Coop design feedback?

[TaylorC]

Hey everyone. I'm drawing up plans for my first coop, and would love some feedback. There will be six hens (thinking Wyandotte, Austrolorpe, Welsummer, Plymouth Rock, Easter Egger, etc., all biggish) which we plan to have roaming on our 1/4 acre backyard some 300 days a year. (This is in Fort Collins, Northern CO, growing zone 5a.) The design is shooting for about 5 sq ft per chicken inside, including the nest and "shelf" area above the nests.
It's 18" off the ground, 5' wide, 4' high on the south side, 3' on the north. Four nesting boxes (12" wide, 15" deep, 12" high on the inside, sloping to about 8" on the outside where the access door will be) attached about 8" off the ground onto the north side (insulated?) and a platform above them for hanging out, ladder-type roost on the south side, with poop tray underneath, pop door on the east side of the south wall, going into the run, 5' x 5' as well as the underneath (though I could add another foot all along to the West, for a total of 6'x10'.) I'm putting a long window along the south wall above the roost area, making basically the whole east wall a people doorway. I need a little help figuring out the ventilation, but otherwise am I missing anything major?
Thanks for any help!

 

[TaylorC]

I hadn't realized how much my design was like the Purina Mills coop. I have the nesting boxes low and on the 3' wall, the roost against the 4' wall as tall as I can get it next to windows, but maybe the nesting boxes are too low? My thoughts on ventilation (after reading Patandchicken's essay) are to have vents all across the south (high) side of the roof, and then on the north side, vents just above the floor and just below the roof, all covered in hardware cloth, with a way to close up the two northside bottom one, have the high one open in the winter, the low one and high one in the summer. Maybe hinge the top of the roost ladder for cleaning under. Think I will make a big door on both sides east and west, so I don't have to reach across so much when cleaning. My wife didn't like the look of (or I guess the look of the "sketch" of) the run as high as the coop (~5 1/2') and thinks it would be good at around the top of the pop door, ~3' high.

So here's some specific question for anyone who would be so helpful as to offer their experience:
* Would 4' high vents all along the rafters one north and south, and same on the bottom north side be "enough?"
* Is there a recommended height from the ground for the nesting boxes? Being on the north side and being low, I'm concerned they will get too cold for comfort and they'll lay on the floor.
* Is there a downside to having 4 nesting boxes for six hens? (I can only have six according to city ordinance, so no worries about growing into it.) I'm thinking two, and then the space where the other two would be could have a similar outside access, but be closed to the inside and hold feed, supplies, etc.
* Will it be sufficient to have the roost ladder hinge upward for cleaning, or should it definitely be removable?
* How much does one need to be getting in and out of the run, and what kinds of trouble will I be in for if I can't really get in there? (Should I make the roof removable or some other fabulous idea?)
* I'm only thinking to cover about the first 2' of the run, and have 3' just chicken wire, etc for sun; does that sound about right?
Thanks again in advance!

 

[Mahonri]

Looks to me like you've got it figured out!

 

[Schroeder]

I like the storage idea.

 

[gsim]

Quote:


Build it taller to handle summer heat and ventilation.

I assume a typo and you mean 4" as opposed to 4' ? Full length ventilation at soffit or overhang height front and back would be desirable. Any bottom vent on N side must be of a type that can be closed. Operable windows are desirable for summertime heat. You do not want drafts or humidity inside at floor, nest, or roosting ht.

Nesting boxes should be lower than roosts to keep chooks from sleeping and pooping in them. Yours being on N side must be well insulated and the lid well sealed for blocking drafts. Just insulate the entire N side of coop inside. (High-up vents stay open all year while bottom ones are closed all winter.)

Two nest boxes is all you need. Do them min 12 x 12. 14 x 14 better yet.

Small as your coop is, they will hop up on the roost. Set the roost pole 12" from wall. Make a 24' wide poop board of osb and cover it with linoleum, glued down. Mount the poop board maybe a foot below the roost. Scrape daily

for longest-lasting litter and fewest litter changes and best air quality and lowest humidity. Removable is best. Chooks will hop up on poop board first, then up to roost. Nests need be only a few inches above floor or even flush with floor if handier for you. Pay attention to rainwater leakage running into nest box. Roof overhang can solve that , or flexible flashing for lid-to-wall-junction. Sheet rubber or vinyl baseboard will make that nicely. Do not make entrance walkway too steep. 4:1 is very good. Make a guillotine-style pop door and make it operable from outside the pen.

Make run tall enough to walk in. You will always be glad you did. Cover a portion so they can be out on snowy days. Pay attention to weight of wet snow when doing this. Collapses allow predators an easy way in. Bare minimum of 10 sq ft/chook for run. Better is 30 sq ft/chook for run. Happy chooks=more eggs.

Do not use chicken wire for anything but the top to keep hawks out. Even that is risking coons, etc from getting in. Do 6 ft tall welded wire, 2x4 for the run. Make it dig proof. Add 2 ft tall run of hardware cloth mesh 1/2" sq to entire bottom all the way around to keep coons from reaching in to decapitate and dismember chooks. Read Predators section thoroughly if you doubt this. Your idea of 5 sq ft/chook inside is good enough. Too small makes wintertime stressful for chooks and more stress=fewer eggs.

Take short puffs, long breaks, laugh a lot, works safe.

Gerry

 

[TaylorC]

Thank you so much for all the advice. Sounds like you're suggesting not insulating any walls but the north (and nesting boxes.) That's certainly easier if it would be adequate. I'm still a little concerned about the draft across the top vents when the hens are roosting in the cold. How low from the roof should it be for a chicken to sit comfortably anyway, and then should I drop another 4" for the wind current?
There's a struggle between higher run for walking in, and eyesore factor in the backyard. I think I can talk my wife into 4' high, and with a 5' span, make the first 2' covered (as well as the area under the coop) and the outside 3' have a removable lid, so you're only reaching in 2' when cleaning. Sound workable enough?

 

[gsim]

Quote:
I would set roost so that the roost is 2 ft lower than the vent. It must be higher than the nests tho. That is why I said to make it taller. Then the taller run will no longer be an eyesore. That way the whole thing will be 6 ft tall. You will never regret it once the grind of daily chores sets in. Think long-term day in day out routines and how you want to be doing them.

 

[patandchickens]

Wait, can you clarify what the size of the coop is (what the floorspace size is) -- is it 5x6'? Or is that wrong? (5x6' would be a VERY inconvenient size for a reach-in coop...)

So here's some specific question for anyone who would be so helpful as to offer their experience:
* Would 4' high vents all along the rafters one north and south, and same on the bottom north side be "enough?"

Assuming that's four INCHES, it might be enough in wintertime with good coop sanitation, but you'll want more in summertime and I am not going to SWEAR that you might not find yourself wishing for more in winter either. So if it were me, I'd go bigger/more.

* Is there a recommended height from the ground for the nesting boxes?

These are interior nestboxes? It is good if they can have at least 14" or so to be able to walk underneath them. Less than 10" or so is IMO pointless b/c you end up with totally-wasted space underneath them yet that space is a real bugger to CLEAN. Having roosts distinctly higher than nestbox openings is the biggest thing, though.

* Is there a downside to having 4 nesting boxes for six hens? (I can only have six according to city ordinance, so no worries about growing into it.) I'm thinking two, and then the space where the other two would be could have a similar outside access, but be closed to the inside and hold feed, supplies, etc.

I like that idea. Two boxes for 6 hens is about right.

* Will it be sufficient to have the roost ladder hinge upward for cleaning, or should it definitely be removable?

If you don't make it removeable, you will discover a need to remove it and go "oh, PHOO". Whereas if you make it removeable, you are covered

But I am not sure whether you NEED a roost ladder if the roost is only 18" off the floor and they have reasonable horizontal room to fly/hop onto and off of it.

* How much does one need to be getting in and out of the run, and what kinds of trouble will I be in for if I can't really get in there? (Should I make the roof removable or some other fabulous idea?)

You do need to be albe to get in there SOMEhow. Someday, a hen will lay an egg out there, or be injured, or some object will need to be retrieved, or you will need to do some cleaning or "footing remediation" or suchlike. So I suggest a panel on top (needn't be the whole entire top) that hinges up, and is well-locked.

* I'm only thinking to cover about the first 2' of the run, and have 3' just chicken wire, etc for sun; does that sound about right?

Don't use chickenwire, use something that will actually keep dogs etc OUT. Otherwise, sounds fine

Goo dluck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[TaylorC]

Great feedback, folks. Thanks a ton!
To clarify, the floor is 4' wide x 5' deep, one wall is 4' high and the other is 3' high. It sits 18" off the ground, on a 2x6 platform, so roughly 6' high at the top.
Gsim, I can see the benefits of it being taller, but I'm also trying to keep it under 6' where our neighbors' fence height is. How low can I drop the floor and have the chickens still be comfortable pecking around under there? Seems jsut even another 6" would make a difference with roost placement, etc.
The reason for the ladder was so I could have to levels and still have the two side walls be mostly door, about 2' high and wide as comfortable, with a 6" threshold/tub at the floor.
If I put my roost 2' below the vent on a 4' wall, and the vent is more than 4" I'm headed toward a roost that's only 1.5' off the ground. Is that still functional? I can put the nesting boxes at about 6", where the bedding will come to, and they're only coming into the interior about 3" so not a big problem to clean I'd imagine. But then where do my bottom vents go? Should I consider putting a second roost above the nesting boxes, with a poop tray?
As for the ventilation, I'll put a functional window in the north side above the nests if I can find one the right size. That should cover my summers.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It would be a good idea to mock this up somehow to make sure you are comfortable with those dimensions, in terms of being able to comfortably reach to all parts of the coop without having to crawl in there or suchlike.

I can see the benefits of it being taller, but I'm also trying to keep it under 6' where our neighbors' fence height is. How low can I drop the floor and have the chickens still be comfortable pecking around under there? Seems jsut even another 6" would make a difference with roost placement, etc.

I wouldn't go lower than 16" for the run space under the coop, and more like 2' would be better. Personally I don't see anything much wrong with your proposed coop height, the worst I could say is that it will make ventilation a bit more difficult but you have enough room that I do not think that's going to be a limiting factor the way it would be in (say) a 2x4' coop.

If I put my roost 2' below the vent on a 4' wall, and the vent is more than 4" I'm headed toward a roost that's only 1.5' off the ground. Is that still functional? I can put the nesting boxes at about 6", where the bedding will come to, and they're only coming into the interior about 3" so not a big problem to clean I'd imagine. But then where do my bottom vents go? Should I consider putting a second roost above the nesting boxes, with a poop tray?

18" off the ground is a perfectly fine height for a roost (unless you wanted to do a droppings board), it gives walking room underneath. I do not personally think there is a lot of point in putting nestboxes 6" above the floor, though - if they're oging to be that low, just make them floor-level with a good high lip, and it will likely be fine. (I have used lots of nestboxes on the floor and not had problems)

You don't really need "bottom vents" as such. You wouldn't be using something like that in wintertime, and in summertime you are better off having a whole wall (or large portion thereof) be open (mesh). IME, small localized low-on-the-wall vents needlessly decreases airflow, and increases the messiness from storm winds.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​