Coop Design - lets work on this together and see where we end up!

I have a need to expand my housing complex for my ladies. Here's the scoop.

I had 4 Orpington type hens. At around 16 weeks they became a buffet for the local wildlife - while free ranging.

I built a chicken tractor for them. The only problem is I get carried away and over build things. It got to where it took a real tractor to move it.


So it got permanently parked on a concrete slab. I then added a 10" X 10" "screened in porch" as my wife calls it. This was to be a safe area to move about in. Remember I only had 4 chickens.

Well now, Thanks to Kimberly up near Birmingham AL I now have 8 (!) beautiful Blue Orpingtons of direct English background. The mommy hen was BIG and I feel these little guys will be too.

So I'm generating a housing crisis as these little peeps rapidly try to eat all the Starter/Grower feed in Chambers County.

I don't plan on ever free ranging again. I also don't want to reduce the 100 sq ft run they now have. So I want to build outside the run and tie them solidly together. Land I have lots of - like 14 acres.

What I have in mind is perhaps a tower like structure that's 4X4X8 tall. Full simple sheets of plywood. A stick built 2X4 frame for the guts of the thing.

I think of perhaps having a floor at the 4 foot level giving two 4X4X4 cubes. Roost room on top.

I envisioned - possibly - using the lower cube as a weather proof feed/water room for them with a storage cabinet for feed and tools.

What layouts, ideas, suggestions and changes do y'all () have to offer.

Let's see what we can create. Nothing is in stone and all is up for change!

Please help and lets have fun.