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This is my second coop build, and I have added some new ideas to improve the coop. I do tend to over build things, but I had a basic idea in my head to design this coop after a classic monitor barn style. Using the upper roof line to ventilate the coop has worked well. The coop also uses a floor exit to decrease winter drafts here in New England. My main flock size will be 9 hens and maybe the rooster that was part of the original 12. We will down size a couple hens and rotate out three every year. I "may" keep the rooster and see if one of the hens go broody, but he may get eaten if he becomes a nuisance! LOL

Here is the view before the fencing, the coop is built on a 4'x8' footprint (although, I wish I went with a 6'x8'...)
There will be a fence off the right side of the coop, and extending back. I think it will be about 10'x16' or so depending on a few areas I want to keep it to. The door in the front will access the nest boxes (with a roll away egg design) and also access to clean the coop. In addition, there are two doors along the side that open up to access the coop. The upper vent windows are all hardware cloth covered. When the wood is dry enough, I plan to paint the coop red with classic white trim.


Here is the back side, the batten was not quite finished in this photo, but you get the idea. I plan to keep the back of the coop open so that the kids can see the chickens in the coop... The girls can look out when walking around, and they can look out the window on the two roosts set at the height of the center of the window. I plan to place the gate to the run at this corner of the coop and on the left (from this view) so that you walk past the window to access the run.


This side (we call it the dark side because of the reclaimed barn board) will be the run side, and this side of the coop will be open to the run. you can see the access ramp for the coop.
PS, the red building right next to the coop is my workshop, not our house.... just in case anyone wondered why I placed it so close to the house.


These access doors bug me... I built them with angle iron frames, but I do not like the way they open up. I am going to remove them, modify the hinges, and hinge them down for better access. They are too low and make it hard to get into the coop. Once they hinge down, they will really open up the whole coop! The metal frames were designed to allow the wood to move around and keep the "board and batten" look. The boards lag bolt on from the inside.

Inside the coop, not quite down, but pretty much. The battens were not added to the back yet,and the nest box still has to be made. But you get the idea...