Just starting my research. Any good coop plans for a first timer?

We're thinking of getting a couple of chickens for eggs. We're still only in the research phase, but I know I'd want to build a coop before buying any chickens. I'm in North Louisiana so I'm more worried about heat than cold. But I also live out in the woods which means lots of predators. I have plenty of space for them to run free. So they'd really only be the coop at night. And am mostly looking for something to protect them from bad weather and other animals. We're thinking 3 hens and a rooster. Funds are tight and I'm probably going to be building this myself. I'm looking for any advice (or recommended plans) on any topics: coops, breeds, care etc.

There are lots of awesome free designs in the Learning Center.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

Search for The Garden Coop. They sell excellent coop plans.

As for breeds and care, the My Pet Chicken website has a breed selector chart and lots of care info.

I personally bought the DIY coop kit from The Smart Chicken Coop, and am liking it so far.

Hope that helps!

LizBarnes6485 said:

We're thinking of getting a couple of chickens for eggs. We're still only in the research phase, but I know I'd want to build a coop before buying any chickens. I'm in North Louisiana so I'm more worried about heat than cold. But I also live out in the woods which means lots of predators. I have plenty of space for them to run free. So they'd really only be the coop at night. And am mostly looking for something to protect them from bad weather and other animals. We're thinking 3 hens and a rooster. Funds are tight and I'm probably going to be building this myself. I'm looking for any advice (or recommended plans) on any topics: coops, breeds, care etc.

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Welcome to the flock! The only part of your post that has me a little concerned is where you say that you have lots of predators, then say that you'd let them run and only be in the coop at night. If they are free ranging, then they are a free meal for something. Personally (and I'm sure folks who have read my other posts on this subject are sick of hearing it!) I don't think there is any such thing as a 100% predator proof setup. As soon as I start believing that, it's easy to to become complacent and rely on the coop and run alone to protect my chickens. Then it becomes easy for predators to find weak spots. So I constantly check for small holes starting, checking spots that I suspect might be weak, and signs of something trying to get in. Preparation doesn't take the place of diligence. Folks say they've built Fort Knox. I say even Fort Knox has guards and is monitored.

Free ranging, relying only on the coop at night, brings another set of problems but none of them are insurmountable. What about when you are not home? Will they be confined to the coop until you get home and can let them out, or will you provide a spacious run for the times you're gone or the weather is bad? Will you have an automatic door that opens in the morning and closes at night, or will they need to wait for you to let them out and put them back in? Can you rig some electric netting around their free range area to discourage predators? What about overhead protection? These are all things you need to think about and plan for.

You are way smarter than I was - I got my chicks in February last year, and didn't even have an idea for a coop and run until they were already driving me batty in the house! Then it took us forever to get the doggone coop built. So you're already several good steps ahead of where I was when I got my first chickens! Be aware that the idea of starting with just a few birds usually doesn't last long - I wanted to have 11 hens. I now have 28. I don't know when I lost control - I'm not even sure I ever had control!

We built our coop ourselves too, with so few building skills that between the two of us we couldn't stack a straight sandwich! But we got it done, it works, and we were pretty proud of ourselves. If you click on My Coop under my avatar, you can see our process. Hit the "Learning Center" here on BYC - it's the best place for tons of information as well as several ideas for building a good coop. As far as breeds, it depends on who you ask. For example, many folks love Golden Laced Wyandottes - I couldn't get rid of the ones I had fast enough. I don't know if you are planning to start with chicks or older birds. If you are thinking chicks, might I humbly suggest a look at the thread "Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder"? No heat lamps, no chicks awake all night long, and you can have the outside in the coop from the start rather than in the house if you would prefer and if your coop is secure.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

Above all, don't get so focused on the end results that you forget to enjoy the journey!

Good catch Blooie. Yes, listen to her. If you have lots of predators and you free range with no protection at all, your flock won't last too long. If you want to secure a large area, many recommend electric fencing. You'll still lose some to hawks, though.

There are lots of flock management systems out there:

Many people would rather let their birds free range and live as happy lives as possible, even with the predator risk, than have their flock cooped up in a grassless run. Most often these folks have roosters to help protect the hens, or they're home most of the day to keep a general eye on things. No matter what, though, they recognize that neither a rooster nor they themselves can prevent a predator attack, and they understand that they WILL lose some birds to predators eventually.

Others build the most predator-proof run possible and keep their flock in that all the time (10+ square feet per chicken), and feel good knowing that their birds are safe. Those folks often bring their birds weeds and grass clippings and all sorts of goodies, so their flocks are still healthy and entertained.

Still others compromise by having a secure run but letting their flock out for an hour or two of "supervised free-ranging" in the evenings.

And there are other systems too, such as the chicken tractor.

Ultimately it's up to you as flock owners...there's no "right" answer. Just be smart about it and understand the implications of whatever decision you make.

I have pics in my profile page of my 3 hens and rooster. I supervised them in a soft fenced pen. No cover. Things wet well for a while and then all of a sudden I lost all but the roo in a matter of weeks. I had decided to give them free range in the yard while I was home. Predator/s managed to get them during the day plus the 4 juveniles that had hatched. All I was left with was my roo and one juvenile. I rehomed them because obviously they were no longer safe at my home and I just couldn't leave the two of them locked up in the coop until a secure run could be put together. Now I have a kennel run 5 hens. Still not finished with their run but they have a cover and I don't plan to free range them. They need more room and we will be working on that. If you have lots of predators be prepared to loose some birds. i hope all goes well.

The predators are our biggest concern too. We debated long and hard for that reason. I work from home. And spend most of my time outside in the garden. The house is never empty for more than a few hours. So we'd be there. The predators stick to the woods mostly. Rarely approaching the house. But I'm worried that the chickens will lure them in. We plan to get a rooster and grown hens so they are better able to defend themselves if/when the need arises. And my dog is trained to alert if there's a problem. he's used to chickens from his previous owner she kept him specifically to protect her flock. I doubt any coop could ever be predator proof. I think our constant presence would serve better. We have accepted that we may loose some or have rehome them for their own safety but want to try. There was something I saw that caught me off guard I was thinking of wolves, foxes, and bobcats etc. I hadn't thought about hawks. Thank you all for your help this is why I'm asking because I don't have your experience.

That's good that you're aware of the predator issue and have thought of it! That trained dog is going to be your biggest asset, both as far as deterring predators with its presence and immediately alerting you of danger. The rooster will do that too and will do his best to protect the hens. It sounds like you've got the best possible situation for free-range. You WILL still lose some, but hopefully few and far between.

Yes, hawks are the main daytime predator besides dogs. Bantams are at the most risk, so if you have hawks, try to opt for heavy breeds (Brahma, Buff Orpington, Sussex, etc.) Also make sure the birds have "shelters" so that when the rooster gives the "sky predator" alarm call, the hens have somewhere near to run to for safety. Clusters of pine trees or the edge of woods are great for that...you could even build a little teepee out of branches as a shelter if you have a wide field.

I re-read your first post and thought of one more thing. Generally, the hen to rooster ratio you want in a backyard flock is 10:1. There are two reasons for this: to decrease competition between roosters, and to decrease the stress and feather loss on hens from over-mating. Since you'll only have one rooster, the first reason isn't applicable, and you can probably get away with fewer hens for your rooster. However, if you do choose to get only 3 hens, do be aware that hens will lose feathers on their backs and heads from overmating. You might want to have some chicken saddles ready, and watch carefully to make sure no one is getting injured. If you have room for a few more hens, it might make things easier.

What is a chicken saddle? We weren't planning on breeding, but I suppose they will probably do some of that on their own, huh? Room isn't an issue we have over two acres not counting the pond. We were worried that a larger flock would take more time and money than we can provide. Is there a big difference in maintenance per chicken, or is it no big deal to just get a few more? The reason the hawks startled me is because we have three different red-tailed hawk nests around the pond. I always see them going for fish and other small game but never anything as big as a chicken. And we assumed they would go for our rabbits but they never did. They have plenty of prey here and have never bothered us before. Any suggestions on how to deal with them, because that one caught me off guard? They are protected here, so I can't do anything that would harm the hawks. What about snakes, we lost several rabbits to them years ago? We have both copperheads and water moccasins around here, and if anything is going to sneak in unnoticed its a snake. Every fall/winter wild ducks, geese, cranes, and pelicans come to the pond. Is there any reason to expect conflicts (food, territory etc.)? Locals usually know best so I've been asking around here too, but could use a second opinion. Several people in the area are telling me to clip their wings, so they don't stray far from the house. I don't want them wandering off into the woods, but wouldn't it be better to leave their wings so they can fly up and out of danger? The more my neighbor explains to me about her flock the more bass-ackwards her logic sounds she's against any kind of free-ranging. But we tried the Fort Knox method with the rabbits and that was an epic fail. There simply isn't a substitute for proactive protection, predators have nothing but time and they will find a way in. I don't expect this to be any different. But she's also in a very different situation she has a large flock near a main road and no predators. My road is almost 200 yards away with virtually no traffic. I suspect like all the other animals we've had over the years they won't wander far from their food and shelter, right? This summer has been hot and dry, which got me thinking. We are in full sun and get in the 100s every summer. I assume they need shade, but how much? I don't want them going into the tree-line to get it since that's were most of the predators hide. So I'll need to rig something up near the house. Any ideas there? Should I keep them away from the pond or will they enjoy the water? The two popular breeds in the area appear to be the White Star Hybrid and the Black Ginny Hen. Does anyone here have experience/advice with those breeds? I'm still learning terminology... what does "broody" mean? I've seen it used a lot of different ways and want to make sure I understand. Thank you all.

A chicken saddle is basically a covering that straps onto a hen's back, which can protect her from overmating. Here are some pictures and info. They're kind of a luxury, but if a hen is being overmated they can really help. And yes, roosters will most certainly mate even if the hens don't sit on and incubate their eggs.

Larger flocks require bigger coops, and more feed, but other than that expenses are pretty similar. And the time commitment is almost identical if you get big enough feeders and waterers to last your flock a few days. I certainly wouldn't go too big at first, but maybe you could get 5 or 6 hens to one rooster? Or you can start with 3, but if overmating becomes an issue you could always add more...if you have enough coop space, that is.

Well, hawks may not be too big an issue as long as you don't get bantams. If they didn't go for your rabbits, you might have little to worry about! It sounds like the hawks near you have lots of other meals to eat. Chickens aren't the preferred prey of hawks. The best defense is having shelters for your hens to run under for cover when the rooster spots a hawk. Bushes are great, or I've seen people tie branches together into little teepee shelters.

Snakes...hm. Most snakes are too small to go for adult chickens, but chicks may be at risk. Snakes could also eat eggs in nesting boxes. I wouldn't worry too much about snakes, at least once your chicks get bigger...I haven't heard many accounts of snakes attacking adult chickens. Others may have more personal experience with snakes...they're not an issue where I live.

I don't know about the wild waterfowl you mentioned, but I doubt it would be a problem.

No, definitely do NOT clip their wings. I'm glad you questioned that advice. Clipping wings is good if you want to keep chickens contained in a fenced area, so that they can't fly over a four or five foot fence. But there's no reason to clip a free-ranger's wings, and it will severely limit their ability to avoid predators. You're right, they won't wander far from their coop anyway.

Shade in hot summers is super important. It's not that it needs to be everywhere, though, it just has to be accessible. Shade cloth is great for that — you can find it at Home Depot and stores like that. If you have any trees near the chicken yard away from the woods, that's great too. Here's a great post about keeping chickens cool:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/beat-heat-helping-chickens-survive-high.html

Water and chickens seems to be a contentious topic. Some people have had no problems at all. Others have had chickens drown even in the very edges of a pond, since their mobility drops dramatically if feathers get drenched and heavy. I'd do some research on that. To be safe, you could put some stakes with poultry netting around the pond to dissuade the chickens.

I don't have any experience with those breeds, but maybe others will.

Great question. Most hens don't have the instinct to sit on their eggs and incubate them. It's been bred out of production breeds, since if hens are sitting on eggs, they're not laying eggs. But some hens do go broody, and what that means is that the hen decides she wants to sit on her eggs and allow them to hatch. More info here: http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/What-does-the-word-broody-mean-H84.aspx

Hope that helps!