Coop Design Idea

Hello,

My wife and I are looking to buy a house soon, and to raise chickens and ducks.

So, looking over extant designs, I've been trying to design a permanent coop that I can fit in standing (I am 6'2") which can house a variable number of hens/ducks (and can hold more if we so choose).

This is the current crude design I have (amenities like water/feeder/roosting boxes are well beyond this design at the moment).


I have no decided on a width or length for this coop, yet. There would be six posts, each attached to concrete anchors. The back of the coop would be slightly lower, and the back itself will jut out a bit, so that when bedding is removed, the coop can be hosed out (as all the water will flow to the drain at the center-back). The coop floor and bottom quarter of the walls will be sealed with roofing sealant.

All lumber used in the construction will be pressure treated lumber. The floors will be built similarly (but worsely) than a deck would be - there would be crossbeams on both axes from each post for both the floor and the roof. Upon the floor, beams will be laid (possibly with support crossbeams if the length would cause it to dip too much) which are also treated wood. Atop that, I will likely nail in plywood or similar, and the walls will either be plywood or drywall. It will all be sealed/painted. The coop will be electrified (and to code) - ventilation will be provided by both exhaust fans and a large number of sealable vents (so active and passive ventilation will be available). The coop, as the image shown, will be split into two subcoops (though perhaps not at the center) - one half for hens, the other for ducks. Both will have their own runs. The coop will not be plumbed.

For geographic information - I live in Chicagoland. We get freezing winters (though usually not TOO cold - single digits are common, though we occasionally dip into the negative or double-digit negatives), and summers are usually 80's/90's, occasionally peaking in the 100's. We have predators - wild, feral, and outdoor cats, feral dogs, coyotes, raccoons, and supposedly minks though I've never seen them. We also have birds of prey (hawks are very common) so the run will be entirely enclosed.

Note, I am not an expert in any single thing discussed here, so I am sincerely looking for comments. My budget is somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000.

Ok well I like ur design but have u decided on a square footage and how many birds are u looking to get be aware of chicken math

That is why I have not decided on a square footage - it will depend on how many fowl we want and also the yard of the prospective house we buy.

Most towns only allow 6 chickens, but the towns we are looking at place no limit on ducks - thus why I may not place the center 'wall' in the center, as a greater number of ducks will require more area.

I am also curious if this design will hold the weight of the coop and myself and wife. Could I get away with only 4 posts?

I would maybe use 5 so u have ur four plus one then in the middle to support the weight

Ha as I mentioned u always have to be aware of that chicken math I was only planning on three and now I have 12 plus a turkey and I am looking to add another turkeys and start breeding silkies

We are unfortunately going to be generally limited by local laws.

If it is small you can get away with 4 posts. Much bigger than 4x4 and you need to add more support. I'm the same height as you and 240 lbs. The 4x4 I just built holds me fine but I can't stand in it. I'm building another coop next month and a shed this summer two. We need two coops because my wife wants to keep a group of various hens and I want to breed some pure lines, might have to build three. Haha. Back to your needs though. Don't pit treated lumber inside the coop and don't use cedar shavings for bedding. Both are bad for your birds. Treated is fine for subflooring. You really need to consider ventilation and ease of cleaning. As was mentioned, figure how many you are keeping in there and you'll get a lot more help. Have you raised ducks before? Iv'e raised some and have one as a pet currently. Ducks can stay with chickens but they don't follow chicken rules for bedtime. My Runners and Kaki Campbells likes to party all night. They will also make a mess of the water. How many do you want of ducks? Their water needs are something to consider and the ease of cleaning it too, unless you have a large pond. If you use something like a kiddie pool, you'll want to put a drain in it or be ready to lift it to clean it. Ducks poop the second they get into a clean pool

4x4 feet? That seems like a ridiculously tiny (and very skinny) coop.

We don't have a good idea of counts yet. The likely town we will be moving to allows 6 chickens and has no limits on ducks, so at the start, 6 and 6. I've read up on keeping ducks and chickens quite a bit, though I am by no means an expert. Most things I've read say that while ducks like being out nighttime, they can be herded into the coop and trained to sleep at night?

One poor thing about the town we're currently looking at is that they require that 'the enclosure and fenced area for chickens must not be visible from the street or any adjacent lot from a height of 5 feet. It must be obstructed by fencing, walls, or vegetation'... which is going to make such a tall coop difficult. I'd likely have to reduce the clearance from the ground.

The 4x4 is only four my wife's few laying hens. About 4 or 5.

So, say I wanted it to be 10 feet wide and 6 feet long... 4 pressure-treated 4x4's on concrete posts would not be sufficient to hold that?