Building A Chicken Coop.

[WindStep]

Hello Back Yard Chickens,

I have 20 Chickens and in April I'm hopefully getting 12 chicks and that is 32 chickens if I have done my math right. And I do not do free range I want a coop connected to a SAFE COOP RUN and I was wandering 2 things...
1. How much coop + run space would they need?
2. What are some of your coop ideas?


P.S. I have already looked through Back Yard Chicken Coops. And oh my budget is $400.
Thank You!

 

[Mei&Popcorn]

Hello Back Yard Chickens,


My dad is going to maybe be building me a chicken coop for my breeding silks. And I can draw out a desin for him and he will build it if it is senceable. So I was wandering does anybody have any small yet cool desin you could post on here?


The needs...
Needs to be farly light
Needs to be connected to a safe coop run.
Needs to be farly easy to build. (Some thing that does not take months to build)

Check out the BYC coops page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/small-chicken-coop-designs-pictures-of-chicken-coops


How many silkies are you housing? Some people use modified dog houses.

 

[WindStep]

I checked that out now I am asking every body!

 

[Belott]

I checked that out now I am asking every body!   

Why don't you sit down with your Dad and come up with something together!! It's really not that complicated.

David

 

[The Lazy L]

I checked that out now I am asking every body!

Good for you! I did the same thing. Read everything I could, joined a few Forums and started to ask questions. Used the data and opinions collected to formulate my plan.

 

[WindStep]

My dad is not like that! He is the new not nomall Hey like me! LoL

 

[WindStep]

Ok my dad said that me and him could set down for a little wile! Well I will post what we come up with!

 

[WindStep]

We came up with... NOTHING!

 

[jstlitlome]

If it helps, we used the Purina plan here: http://poultry.purinamills.com/NUTRITIONMANAGEMENT/HenHouseHutchDesign/

and amended it (a lot!) by making it bigger and putting different doors on it etc. We love our coop and its especially easy to clean since it is off the ground. We used an old dog run for our run and covered it with mesh tarp.It houses 9 chickens.

 

[Ridgerunner]

First a little homework to help you get some plans together. Read these articles.

Pat’s Big Ol' Ventilation Page
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

Pat’s Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

Then follow the link in my signature for size.

A coop needs to provide predator protection and protection from the elements. Inside you’ll need a roost and probably some nests. You might want enough room to put food and water where they won’t poop in it from the roosts. They’ll need a way to get outside too. A small pop door is usually best because it keeps rain out better. Whatever door you use, it needs to be locked open so it doesn’t accidentally get shut and lock them out or slam shut when one’s in the way.

Most building materials come in 4’ or 8’ dimensions. If you use those dimensions you can usually avoid a lot of cutting and waste as well as provide more space for little if any extra money.

Now you have the basics. Determine your size and where you are going to put it. Will it be walk-in or elevated? Fixed location or mobile? Wood, metal, or something else?

Now is where your imagination, wants, and desires come in. Budget comes into play too. With some paint and some plywood cut-outs you can make a box-shaped coop look like a pirate ship, Disney castle, or a Korean pagoda. A cupola on top often looks good and helps with ventilation. I have no idea what might strike your fancy. Chickens don’t care what it looks like but people do. Have fun with it.