tracksaw
Wilker Do’s Ultimate Workbench Plans
Bessey QuickClamp
Battery Operated Brad Nailer
Armor Tool Pocket Hole Jig
Triton Palm Belt Sander
Small Grinder

The coop is made up from a bed full of 2x4s, a 4×4, and a few sheets of plywood. If you would like to build your own, I do have a set of smaller chicken coop plans here with a material shopping list, a cut list, and all the dimensions used. 

I started by offloading all of my material from the truck and onto my Armor Tool mobile workbench. This prevents a ton of going back and forth but also allows me to move my material wherever most convenient as I progress through the build.

I flipped the wings out on my miter saw stand and cutting down the pieces needed for the four side walls, and the entire base. I labeled each part as I was cutting it so when I moved to assembly I could very quickly grab the joints needed. 

Starting with the base, I laid our my four posts and also the strenters that will span between. Now I have a cordless framing nailer from building my shop so I’m using that here. If you don’t though, predrilling and screws would also work….nailing is just faster. After lining up my boards, I used a scrap board and a Bessey Kliklamp on the front side to keep the board flush while I toenailed in from the back.

After repeating on all four sides, I threw in a center support then also some corner gussets. This coop is 5’ x 4’ because I read each chicken should be given roughly 2-3 sq ft per chicken. 

When it came time to cut a deck, I laid a sheet of ply on my workbench and used my track saw to rip it to length. I specifically chose untreated because I wasn’t sure about having treated wood around the ladies. Better safe than sorry.

Next the deck could be set into place, squared up, then attached.

Next I started framing the walls directly onto of the deck. You see I’m using Titebond III here, and I did use that for a lot of the build because it’s a waterproof wood glue, but later on I switch over to Titebond’s excellent construction adhesive. Either is great, long lasting, and good for projects that are being placed outside. 

One thing to consider if you tackle this project….I chose to build this in my shop so I could work in the AC and have all my shop’s tools and surfaces to utilize. But if you don’t want to mess with moving it out and into place after it’s complete, then I 100% recommend building it on location where you’ll want the coop to live. 

Before attaching the reframed walls on the deck, I laid down a decent amount of Titebond construction adhesive then made sure the walls were flush to all sides.

You can see I’m applying slight pressure in the center with a clamp to keep the wall from falling over and to allow me to make small movements. 

For my coop, I’ll be using the deep litter method, meaning I won’t need to completely empty out the litter except once or twice a year. When it’s time to do that though, I want to be able to sweep from the back to the front very quickly and easily so I intentionally left off a bottom plate on these two walls, which keeps the floor flush and on one level. 

Something really important in chicken coops is ventilation. Especially here in Texas with the heat, I wanted each side of the coop to have a window that can be left open for the majority of the year. But yes, it does occasionally get cold here so I also wanted to a way to close it up. I made my own windows with a simple railing system but another option if you don’t like the look is to use store bought windows.

For mine, I’m simply using a sheet of plywood that will slide open and closed. Before placing it in it’s track though, I very quickly added a handle. I’ll be placing the handle inside the coop then once or twice a year when the weather changes, I can reach inside and use it to slide it open or closed. 

I clamped a spacer (just made from some scrap) on either side, before picking up the window system to set in place.

And as for the window: if you place it in first and center it, it make picking up the entire system a lot easier anyways. 

Even though I used spacers cut to the same length, I still threw a level on it just to be sure before I attached it. 

Ok, that’s one window down!

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Lets repeat on the back. Here, the opening was too large for a spacer so I still used scraps but just clamped them to the height needed to give myself a ledge to set the window system on while I moved around to attach it to the framing studs.

And that’s window two done. 

Then on the third wall with a window, I dropped the one down lower to be more in line with where the door of the coop will be.

This will be just a small opening but I’m hoping by putting it in line, it will also create a nice cross breeze for the ladies. 

With that part done, I moved onto sliding off move 2x4s and cutting to length the pieces needed for the roof framing.

I wanted to build out the entire roof system then lift it into place as one unit. To join things together I used my self adjusting Armor Tool jig to create some pocket holes.

Then I laid them out, used some construction adhesive and attached things.

It might be wide but it isn’t heavy so next I took my time walking the system up the ladder, setting it into rough position, then going to the other side to pull it completely over to where it needed to go.

I once again cut spacers to clamp into place, but this time they are spacers for the amount of overhang needed to ensure the roof was going on squarely. This method is a lot easier than hopping down to pull a tape on all four corners repeatedly. This way, you can just line it up to the spacers and know it’s in it’s correct spot. 

Next I attached a few more framing members to support things here and there, then started working on the second roof.

This second roof pitch makes the build a little more complicated so if you wanted to simply this build further then you can certainly take it out and leave the roof at one pitch. However, I love the look it gives the coop annnnd it also provides a little protection from rain to the top window.

I again built the system on my workbench, then moved it into place afterwards. 

I moved back to my sheet of plywood and ripped down two pieces that will cover the back portion of the roof as well as this smaller little bump out. Then, I awkwardly but carefully and successfully, moved the sheet into place.

I suppose I could have just moved a taller ladder into place to nail the board down, but I hate moving ladders. So I just climbed ontop….making sure to keep an eye on that fan above me, and nailed it down all around the perimeter. 

I repeated on the front bump out, but this is short enough for me to say on my step stool and still reach.

While I was working up here, I also cut then attached some 1x boards to be the facia boards. I personally went with pre-painted boards here just to cut out the time of having to paint however many boards and wait for them to dry. 

Ok on to making some of the accessories! Lets start with the nesting boxes. These are where the chickens will hop up and lay their eggs (hopefully anyways). I read that these should be about a foot off the ground or the chickens might not use them. I also read that there should be one box per 3-4 birds so I could have probably gotten away with fewer boxes but I had room for four so that’s how many I put in.

After building the body of the unit on my workbench, I quickly attached a front lip to each box. This is to keep the eggs from being able to roll out, however I ended up coming back and increasing the height of these to about 3” to prevent the birds from kicking out all their straw in each box.

To install this one, I struggled just a tad bit. I only left myself 1/16” here and I guess that was just too tight of a tolerance. : ) There are worse things.

I grabbed my palm belt sander, gave the inside of the stud a few laps, then tried it again.

When the box moved into place, I had a Bessey Kliklamp ready to go so I could temporarily hold it while moving to the other side. I threw a level on it to make sure it was in there plumb, then moved to the inside to attach it with screws. 

For a lid! Gotta keep those birds dry. I installed two strips of plywood. One thinner and fixed strip along the back, then another wider piece to cover the rest. This will allow me to add a hinge between these two pieces which in turn will give me a lid that I can lift and lower to retrieve the eggs or check on the chickens.

Later on, after I add the siding and trim, I’ll add a hook and chain so I can leave the door open for a short duration if need be. 

Alrighty, moving back to the windows quickly. Next I added some hardware cloth to all three windows. This is gonna prevent predators from getting into the coop and eating my chickens, buuuut it will allow me to leave the windows open and get a breeze in. You can find this stuff in rolls at any big box store. I use a scrap and a clamp to hold down one side while I make my cut at the length needed.

You can cut this one piece at a time with some side cutters if that’s all you have. However, if you have a cut off wheel in a grinder….it makes very quick work of it.

When determining the size, I would leave about one square width of material overhanging on the frame and this gave me room to get a staple in to attach it. This will have siding over it so you don’t have to go crazy with staples….just enough to keep it in place. 

Ok, and that’s all for part one! While this is a simple build, it’s time consuming because of all the parts to it.

In the next video, I cover making and adding the roosting bars, the two ramps, the siding, trim, roofing and the rear and front panels for cleaning out the coop. You can watch Part 2 HERE!

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Don’t forget I have a set of plans HERE if you’re interested. And you can also find the larger coop build HERE.

Large Chicken Coop Plans

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And if you’d like to see my build the Chicken Coop Run that attaches to this project, check the video out HERE and the plans for the Chicken Coop Run Build Plans here!

Chicken Coop Run Plans

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I’ll see you soon on part 2!

Thinking about building your own Dog Wading Pool DIY? Check out this project where I built my dogs their own covered pool in my backyard!

Two summers ago I built my dogs a little wading pool from rocks around the property. They absolutely love hopping in to get their bellies wet during the heat of summer. But when they go stay with my folks they don’t have a watering hole sooo this week I’m fixing that.

I made two versions: one that is made from a standard toddler kiddy pool. Then version two is one I plan to keep on the wrap around porch at the house.

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Things I Used in This Dog Wading Pool DIY Project:

SOtunes Bluetooth Hearing Protection
Wilker Do’s Miter Saw Stand
Wilker Do’s Ultimate Workbench
Triton Track Saw
Titebond III
Armor Tool Workbench
Woodpeckers Square
Bessey Clamps
Forstner Bit
Triton Jigsaw
Bessey KliKlamps
General Finishes 450
Titebond Ultimate MP Sealant

Ok lets jump into it. Since this will be in contact with the ground and also around water I’m building it from treated material. I started by flipping out the wings on my miter saw stand and cutting down two boards that will make up the framing around the pool.

To create a ramp, I measured in from the edge of the board then used a straight edge to make a diagonal line. You can use a bandsaw, jigaw, or even a circular saw to make this cut but I used my track saw to make sure they both came out nice and straight. 

My mom stopped in to say hi, so as I do, I put her to work I cut three boards to be cross members in the framing and join these two rails together. Since this will be outdoors and around moisture I’m using Titebond III since it is a waterproof glue.

I applied glue then screws to attach the cross members to the rails… making sure to use the pool as a placing reference. When attaching these, I used a square to make sure I was attaching them at a 90. 

I set Mom up on the miter saw to start cutting down the treated 1x boards that will make up the deck.

As she was knocking that out, I went back to the body and added in a few more framing pieces. These pieces will make more sense later on, but there purpose is to give support to the deck boards that will be cut to allow for the pool to slip in.

Then since I wanted to add in a roof to provide some shade, I also added those boards in. I used wood glue here and a clamp to squeeze it to the body.

And just a tip, if you use a squeeze quick clamp like this Bessey one, you can get it roughed in position and under slight pressure….then knock it into perfectly plumb and tighten down all the way.

Now on to adding the deck. Mom was done cutting the boards by this point and to start, I went to the far end of the ramp and attached that one first. This way I could line both sides up flush with the rails and keep it in square. Mom was still wanting to help so she tackled one side while I did the other. 

You can see we are using and moving a spacer along to butt up each board against. You can make this as small or as large as you like, but don’t make it too big to start because these boards will shrink up as they dry out completely.

When I came to the uprights that will make the roof, I used a jigsaw to quickly cut out a notch so the boards could fit in around it. I also made sure to throw in screws in these boards into the additional framing members I added in earlier. Again, you’ll see why later on. 

Alright, I’m sure some of you just thought I forgot a pool was going in the center…but I didn’t. I thought it would be easier to lay the boards out as is, then cut out the circle rather than try and cut the boards prior and hope it lines up. I first placed the pool, trying to make sure it was as center as possible….you can measure, but I just eyeballed it…..then I used a sharpie to roughly trace around the pool bottom. These things have a huge lip on them so you don’t have to make it super perfect or close. In fact there is a slight taper to the body so make your line then cut outside of it. : ) 

After making my mark I went around with my jigsaw to quickly cut things out. I test fitted it, saw where I needed to remove more material, then cut a little more until the pool fit nicely. 

I had run out of deck boards so mom went and grabbed more while I was cutting the hole. Once she was back, we finished the decking portion then moved on.

So the next step is reinforcing the deck pieces that are out away from the edge. To do this, I wanted to gain access to the underside. To do that….I very carefully and slowly moved the unit to the ground.  

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With this view you can see how that additional framing member helps support these boards some, but another board to angle across goes a long way. I used a quick clamp to set it in position and screwed it down to each board it came across. I repeated in each of the four corners and this went a long ways in stiffing things up. 

Next I found center on the ramp and attached a support member in the center of the frame. You can actually use one of the cut offs from making the two rails in the first step. After I attached it to the body, I moved around to the top side and screwed each slat down onto it as well. 

Alright moving on to the roof. I cut up yet another board at the miter saw then laid out a roof shape. This can be anything you personally like. You can make it a curve or one long slope, but I went with a typical V shape. After making some marks, I used a straight edge to make straight lines then ran it over to the bandsaw to cut out. If you don’t have a bandsaw, a circular, track, or jigsaw would also do the trick. 

I used the first one as a template to make the second, cut that one out then moved to attaching them to the uprights on the body. To make this job easier, I first measured down then clamped a block in place so I would have a ledge to set this roof rail onto.

I applied some more Titebond III here then screwed roof railing into place.

Now to attach the roof. You can cut these boards quickly by setting up a stop block at the miter saw. I once again started with the outside most slat, making sure it was flush on both ends when screwing it down. Then I just worked my way up to the peak.

Once there, I started down on the other edge and again worked towards the peak. Since my goal is shade here, I went with a much smaller gap and spacer between these boards. 

Annnnd I think that’s it for construction! Pretty dang simple huh?

Lets get a coat of stain on it. My mom offered to handle this task so I set her up with a foam brush and General Finished 450 Stain in the color of Cedar. I didn’t know how it would act going on treated material, but it not only went on just fine but completely transformed it and made it pretty looking. 

While mom started that process for me, I moved to working on a drain for the pool. The water will need to be emptied regularly and picking up a fully loaded pool would be out of the question. I went on the hunt for a fitting with a rubber gasket and lock ring but wasn’t having much luck. A friend told me to look at water heater pans as he remembers a fitting coming with it. Sure enough….that was a solid recommendation.

Next I drilled a hole in the pool so the fitting could slip in, making sure the rubber gasket was on the inside, then tighten down on the lock ring. This all looked fine as is but I went ahead and added a layer of Titebond Ultimate MP sealant to the outside of the fitting just as backup. 

I placed the pool in it’s position and just roughly drilled a hole in the area close to the drain. I made this hole slightly larger than the PVC that will run through it so I could easily feed it in.

A few more fittings, including a ball valve and I now have a way to drain the pool with ease. You could bury this line or route it as far from the deck as you want but I placed my unit where when I drain the pool, the water will be running down hill. 

Then real quick, since I was making dog pools, I quickly made a second…smaller version. This is the same steps as the first so I’m just gonna glaze over this one. You’ll notice the pan is much smaller, so if you have smaller dogs then know you can use this same concept for any container that matches their size.

With this one having a rectangle shape to cut out, it is much easier to pre cut boards for. I went ahead and measured and then cut boards as I was placing the deck, instead of waiting until after.

I also put in a drain on the side then gave the entire thing a coat of stain to prettier it up some….or a lot actually. 

Now, if the bottom of the pool doesn’t touch the ground when you place the pool, then you can add some gravel to the area first to build it up but keep it malleable.

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If you’d like to build your own, I have a set of shaded dog pool plans here!

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That wraps up this one. I’d love to hear what you think about it down in the comments below. Try and stay cool this summer guys, I’ll see you soon. 

Thinking about building your own DIY insulated dog house? Check out this DIY project where I build an insulated outdoor house for my dogs!

Find the plans to build your own insulated dog house!! Also check out this other DIY dog house design I have with a roof that opens up for easy cleaning access. 

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When my dogs aren’t with me in the shop, they are hanging out on the wrap around porch which has plenty of shade, is out of the rain, and always has a great breeze. During the summer it’s awesome because they stay cool but during the winter it’s hard for them to get warm. So this week I built them a dog house with the purpose of giving all three of them a place to get away from the wind and snuggle up. Let me show you how I did it. 

This will be an insulted dog house so instead of going with my first instinct which was a plywood body, I went with more of a framing design made from 2x4s ripped in half. I first sent the 2x4s through my table saw to take off the rounded edges on both sides, then readjusted the fence and cut them directly in half. 

After getting them cut to width I then cut everything to length at the miter saw. 

I started by constructing what will be the two sides, coming up a few inches on a few pieces to give the house some small feet and get it up off the ground. Again, mine will be under a porch and should be kept dry but just incase. 

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I’ll be using pocket holes to join things together.

After getting all the pocket holes drilled, I started attaching things. 

After getting one side assembled, I repeated the process to create another. Next I started working on the front panel, first cutting everything to size, drilling in pocket holes, then gluing and screwing it in place. This design is very easy to adjust depending on your size of dog. Since I have three and they all like to snuggle up together, I made this one long enough to fit three of their beds but still give them room to get around one another. 

After getting the door in place, I thought I should double check to see if they could comfortably fit. With that test passed, I moved on to attaching the back panel. Moving things to the floor to have more working room. 

Build your own with my set of insulated dog house plans. Plans come with dimensions, a material shopping list, and build steps. 

Next up was a floor, but before putting in the decking material I threw in some insulation. This comes in a big 4×8 sheet and is 3/4” thick. Since my framing is 1 1/2” thick I cut two panels per opening and doubled filled up the cavity. I would use a straight edge and a box blade or my pocket knife to cut it out, then stuck it in place. 

Once the bottom was full I measured and cut some plywood to deck it. I ended up cutting this piece in half to make getting it into place a little easier and I just made sure to cut it in the center so I could join the seam to the floor joist. 

And now more insulation for the walls! To make this step easier I would cheat and set the panel directly on top of the foam then just trace the shape I was needing. If you’re working alone, you can set the insulation on the floor so you have less travel distance to move the entire house.

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I would line one of the straight edges up to the edge of the insulation then trace the rest, cut it then stick it in place. I was originally thinking I would need to glue these panels in place but the friction fit was so snug I skipped the glue all together. Oh and just a reminder this insulation has foil backing on both sides so if you want to use your table saw to cut it down, and have a SawStop then just be sure to put it in bypass mode or it will tip right away. 

The set in place and tracing method worked so well I next repeated it for the siding! For the siding I’m going with beadboard. This stuff is a huge pain to paint but it does give it some good texture and it’s pretty lightweight, only being 3/8” thick. As you can see I dragged the full sheet over to my work area, then set flipped around the house in order to trace all the sides. If you do this of course just make sure a horizontal reference is squared up to the headboard so your panel doesn’t come out wonky looking. 

After getting the sides traced I used my tracksaw to cut all the shapes out then Titebond III and brad nails to stick it in place. I started by attaching the two side panels so that when I cut and attached the front and back, the edges of the side panels would be covered up.

On the front panel, I went ahead and covered up the opening to the dog house with the bead board, but then after getting it secured in place I used a large drill bit to punch a hole through. Then I used a router and a flush trim bit to perfectly cut out the opening. If you don’t have a router then you can also use a jigsaw or even a reciprocating saw to do this. 

Now moving on to the roof. Since the dog opening is muuuuch smaller than me, I wanted to make the roof into an access panel to the inside so I decided to make it hinged. This will allow me to easily grab the beds to wash, check for snacks, or anything else. I decided to use the left over beadboard I had from the siding to create this roof and also decided to split it into two doors instead of just a single. This is fine for mine since it will live under a covered porch but if you plan to place your house in the rain then keep it as a single panel so rain won’t drip through the seam. 

Before attaching things, I set the roof panels aside and gave everything a coat of paint. Like I said before, beadboard is not fun to paint because it takes two forms of application. I would first use a roller to get all the flat surfaces, but then used a brush to get into all the valleys. Looking back on it, I should have used my sprayer, that would have saved me a ton of time, but oh well. For the body I am going with a grey and while it was drying, I also grabbed what will be the trim boards and threw a coat of paint onto them as well to be drying. Instead of white, I’m going with a light grey. 

While those were drying, I started attaching the roof panels. I started by centering and squaring up the panels to the body. Once I had it just so, I used a pencil to trace the underside of the panels. This line indicates the outside of the body, but since I want to also insulate the roof I needed to know where the inside of the body fell on these panels.

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With the framing being 1 1/2” thick, I grab something that was 2” thick, which just happened to be a level, and used this to mark the inside line. Now that I had this reference I could measure the area inside and cut a piece of insulation to size. To attach these panels Im’ using a multi surface glue made by Titebond called Thick and Quick. Since I could use brads to hold it in place while that dried, I grabbed an assortment of tools and just weighted it down for a bit. 

While that was setting up to dry I started working on the trim. I ripped down my 1x boards I had painted earlier then started cutting them to length and attaching them. Glue doesn’t stick very well to painted surfaces so learn from my mistake and leave the top edge of your body unpainted to give you a clean surface to glue to. 

I’m again starting on the edges of the house so that the front and back trim will cover up the end grain of the side trim. I also always cheat on trim. Instead of measuring and cutting I typically just hold the board in place and mark the back side. 

By this time the insulation was well past stuck in place so I first attached a portion of paino hinge to the underside then crawled inside the house and attached it to the body. And I should have seen it coming but to be honest I didn’t think about it when I was working the design….but the door actually has a built in stop with the overhang on the back end. So that’s convient. : ) 

Nice, that works nicely. After getting one secure, I repeated on the second. I used the Tounge and groove feature of the beadboard to make the seam in the middle disappear. This is great except when I tried to lift up one without the other, it was running into each other and prevented it. To fix this issue I grabbed my multi tool and just notched out a small portion in the back so that I could open one and give it clearance to pass up the other. There we go, now it’s working correctly. 

Next I did all the finish painting to the inside, the underside of the roof, and any other exposed wood. Now when I was trimming around the door I left the top piece of trim long so I could hang something cute and special.

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I used my CNC machine to cut out a cut little paw print and instead of just glueing this to the side, I instead added a small hook to the overhung trim and the paw so that I could hang it and there would be a slight swing to it. Hehe, I think the dogs will appreciate the marking. 

I thought I was done but the roof was really bothering me with how thin it looked compared to everything else. So I ended up ripping some 1/2” plywood and adding a small strip around the perimeter of the underside of the roof. This just bulks up the look some and I think makes it looks better. 

And that’s it! Now the pups have a place they can crawl inside to get out of the wind that’s always present on our hill. They can all be together which will make them happy, but still have room to get around one another. Also, I have a way to peak in at them to make sure they aren’t staying up late and ordering pizza. 

So a few followers on my Instagram page were mentioning their dogs would tear up the exposed insulation on the inside. Mine don’t chew or scratch things up, but if yours do then I would certainly recommend adding a layer of thin sheeting to the inside as well. Don’t forget I have a set of plans for this dog house build.

Insulated Dog House Plans

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That’s it for this one, I hope you enjoyed it!

Wondering how to build a chicken coop? Check out this DIY project where I show you how to build your own chicken coop!

Part two of the Chicken Coop! This has been a really fun project and I am super happy to be wrapping it up. This week I’m walking you through how I built the trusses, how all of the panel material comes together and how the roofing material goes on. This stuff may seem daunting if you’re taking this on by yourself, but once you get in the groove of how it needs to be done, it’s really just a lot of repetitive work. Measure-Cut-Nail-Repeat lol. If you haven’t already, check out the how to build a chicken coop part 1 video from last week to catch up by using this link. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Things I Used In This How To Build A Chicken Coop Project:

Custom Tool Belt
Drill
ISOTunes Bluetooth Hearing Protection
Framing Nailer

Ondura Roofing
Chalk Box
Roofing Nails
Closure Strips

Circular Saw
Ridge Cap
Triton Multi Stand

The links above are affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I will get a small commission from the sale of the products.  In a small way it helps to keep this website alive and kicking and I appreciate your support in this way.

Wondering how to build a chicken coop? Check out this DIY project where I show you how to build your own chicken coop!

You may not believe it if I told you but a chicken coop is by far the most requested build I get from my audience through email or the comments section of YouTube and Instagram. Coincidentally, my chicken-farming neighbor asked what I thought of building a coop on their property to house their 27 chickens.  Although I’m not really much in the business of building for others, I do love my neighbors and thought “what the heck….let’s do it”.  After we got through a couple of design discussions, I built a 3D model using a CAD software and hit the ground running. Check out the video below if you’re interested in seeing how the first of three build videos came together.

Things I Used In This How To Build A Chicken Coop Project:

Port-A-Mate Stand
ISOTunes Bluetooth Hearing Protection
Miter Saw

Triton Multi Stand
Framing Nailer
Circular Saw

Custom Tool Belt
Super Jaws
Drill

The links above are affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I will get a small commission from the sale of the products.  In a small way it helps to keep this website alive and kicking and I appreciate your support in this way.

Thinking about building a small dog pool? Check out this DIY project where I built the dogs their own pool to use to cool off!

The Texas summer heat is in full swing and the dogs are feelin it! This week I built a small dog pool for all of the pups so they can jump in and cool off.  I built the entire thing out of rocks I gathered from my property but you can easily recreate this project using the steps in the video but with rock from a material supplier. The inside of the pool is lined with a masonite water proofing product called Drylock and is available at your local hardware store. Check out the video below to learn more.  Cheers!

Thing I Used During This Dog Pool Build:

Bluetooth Hearing Protection
Masonite Board
Type S Mortar
Knee Pads
Drain Ball Valve

Triton Recip Saw
UGL Drylok
UGL Brush
Mosquito Killing Tablets

*Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links meaning, I may get a commission if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support in this way!

Having four dogs, I am having to fill up their dog food container about once a week. Well, that’s a huge pain considering every time I have to hold a giant bag of dog food, while at the same time, try and aim/pour it into a container.

With this dispenser, I will be able to dump the entire bag of dog food into the top, then fill up my container from the chute I made at the bottom, in just a few seconds.

Here is a video showing the build process:

1) I grabbed some scrap pine 1xs and cut them all to 6 1/2″ wide, then to the below lengths. I also beveled the tops of the middle lengths, as well as the tops of the bottom lengths, to 60 degrees.

3) To make a back, I set my two sides on some 1/2″ plywood and traced around them. Then I used my jigsaw to make a rough cut and cut it out. Note: I wanted my bottom chute to have a 5 1/2″ opening. Be sure to figure out how big would work for you before making your back.

4) Then I used my Kreg pocket jig to attach the sides to the back.

5) With the back attached, I used my flush trim bit in my router to make it flush.

6) Now I used some 1/4″ plywood to make a front. I flipped the unit over and traced it out once again, and made another rough cut. I used my nail gun to attach it.

8) I grabbed this scrap piece of wood and cut in a 3/8″ dado, by running it through my table saw three times.

9) Then cut it up and glued/nailed it in place to create a ‘track’.

10) Next, I cut some 1/4″ plywood to size and slipped it in place.

11) To create a handle, I dug through my scrap box, found a triangle shape, and cut off the end to get the shape below. : )

12) Stuck it in place with glue and a clamp then had a functioning chute.

13) Next I cut a top to size from 3/4″ wood.

14) Then I threw on a part of a piano hinge left over from another project….

15) I decided to use the french cleat system to hang it (see my post here if you aren’t familiar with it) I first found the studs with my Franklin Sensor and then used 3″ screws to attach the cleat on the wall.

16) Last thing was to throw on some primer and paint.

It isn’t perfect, but it will save me from having to hold a 25 lb bag of dog food while trying to pour it into a small container. : ) I’ll be making a cat food dispenser next, but I am going to try out a different design for the bottom chute. I’ll post it when I’m done.

I hope everybody has a great weekend!

Total Cost: $0

A doggy gate has been on my to-do list for a while, so I finally blocked off some time to get it done.

Keep in mind as you are reading through the tutorial, that this can also be a baby gate!

Note: It isn’t perfect at this point, but I wasn’t worried about it because I planned on floating in the arch to my liking, with the sander.

Now, I could have left the gate like this. Just glued it up and start staining. However, it was a little plain to me, so I decided to add a little more to it, just for aesthetics.

5) I placed another, uncut, board under the gate in order to transfer the arch of the gate to the board. This gave me my top curve. To get the bottom, I drew a straight line down on both ends of the curve, then took my tape measure and measured down 1 1/4″ and made lots of marks. Once I had marks from left to right (just randomly), I took my pencil and connected the dots. Note: Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect since the sander will shape it.

…can I just say, I am loving this wood. This is my first time to work with poplar, and I think it’s so lovely.

 7) Then, since I made the top something decorative, I also made something for the bottom. The top arch is an 1 1/4″, so I cut an additional strip that is also 1 1/4″ to match.

Note: Since I added these boards solely for a decorative purpose, I wanted the screws to match the hinges instead of being the machine finish. So I stuck all the screws in a trash piece of cardboard and gave the heads a painting before using them.

11) Next was staining. I first applied a coat of wood conditioning (it makes the stain come out more even). After letting it sit for five mins, I wiped it off then put on a coat of stain.

Note: I used the color Dark Walnut.

12) In order to mount the hinges without alignment issues. I went inside the house and laid the gate on the floor. Then laid the hinges where I wanted them and used a scrap piece of wood to butt up against the hinge part (it’s essentially standing in as my door jam). Then I used a pencil to mark where the holes lined up, and drilled a pilot hole (being careful to not go through the wood!), then came back with the screw.

13) To mount it to the door jam, I set the gate on a scrap 1/4″ piece of wood and opened the gate all the way. I adjusted the placement of the hinges on the door jam so the gate wasn’t colliding with the trim, then screwed in the remaining screws.

I tested it out, and everything works. : ) Yay.

14) Last thing to do was to figure out how to keep it closed. I didn’t want to put a normal gate latch because I didn’t want something poking out. So instead I grabbed a few power magnets from my husband’s stash and used them.

They were round 1/4″ magnets, so I grabbed a 1/4″ drill bit and drilled a shallow hole in the door jam until the magnet would sit flush. Once I had them in place (I ended up using three), I repeated the steps and put magnets on the edge of the gate.

Note: When I was testing the hole to see if it was deep enough, I would shove in the magnet, then use the spare magnets to get it out of there.

That first hole I drilled, landed me right on top of a nail so I’ll have to go back and fill that in. This whole door jam needs a fresh coat of paint anyways.

Now I have a way of closing off the back of the house from the pups. : )