Coop build and questions

[Returnofsid]

Hi all. My daughter and I have been in the process of building a bigger coop for her small flock. The coop is a 4' front to back x8' wide box, with a slanted roof. The box height is 4' at the front, and slopes to 3' at the back. I'll attempt to add photos. For clarification. The nesting boxes will be completely inside. In other words, they don't "bump out" from the coop. The coop is on legs and is raised 2' off the ground.

I have questions about nesting boxes, roost size and placement, ventilation, heating, and I'm sure I'll have more questions as we progress.

My plan is to build 4 nesting boxes, 12"x14", we currently have 4 Buff Orphingtons, but will add more in the spring. Must the nesting boxes be positioned higher than floor level? I had planned on the nesting boxes being at floor level, but could raise them a few inches, if necessary.

I plan to build 2 roosting bars, each spanning the 4' depth, and at a height of 18" and 24". This will give them about 18" and 24" of space, under the roof, in the tall side, and about 12" and 16" on the short side. These are rough measurements. Are the levels acceptable? I had originally planned on using 1 1/2" wooden dowels, but have been reading that this may not be the best option. Would 2x4s placed horizontally be a better option? Do they need ladders?

Venting, lighting and heating. We live in Spokane, WA. Hot in the summer and Cold in the winter. During warm weather, the chickens have full run of our fence back yard.

For ventilation, there will be 2 windows, that can be open or closed. There will also be 2 or 3 round holes cut, at 2" diameter. These will have round vent covers over them. Will this 2" vents provide enough venting, without creating a bad draft?

Lighting. I plan to add a small night light, to extend morning daylight hours, during the winter. Acceptable?

Heating. I had originally planned on utilizing a infrared heat lamp at the high point, and nowhere near the roosts. I would hang it from the ceiling, and space it away from any wooden walls. But I'm reading that this may not be a good idea. What other options would you recommend, or is the infrared light a safe alternative?

In the photos, the ramp is temporary, and will have thin boards crossing it. The legs will be wrapped with wire, to allow a run underneath, as well as an extended run outside the ramp door. The ramp opening will have a door that can be closed, during cold times.

I'm still trying to figure out an option to attach wheels lol. My daughter will begin painting today, and says it's going to be very colorful.

 

[NatJ]

My plan is to build 4 nesting boxes, 12"x14", we currently have 4 Buff Orphingtons, but will add more in the spring. Must the nesting boxes be positioned higher than floor level? I had planned on the nesting boxes being at floor level, but could raise them a few inches, if necessary.

Floor level nestboxes can be fine.

The usual reason for raising them is to allow the chickens to use floor space underneath the nestboxes as well--not really an option with the height of your coop.

Chickens need about 4 square feet of floor space each inside the coop, and space used for nestboxes, feeders, and waterers doesn't count for that. So remember to subtract the nestbox space when figuring how many birds can live in the coop.

Nestboxes on the floor could have a problem if the bedding really deep, but that will depend on how you prefer to manage the bedding. Some people pile bedding a foot and more deep (just keep adding more as the winter goes on), while other people keep it much shallower than that and clean it out more frequently. Floor-level nestboxes work fine with shallow bedding, slightly raised nestboxes are better if the bedding will be deep.

I plan to build 2 roosting bars, each spanning the 4' depth, and at a height of 18" and 24". This will give them about 18" and 24" of space, under the roof, in the tall side, and about 12" and 16" on the short side. These are rough measurements. Are the levels acceptable? I had originally planned on using 1 1/2" wooden dowels, but have been reading that this may not be the best option. Would 2x4s placed horizontally be a better option? Do they need ladders?

Ladder to get up to the roosts: no.
I would say either the dowels or 2x4s are fine. (Skinny dowels would not be, but the 1 1/2" dowels would be.)
I would put both roosts at the same height. Chickens always want to roost on the higher one, so it works better to have both roosts the same height. I think the lower height would be better, because of having more head space above it. (Although the higher ones would allow more space underneath for the chickens to use in the daytime.)

We live in Spokane, WA. Hot in the summer and Cold in the winter. During warm weather, the chickens have full run of our fence back yard.

For ventilation, there will be 2 windows, that can be open or closed. There will also be 2 or 3 round holes cut, at 2" diameter. These will have round vent covers over them. Will this 2" vents provide enough venting, without creating a bad draft?

Windows--good, but maybe leave them open in the winter as well. You don't want a wind blowing right on the roosting chickens at night, but LOTS of ventilation is a good thing.

The round holes will probably NOT provide enough venting.

Lighting. I plan to add a small night light, to extend morning daylight hours, during the winter. Acceptable?

Probably good. It needs to be enough light that the chickens wake up, eat and drink, and so forth. Some night lights are bright enough and others are not, so you'll have to check that. One guideline I've seen: does it give enough light for you to read a newspaper? If yes, it's bright enough.

Heating. I had originally planned on utilizing a infrared heat lamp at the high point, and nowhere near the roosts. I would hang it from the ceiling, and space it away from any wooden walls. But I'm reading that this may not be a good idea. What other options would you recommend, or is the infrared light a safe alternative?

I would not add ANY heat if the chickens are adults.
They have lots of feathers, and as long as they can roost in a place with still air, they tend to do fine.

Be sure they have liquid water (carry it out fresh each morning, and check a few more times; or heat the water), and be sure they have enough to eat. But I would not heat the coop itself at all.

Yes, water freezes. And eggs freeze. A frozen egg will split open, so gather the eggs frequently. But the chickens themselves are typically fine. Yes, even below freezing and even below zero farenheit.

A good treat to give them in cold weather: take a small amount of their usual food and add water to make a warm mush. They gobble it up, getting food and water at the same time. It makes them and you feel good! Any leftovers will freeze in the dish, so don't give them too much at a time. (It's actually fine at any time of the year--in summer, serve it cold, and the leftovers would rot instead of freezing so you still don't want to give extra.)

If you add heat, they will not grow such a thick coat of feathers.

And if you add heat but then the power goes out, they will be much colder than if they grew nice thick feathers and were used to it.

That's in addition to the risk of fire.

Overall, I think you've got it planned pretty well.

And I agree with black_cat, the chicken in the last photo is neither Buff nor an Orpington. Did she come visiting from somewhere to inspect the project?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

OK, I see I'm late to the party, and don't have the experience of most of the other posters, only benefit of a lot of reading, and some odd quirks in the way my memory works. (its a disorganized mess in here!)

So, in no particular order.

You have 32sq ft. less structure, less roost boxes, food, water, and anything else you put in there. Its big enough for not more than 8 (bantam) birds, likely closer to 4 or 6 full size, depending on how much room your nest boxes take. Brahma start small, grow slowly, but they become big birds. I'd call that space for 5 +/-1

On that subject, you have too many boxes. Two will meet your needs, easily - and you will benefit by making them outside accessible through a hinged door or similar. You want a small lip on the nesting boxes to help keep bedding material in, and you want them raised enough that soiled bedding doesn't start making its way into the egg laying area. Say, 6-8" off the floor, with 1x3 framing for the lip, either 3/8" or 1/2" osb structure. A few pieces of peel and stick tile will aid the occasional nest cleaning need, as will a cheap piece of vinyl flooring on the main floor - or several thick coats of good paint.

Your roosting bars you want above that, to encourage birds to roost not in the nesting boxes. While the heights you propose for your roost bars are not unreasonable, remember that keeping drafts and moist air - particularly in the cooler months - off your birds is a priority, and the bird itself takes up space above the bar, which moves the lower height of your windows up. You get some credit here because while Spokane is cold, its also relatively arid, with roughly half the US annual precipitation rate, and most of that in the form of snowfall. I'd drop roost height to 12-15", and put both bars at the same height. Truly, you only need one, given the flock size. They are so low, poop boards probably aren't practical - something to keep in mind as you consider your litter method.

The "rule of thumb" is 1sq ft of ventilation per bird. Assuming 4 birds in your house, that's 4 sq ft of ventilation, or 576 sq inches, minimum. Each 2" dia hole you drill offers 3.1" sq inch of ventilation. You need about 200 of them. Sorry, that looks worse in print than I intend.

The point is, even before reducing their effective ventilation area for the louvered coverings I imagine you will use, they just don't offer enough air flow to be worth the effort. Even using 4" soffit vents offers just 12 sq inch per hole. The little 2" vents are to allow trapped moisture to escape structures that might otherwise accumulate between a facade (often brick or stone) and the stick built structure behind it, while the round soffit vents were popular retro fixes when adding ridge vents to equalize airflow.

The other windows you've proposed, two at 9x9 are 81 sq in each, or 160 sq inch total, and three at 8x14, 112 sq in ea, 336 for them all. All told, you have less than 500 square inches of ventilation - almost enough for three birds, not four or six. Since you are rapidly running out of wall space, I'd normally suggest soffit venting on your overhang, but you have no soffits. Where else, close to the roof line, can you locate venting without impeding on structural elements?

Lighting is up to you, I recommend LEDs, minimizes fire risk. You don't need heat, particularly with the Brahma, unless you are brooding chicks - which you won't be doing in that hen house for a host of reasons too lengthy to list here.

Raising it up on 2' legs is a great idea, for a host of reasons, but your structure will be too heavy for wheels unless you intend to put riding lawnmower tires on it, and run it on a 5/8" bolt driven through the leg. Even then, you will need to tow it, carefully, as it will be top heavy. Tow bar on the WIDE side for stability. Assuming you scrap the wheels idea, you do want to secure it to the ground somehow for the occasional high wind, and orient it so the narrow side faces your prevailing wind direction. Whether you do that with sunken legs and poured concrete, buried cinder block and chain, earth augurs and steel cable (shed tie down kit) or some other method depends mostly on local soil conditions. I can't research those for you from here.

You get snow, about 4' per year, and your roof pitch is roughly 3/12. It won't shed itself, but that's a small area to clear off periodically, even if not at a convenient height. What are you doing for roofing material??? and how did you frame your rafters for snow load?

Finally, what are you doing for your run, which can help compensate for a number of shortfalls in optimum coop? Or are you fortunate enough to be able to allow them to free range in all bust the worst of weather?

Oh, and on light, heat, and frozen water supplies for your birds during January, where your average high is 33, and average low of 22, how are you running power and water to the structure, and keeping that water from freezing??? Your fire risk (assuming you use LEDs and skip the heat lamp) is more likely in an extension cord and power strip then any other place in this build.

That's what I've got, from a place of wanting to help, not any desire to tear down your efforts. Apologies I've not the words to frame it better.

/edit and I have Dark Brahma. Love the coloration on your Lights, they weren't available to me or I'd have gone that route, instead of dark. The choice of Brahma at all in my climate was with *some* trepidation, they are much better suited to yours. All the best to you and your family on your build and your flock.

 

[black_cat]

You should have constant ventilation that is as high up near the roof as you can get it.
Nesting boxes can be at floor level,or off the floor. Make sure that the top of the boxes is lower than the roosts. 2x4s with the wide side up are good roosts. You most likely don't need to heat your coop at all, unless you have chicks there. Where are you located? Unless its' getting below zero for multiple days at a time, you don't need heating. The chicken in the picture is not a buff orpington. I'll tag some people who are good with this stuff: @aart @U_Stormcrow @3KillerBs @NatJ

 

[Returnofsid]

They are Light Brahma. I have no idea why I called them Orphingtons. Haha

 

[NatJ]

I'd drop roost height to 12-15", and put both bars at the same height. Truly, you only need one, given the flock size. They are so low, poop boards probably aren't practical - something to keep in mind as you consider your litter method.

You're considering roost height relative to window height, but I recommend putting them a little higher because of floor height: if the chickens can easily and freely walk under the roost bars, they can make better use of the floor space in the coop.

I agree about skipping poop boards. There is not enough total height to stack floor, space for birds to walk, poop boards, roosts, ventilation, roof.

 

[Returnofsid]

Here's a few progress photos.

 

[aart]

The chicken in the picture is not a buff orpington.

Looks like a Light Brahma to me(feathered legs/feet?)
Or Sussex?

We live in Spokane, WA

Welcome to BYC! @Returnofsid
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Brahmas are bigger birds so giving them a little more than the usual 4 sq ft per bird would be better. I don't know how many birds you're hoping to have total.

Nests at/close to floor level is fine, mine are maybe 2-3" above floor (on scrap wood legs) and they're easy for the chickens to get in and out of. You do have a lot of nests relative to the coop size so I'd go with maybe 3 nests instead, to save you a little extra floor space.

If you keep roosts relatively low, like 18", there should be no need for a ladder or ramp, even with bigger birds.

As far as ventilation, calculate 1 sq ft per bird minimum, so I don't know if what you have planned is enough or not (as "2 windows" is not a measurement). You can of course go over minimum to open up more ventilation during hot summers. You want most of the ventilation up high so if you extend the roof overhang or go for something like this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-coop-is-done-now-for-the-run.1381538/ you can fit quite a lot just under the roof area.

NO HEAT is necessary. Keeping the chickens dry via ventilation is all the help they need to keep warm during winter.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I don’t think you need 4 nesting boxes.
I have 16 hens and three nesting pails. I used to have six nesting pails but they only used three so I took some out for more room.