Chook house plans for 'Les Poules' - help / feedback for a newbie please!

PouleChick

Crowing
7 Years
Apr 6, 2016
2,159
6,289
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SW France
Hi, I'm very new to this and trying to get it right before I start! Thanks to the great advice on here I've already decided to scrap (well totally change the size anyway) my original plans but I thought I'd share them then if there are any glaring issues you guys can tell me so I dont' make them on plan mark 2! Sorry to those of you that are used to feet - it is all in metres, my concrete base is 2x2.2 m which is about 6.5 x 7 and a bit feet. Basically I have an existing large gate and posts to for a huge run and a concrete base to build a coop and enclosed run on. i want it to be pretty as we live in an area that is very pretty and the neighbours have lovely gardens etc and figure it is as easy to build something nice as something ugly! My revised plans will have the coop bit a rectangle - so double the current size. If anyone has any ideas that they think would work well that I've not thought of I'd love to hear them! All openings will have 1/2 inch hardcloth and there is obviously the predator proof concrete base which will be totally covered in the hardcloth. The day run will have 1 inch hardcloth and be open topped at this stage. We do have hawks but there are lots of freeranging chooks down our lane and I've not heard of them being attacked but if I needed to I could cover them. Current plan is for 4 standard size laying chickens and 2 silkies.
Here is the ready to go area:


And the mark 1 plans (some of the measurements are not quite right on the plan - the base is 20 cm bigger in one direction). Also east side not shown - it will have a big window to let in air and light.







Please excuse my terrible drawing skills!

This one is only showing the front 1/2 of the coop as coudln't work out how to get the perspective further back!


This is kind of the idea of the run - although it is not as rectangle as this:
 
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It sounds like a very sturdy coop and almost definitely predator proof, but the cement idea throws me. I think that the cement would be bad for their feet, but I've never tried a cement run. Good luck!
 
It sounds like a very sturdy coop and almost definitely predator proof, but the cement idea throws me. I think that the cement would be bad for their feet, but I've never tried a cement run. Good luck!

I'll be covering it - I think with sand in the summer and possibly the deep litter method in the summer (more research and decisions lol!), I wont' just leave it bare - not sure if it would be bad for their feet but can't imagine it being comfy or easy to clean if it was bare.
 
I've just done the maths and with the current style plan if I run the coop all along one side 1m x 2.2m it would be enough for 6 chickens (do the silkies need less space for the maths?) but haven't seen any coops that are long and thin like that in that style. Can anyone help? Would I be better doing it square still but just bigger so then the run bit wraps around like an 'L'?
 
I'm thinking in terms of cleaning and access which would be easier - long and thin (3 foot x 7 and a bit foot) or 5 foot square ish both for the same floor space?
 
For the long vs. square idea for cleaning I think it depends on where your door to clean is. I have an approximately 1m x 2m x 1m "long" brooder coop/quarantine coop. I have a fold down hatch on the short side to access feed and water, but on the "long" side opposite the window I have a board with a track to slide up and down and is secured with a screw at the top. I use the side that essentially removes to clean it out and I have no problems, but if I had to clean from the short side it would be a lot more difficult. It all depends on how you plan on cleaning it out. On the silkie/bantam note, bantams do need slightly less, but as is always the case, more room is always better. I plan for at least 4 sq. feet for large fowl, and 3 sq. feet for bantams. With the run also it seems to be whatever you want to have on your coop. A square coop with an "L" run might save more space, but might take a little more planning. Personally I prefer my runs to be rectangles extending from my coop just for simplicity's sake. Mine also seemed roomier than my L run. Hope it helps!
 
:frowhello after a long break where I've been suffering from severe chicken inertia! If you see my other thread I have found a cure :love:yesss:
Part of me is sad that I didn't get sorted and get my chooks a long time ago but the other part of me is pleased as I think I want a larger flock than I originally thought / was planning for. So I'd love some feedback from you experienced people!
As you can see in the photos on the first post of this thread we have an existing 1/2 done chicken area that came with the house with a fabulous safe gate and a 2 x 2.2 metre concrete base. My original plan was to build a raised coop over part of the concrete base and have the whole thing hardclothed in as a run underneath and using the whole space. Obviously if I have more than about 6 chooks this won't be big enough.
So my new idea is to build a bigger coop (maybe over the whole of the concrete base) and then have the run coming off there. I'm a bit torn though, I do like the look of the raised coops but I'm wondering if maybe a walk in garden shed style coop would be better for me as in easier to clean (plan to do deep litter), get into to catch chickens, set up brooder areas in the future etc. I obviously have the space to do either but I'm really stuck with more indecision! I have read over ridgerunners space article again and am even more convinced this is the right decision and I would have regretted building the smaller coop I'd planned! We dont' get severe winters here so they would be outside 365 days / year although the covered run will get good use as we do tend to get a lot of rain at various points (then screaming hot and no rain for months!). I'm thinking I'd liek to have space for a bout 12 chickens eventually.

A little mini quizz!:
If you had your time again / were starting from scratch would you build a raised coop or a walk in one?
What would be your reasons?
How would you build your run?
Can you link me to what you would build?
 
I’m actually starting a new flock in March after I had to rehome my previous flock. I have built 3 coops so far. 1 was a prefab coop and the other 2 I designed and built myself. I prefer a walk in run as you don’t have to deal with crawling around on the ground to catch a chicken and the bending down gets to be a pain after about a week. I prefer a coop raised about 3 feet off the ground if I’m using a tray to hold the bedding. I don’t have experience with a walk-in coop (henhouse) so I don’t know if raised or not is ideal. I am building 2 new coops this March, 1 is a prefab coop and the other I’m using the plans for the Poultry Palace from buildacoop.com. I am modifying the Poultry Palace plans to add more ventilation, and some more floor space. The run walls I will also be panelized so that they are sturdy and semi-permanent. I prefer my run walls to be panelized so that in the event that I sell or want to move my coop/run I can easily take it apart and reassemble it.
Here are the plans for the runs I built:
This first one is 12 feet long by 8 feet wide by 8 feet tall in the front and 7 feet tall on the other sides. After I rehomed my flock I took it down and it took me only 1 hour. I alter sold it to my family friend who had my 4 light brahma hens and we got it built in less than 2 hours.
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This second coop I built from stuff I had in my garage for my Cornish cross pullet and 2 silkies. The coop was 3 feet by 2 feet and the run was 5 feet by 3 feet. After my Cornish cross pullet passed away I added a 2 foot wide by 6 foot long run addition onto the original run. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of the run addition.
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I will upload photos of the modifications that I will be making to the Poultry Palace coop plans as soon as I print them out.
I hope this helps you.
 
@aart has a good article on stackup and links to a couple more articles that are a good read. looks like your making an elevated roosting area, make sure you have very easy access to the area for daily clean out. I'm modifying my poor design to have double doors on each side so I can clean the poop easier in the morning.

JT
 
So my new idea is to build a bigger coop (maybe over the whole of the concrete base) and then have the run coming off there. I'm a bit torn though, I do like the look of the raised coops but I'm wondering if maybe a walk in garden shed style coop would be better for me as in easier to clean (plan to do deep litter), get into to catch chickens, set up brooder areas in the future etc.
Yes!! Go with a walk in!
 

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