Help design the interior please

Here is my roughed in 8.5x10 coop. Large window wall is west, small window East, no window south wall where roost and poop trays go. North wall has door and unfinished poop door which if I can figure it out will be slotted. Ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks. [/IMG][/IMG]

I am basically wanting suggestions on what you would include and where you would put it since I am new to chickens and this is my first coop (I built tractors for my young pullets in August ad temporary/summer accommodations)

We just built a new coop/run and here's a few pictures of what we did. The entire coop is 10x16 and it's divided in half, so 10x8 for the human side and 10x8 for the chicken side.


Outside looking in - here you can see the 1st access door and the nest box is on the bottom right of the picture


Standing at the access door #1 looking into the coop. Above left is the roost, which is a 8x3 box filled with Sweet pdz to a depth of about 2 inches. 2x4 roost with 4" side up. Below the roost is our "hospital/nursery" area where we can segregate if we need to.


Another pic of the roost area


Access door #2 going out into the run and ADOR1 automatic door bottom right


Standing at access door #2 to run and looking back...nest boxes to the left with ramp. Green netting keeps them from jumping up and sleeping on top of the nest boxes since the top of it is almost the same height as the roost. Floor is 100% sweet pdz.


Closeup of nest boxes


Nest boxes from "human side". Used fake ceramic eggs from Cracker Barrel. Sevin dust under the litter trays to keep any creepy crawlers out.


ADOR1 automatic door (LOVE IT!)


Full coop and run pic - almost done with the siding and then I'll post more pics. Run is 10'x20' and about 9 feet high.

Hope that gives you some ideas...I worked on the design for about 3 months and it's working out really well so far!

I could include all kinds of options (built in brooders, broody busters, places to isolate chickens, droppings boards many other things) but for the basics:

I don’t know where you are so I don’t know your climate, but heat is dangerous to chickens. I’d put the nests on a cool side, not where they will get heated up by the sun on a wall. North and east are the best sides for this if you are north of the equator.

Put the roosts as far from the human door as you can. That’s so you can get in there and work without banging your head on the roosts. Just put them out of your way.

If you put feed and/or water in the coop (some do - some don’t) arrange them so the chickens do not poop in them from the roosts. Also leave as much clear space for the chickens to land when they fly down from the roosts and give them enough room to spread their wings and fly up to the roosts.

To me that’s the basics. Good luck!

I am in MO. How much head and wall clearance does the roosting bsr need? Also will the ador1 work if my poop door is on the north side in a covered area between the coop and barn? Basically, I put the north coop wall 4' from the south wall of the barn and covered that space extending the roof of the coop to the barn.

What are your nest boxes made of? Does the ador1 have a sense for light that can be away from it? I don't know if it will work since my poop door cones out on the north side in a four foot covered area between the coop and barn.

I assume your human door will open out. If it does you can nail on a board to keep your floor bedding material in the coop.

daxigait said:

I am in MO. How much head and wall clearance does the roosting bsr need? Also will the ador1 work if my poop door is on the north side in a covered area between the coop and barn? Basically, I put the north coop wall 4' from the south wall of the barn and covered that space extending the roof of the coop to the barn.

Click to expand...

I would think a couple feet of clearance should be good...enough so they can fly up and have head room. For wall clearance I gave them about 13" front and back (with the 4" of the the 2x4 roost in the middle).

The ADOR1 should work fine there...mine is under a metal roof and facing north. It has a light sensor and it's worked like a charm so far.

Nest boxes are made of pine. Inside from the pic you can see we have a large "kitty litter" tray that's filled with pine shavings.