Coop design questions with pics

[thoth3g]

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[Folly's place]

You're lucky to have such a good building to work with! The two most important issues are ventilation and protection from predators! You have plenty of space on just the ground level for a good sized flock, as long as MUCH MORE ventilation is provided, with hardware cloth well attached. It could be a Woods type coop, depending on the NS orientation. Mary

 

[thoth3g]

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[thoth3g]

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[thoth3g]

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[ChickMom5711]

Lovely coop! Great space. I'm sure any bird you choose will be very happy there.
I highly recommend buff orpingtons! I am raising my second flock of them and I am so happy I stuck with them. Great layers and meat birds, friendly, great mothers. Cold hearty. Bares confinement well. A great all-around bird. Not to mention they are beautiful!
Silver or gold laced Wyandottes or red stars are a close second favorite! I am raising my first Black Australorpe now and she is a feisty one! I like her!

 

[thoth3g]

Lovely coop! Great space. I'm sure any bird you choose will be very happy there.
I highly recommend buff orpingtons! I am raising my second flock of them and I am so happy I stuck with them. Great layers and meat birds, friendly, great mothers. Cold hearty. Bares confinement well. A great all-around bird. Not to mention they are beautiful!
Silver or gold laced Wyandottes or red stars are a close second favorite! I am raising my first Black Australorpe now and she is a feisty one! I like her!

After looking at lots of breed info I went with the Australorpe because they seemed to be the best of both worlds. They appear to get broody but NOT TOO BROODY, also only found one other breed that out lays them. My first choice was the RIR's because they are top notch layers but they don't appear to get broody for most people and their roosters are mean (don't want the pups or wifey to get attacked! lol)
I'd prefer to let the hens raise the young. I'm still debating though how to do this. Whether to leave in the coop or whether I will have to build a box and seperate run for the mothers...