Coop remodel, maintenance and fun

New to the whole BYC and chickens this year. We received 7 new Barred Rocks the first week of July. Well adjusted now, the ladies enjoy 3-4 hrs or more each day free ranging. They wander over to the neighbors, into the apple trees between yards and elsewhere. We can't wait until they start paying rent in eggs. For now there cuteness and clucking will do.

Living in northeastern Maine, where winters can be Cold for long periods of time got me thinking about some additions as I watch the ladies enjoy some scratch one evening. Keep in mind, we do rent currently so we're trying not to be too destructive of our landlords property who has been aswesome to allow us to have chickens! Any and all suggestions welcome! Thanks in advance!



1. We don't have nesting boxes! Yikes! Now they're only ~12 weeks old but I'd rather plan to get these built on now before my hands freeze just walking to the coop. I think I'll plan on leaving them 'closed' up until they are 18 weeks old or show signs otherwise. But I'd like some suggestions.

(temporary tarp until I find more roofing material for free/low cost)



We could put them inside where the roosting bar is but then room gets very tight. So I was thinking on the outside either on the end wall sticking out or cutting off some of the A-Frame roof and adding in an 'addition' sticking out horizontally. The other option would be to build something below the floor in the run space but i don't like this idea as it's not as protected and takes away from the run space they do have when they aren't free ranging. Suggestions?

2. My other conundreum. Extending the run space for this winter. It's easy to know it's going to be cold and snowy, but how much who knows. We'd like to build a run area off of this so the ladies has some snow free space to mingle and scratch at so they don't feel cooped ( ) up. Trying to avoid too much expese and impact to the property, i was thinking a 10'x5' frame run with a slanted roof to avoid snow building up. Using hardware cloth around the edges...Ideally i'd love to find some clear roofing material to allow natural light in and avoid snow build up. I have some plastic from a previous job so i'll be wrapping much of the run in with that and buy more as necessary. Any ideas to keep cost down but keeping the ladies happy (obviously most important).

What if you duplicated your A-frame section and added it onto the back. Then cut out 2 large holes in the back of the original, giving you twice the space. You can use part of the new addition for nesting boxes and the rest gives them some more space. Box in the bottom of the new section and you could keep feed/treats/beding underneath.

PS my BR started laying at 15 weeks

josher57 said:

What if you duplicated your A-frame section and added it onto the back. Then cut out 2 large holes in the back of the original, giving you twice the space. You can use part of the new addition for nesting boxes and the rest gives them some more space.  Box in the bottom of the new section and you could keep feed/treats/beding underneath.

PS my BR started laying at 15 weeks

Click to expand...

I like that a lot, great idea!

To hear your started at 15 weeks, wow that would be an awesome fall surprise! I better get drawing and cutting!

Almost finished the addition this weekend. I added two nesting boxes for the 7 ladies. Added some stoppers. By the doors a shavings don't get piled up and coming pouring out.

I still need:
- to find an piece of linoleum for the floor if possible, might just end up painting it.
- add locks
- extend roosting bar
- remove existing center wall
- build 10x4 a-frame winter run covered in thick plastic.

Oh where is all the time going!


Thanks for reading my rambling!

Looking great! Good idea with the stopper. I had to do the same thing to keep my sand it.

Yikes!.....That's an awfully small space for 7 birds in your climate, even this time of year.
Do they all sleep in the upper part?

I'd add the 10x5 run you mention...... then make the whole existing structure a secure coop for nightime safety and anytime storm shelter.

Great article on VENTILATION, one of THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of coop design.
Fantastic treatise to help decide how much SPACE your chickens need.