First brooder and coop builds.

[WestoftheRest]

As I continue to wait for one of our nanny goats to kid out I figured I would share some pics of my brooder set up as well as the progress of my first coop. There will be hardware cloth from the roofline down to the top of the siding on two walls (approximately 3.5” X 10’) Do you guys think this, along with the two windows, will provide enough ventilation? Any other suggestions are welcome. Thanks for having a look!

 

[JMotuzick]

Looks like a great start! I like the brooder. If I was going to get new hens every spring I might make something like that. Butttttt my shipping crate will be just fine!

How many birds are going into the coop? Always open secured run? Free range? What type of roof?

Using the 1sq ft per hen. 3”x10’ is good for about 2 1/2 hens!

 

[JesusHChicken]

Nice build. Looks like we have the same linoleum floor. Was on sale at Big Blue box. My coop is about the same size vented at overhang on both sides.

What size are your nesting boxes? What type of birds (meat, layer, dual purpose)? Bedding method, pool deck and/or deep litter method?

 

[JesusHChicken]

Did you go 12" OC on your framing?

 

[WestoftheRest]

Looks like a great start! I like the brooder. If I was going to get new hens every spring I might make something like that. Butttttt my shipping crate will be just fine!

How many birds are going into the coop? Always open secured run? Free range? What type of roof?

Using the 1sq ft per hen. 3”x10’ is good for about 2 1/2 hens!

I over built the brooder for a couple reasons:
1. I tend to get carried away with projects.
2. We plan on getting a handful of cockerels each year to put meat in the freezer
3. May decide to hatch some of our own chicks one day.

The 3 inch x 10 ft is just the ventilation at the top of the front and back wall. The coop is 10’x8x’ and the run size will be 20’ x 30’. We have 23 chicks right now but they are a straight run so time will tell how many we end up with.

Edit:
The light just came on. When you said 1 sq ft I assumed coop space. It looks like I am gonna need more ventilation.

 

[WestoftheRest]

Nice build. Looks like we have the same linoleum floor. Was on sale at Big Blue box. My coop is about the same size vented at overhang on both sides.

What size are your nesting boxes? What type of birds (meat, layer, dual purpose)? Bedding method, pool deck and/or deep litter method?

Nesting boxes are 14x14. The studs on that wall are on 16” centers so I just made the nest boxes fit between them. We got all Wyandotte chicks. I am leaning towards poop boards with PDZ under the roosts but haven’t made up my mind completely.

 

[WestoftheRest]

Did you go 12" OC on your framing?

Guessing by OC you mean “on center”?? If so no I did 16” centers.

 

[Wellsken]

Very nice! I really like your double brooder design. I might have to borrow some of your ideas from this one. I really like the auto watering system too. Thanks so much for sharing these pics!

 

[JesusHChicken]

Nesting boxes are 14x14. The studs on that wall are on 16” centers so I just made the nest boxes fit between them. We got all Wyandotte chicks. I am leaning towards poop boards with PDZ under the roosts but haven’t made up my mind completely.

Awesome. My nesting boxes are about 12x14", should have made them bigger. Thinking about modifying this summer.

I went roosting rail over pop deck with floating floor. Go in every other day or so and scrape deck/floor. Would like to try deep litter method on next coop.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Perhaps your first brooder and coop - but most definitely NOT your first build! Holy smokes, that is some nice work!

Nest boxes are plenty big! Mine are 11"x11" and they work great. An 8x10 coop - if you use 2 sq ft per bird (which I think is too small) that's enough space for 40 birds (which would need ~40 sq ft of ventilation)... If you use 5 sq ft per bird (which I think is quite generous) that's enough 20 birds (needing ~20 sq ft of ventilation).

You've got 6 sq ft of ventilation total at the top of the front and back wall right now (each wall has a 3.5"x10' vent, right?). Some Qs:

• How much ventilation area will each window provide?
• What is your roof design (shed, gable)?
• How do the front and back wall upper vents work with the roof design?

Considering that 3.5" gap at the top of the walls... if you could increase that gap... for every 1.2 inches you increase the gap per wall, you will add 1 sq ft of venting.

So 6" gap on both walls will give you 10 sq ft of ventilation.

Adding cold air inlets (baffled to prevent drafts and screened to keep out critters) will greatly increase your ventilation efficiency. I built my lower vents into built-in storage cabinets under the nest boxes.

Looking fantastic though!!