Hi all!
We have just moved, which means I get to build a new coop for my girls. This will be my third, so I have a bit of experience to draw on as far as what I like and don't like, but I'd love some help working out some details.
I plan to do a shed-style walk-in coop, with the people door at the front and the run off of one side. It's what my last coop was, only it was a slap-together temporary coop, so there are some things I want to do differently this time round. Hubby wants to do an 8' x 8' shed, since those dimensions are easy as far as the materials go - plenty of room for my 7 girls. The shed will be split front to back with an interior wall, with the front 3' being for feed storage, isolation, and access to nesting boxes (which will be built into the interior wall); the back 5' will be the coop proper.
So here's where I'd love some help and ideas:
1. Where should I situate ventilation, especially in relation to roost and nesting boxes? We are moving to the interior of BC: hot, dry summers and moderately cold winters. We lived there before with chickens, so I know what to expect. I want the coop to be bright and airy, with big hardware cloth windows, but of course have the roost protected from direct breezes. It's like putting together a puzzle! In the drawing I've attached, which is based off a coop I found online (see the link), there are two tall windows on one side of the coop. The link shows a Dutch door, which may be an option (but with hardware cloth on the upper portion). I want to add more hardware cloth windows, but not sure where yet - maybe up high along the back wall and/or run wall, well above the roost height? I'm thinking the roost will go along the back wall, probably the full width of the coop.
2. Should I raise the coop, requiring a ramp for the girls and stairs for me? Or build it at ground level? My old coop was about 1ft off the ground, on pallets. It was very wet there (Pacific coast), so we wanted the coop off the wet ground. I'm leaning toward having the new coop raised more than that, because I had major issues with dust from the run making a mess inside the coop - the pop door is just too close to the ground, I think. My very first coop was a smaller one that was raised 2ft and situated inside the run, so the girls could go under it, and was much cleaner despite my cleaning routine, bedding material, etc all being the same as now. If I raise it this time, though, I won't have the underneath area accessible to the girls, as it was a pain to clean under or crawl under to catch a chicken!
3. Again because of ease of build, hubby wants to make the run 8' x 8' as well. I would like to have it bigger, personally, since we won't be letting them free range like we used to, but he suggested we have a secondary uncovered pen, much larger, that they could be in under supervision. The run will have a roof that slopes down from the coop - another reason to have the coop built up a little, we don't want to be bonking our heads at the low end of the run! Although I do love the look of the peaked roof in the coop from the link!
4. The waterer (a big pail with horizontal nipples) and the feeders (upright PVC pipes) will be in the run.
So that's where I'm at with the planning process so far. I'd love to hear your thoughts and advice!!
Here's the link the coop that inspired my plan: https://www.twelveonmain.com/amazingly-gorgeous-and-stylish-chicken-coop-ideas/
We have just moved, which means I get to build a new coop for my girls. This will be my third, so I have a bit of experience to draw on as far as what I like and don't like, but I'd love some help working out some details.
I plan to do a shed-style walk-in coop, with the people door at the front and the run off of one side. It's what my last coop was, only it was a slap-together temporary coop, so there are some things I want to do differently this time round. Hubby wants to do an 8' x 8' shed, since those dimensions are easy as far as the materials go - plenty of room for my 7 girls. The shed will be split front to back with an interior wall, with the front 3' being for feed storage, isolation, and access to nesting boxes (which will be built into the interior wall); the back 5' will be the coop proper.
So here's where I'd love some help and ideas:
1. Where should I situate ventilation, especially in relation to roost and nesting boxes? We are moving to the interior of BC: hot, dry summers and moderately cold winters. We lived there before with chickens, so I know what to expect. I want the coop to be bright and airy, with big hardware cloth windows, but of course have the roost protected from direct breezes. It's like putting together a puzzle! In the drawing I've attached, which is based off a coop I found online (see the link), there are two tall windows on one side of the coop. The link shows a Dutch door, which may be an option (but with hardware cloth on the upper portion). I want to add more hardware cloth windows, but not sure where yet - maybe up high along the back wall and/or run wall, well above the roost height? I'm thinking the roost will go along the back wall, probably the full width of the coop.
2. Should I raise the coop, requiring a ramp for the girls and stairs for me? Or build it at ground level? My old coop was about 1ft off the ground, on pallets. It was very wet there (Pacific coast), so we wanted the coop off the wet ground. I'm leaning toward having the new coop raised more than that, because I had major issues with dust from the run making a mess inside the coop - the pop door is just too close to the ground, I think. My very first coop was a smaller one that was raised 2ft and situated inside the run, so the girls could go under it, and was much cleaner despite my cleaning routine, bedding material, etc all being the same as now. If I raise it this time, though, I won't have the underneath area accessible to the girls, as it was a pain to clean under or crawl under to catch a chicken!
3. Again because of ease of build, hubby wants to make the run 8' x 8' as well. I would like to have it bigger, personally, since we won't be letting them free range like we used to, but he suggested we have a secondary uncovered pen, much larger, that they could be in under supervision. The run will have a roof that slopes down from the coop - another reason to have the coop built up a little, we don't want to be bonking our heads at the low end of the run! Although I do love the look of the peaked roof in the coop from the link!
4. The waterer (a big pail with horizontal nipples) and the feeders (upright PVC pipes) will be in the run.
So that's where I'm at with the planning process so far. I'd love to hear your thoughts and advice!!
Here's the link the coop that inspired my plan: https://www.twelveonmain.com/amazingly-gorgeous-and-stylish-chicken-coop-ideas/
